CASE STUDY
Wesco provided expertise and support from start to finish for a large paper mill upgrade, delivering medium voltage cable precisely where, how and when it was needed.
Challenge
A global leader in sustainable paper-based packaging undertook a critical infrastructure upgrade in its mill to replace aging medium voltage (MV) cable that had been in service for several decades. The existing 15kV, 500 MCM, three‑conductor aluminum interlocked armor cable showed signs of degradation, creating risk of failure, unplanned downtime and potential safety hazards. The physical scale of the installation, including massive buildings and long cable tray runs with many directional changes, added supply chain, timing and installation complexity that required a coordinated strategy for safe and timely project completion.
Solution
The paper company turned to Wesco to lead this medium voltage cable installation project. Wesco partnered closely with the mill, the mill’s third-party engineering company and its installation contractor to optimize how the cable was sourced, stored, cut, labeled, delivered and installed, providing support from project planning through execution. During planning, Wesco’s wire and cable engineering team identified mistakes in the contractor’s specification, which helped avoid excess material and cost. Wesco worked with a trusted partner, Southwire, to source cable reels with lengths up to 2,000 feet that weighed 19,000 pounds per reel. This was a variance that Wesco negotiated, as Southwire’s standard was 1,600-foot reels. Obtaining these larger reels allowed for zero splices on the long cable runs, which was key to risk mitigation and greater reliability in optimizing the large-scale project. Wesco had the equipment and specialized capabilities to safely lift 19,000-pound reels and cut to exact lengths with minimum tolerance.
Summary
- 60,000 feet of MV cable installed
- 30 master reels (10 feet tall, 19,000 pounds each)
- 87 custom cuts ranging from 155 to 2,000 feet
- Achieved 95.6% material efficiency
- Saved $137,000
Wesco implemented customized installation enhancement and project deployment services to increase reliability, improve safety, and streamline installation and delivery. Due to the longer cable runs, Wesco’s wire and cable engineering team performed pulling calculations to help ensure installation feasibility and eliminate the need for cable splicing. The analysis confirmed that splices could be avoided by using a coordinated pulling approach that combined multiple tuggers with strategically placed crews manually assisting the pull. This method allowed the contractor to safely install continuous runs without damaging the cable or compromising long-term performance.
To protect the cable and meet the project schedule, Wesco stored the cable securely indoors at its service center equipped to handle oversized, heavy reels and prepared it in batches for just‑in‑time delivery. Each week, the Wesco team accurately cut the cable using verified “true tape” measurements taken from the installed cable tray. The Wesco team heat‑shrunk the cable ends to prevent moisture intrusion, clamped them to the reels and left both ends exposed for testing upon delivery. Wesco clearly labeled each reel with large, laminated cards, including circuit number, length and factory testing documentation with every shipment and delivered materials on lowboy trucks to enhance safety when unloading. Wesco also managed scrap cable, returned steel reels to Southwire and consolidated billing into monthly summaries.
Results
The optimized approach delivered strong operational and financial results, achieving a documented 95.6% material efficiency and saving $137,000. By cutting cable to verified field lengths and delivering it just-in-time, Wesco helped the company minimize waste that would have occurred due to inaccurate engineering drawings. Sequenced deliveries kept the project on schedule, while clear labeling, pre-installation testing and avoiding splices accelerated deployment and supported long‑term reliability. As a result, Wesco received a project efficiency award from the company in 2025 to recognize the savings and efficiencies achieved by leveraging Wesco’s best-in-class wire and cable capabilities.
