By integrating ASTM standards throughout the production process, Southwire ensures its conductors perform reliably under challenging field conditions.

By Southwire

Jan 06, 2026

Building Standards into Daily Operations

Routine product testing at Southwire is essential for ensuring the quality of our products, including AAC, ACSR, ACSS, and C7 overhead conductors. Testing occurs at various stages of production to confirm that our products meet the required specifications before shipment, from manufacturing line testing to checks in our quality labs. 

When required, type testing occurs at the Southwire D.B. Cofer Technology Center in Carrollton, GA, home to one of the most advanced testing facilities in the wire and cable industry. Within the Cofer Technology Center, the Mechanical Test Lab hosts our product qualification and research efforts by using key ASTM-referenced methods, such as the test method for stress-strain testing for overhead electrical conductors (B1008). Here, we conduct stress-strain and creep testing, along with tensile testing, to meet type test requirements for product-approval purposes. Type test data are also used to design overhead lines and support research into the mechanical behavior of stranded overhead conductors.

By conducting these tests in-house, Southwire ensures its products meet industry expectations and instills customer confidence that they will perform as expected throughout their lifespan. Additionally, we require our suppliers to provide certified test reports verifying that source materials, such as steel or carbon-fiber composite cores, comply with ASTM standards.

By integrating ASTM standards throughout the production process, Southwire ensures its conductors perform reliably under challenging field conditions. The result is a consistent, traceable process that enhances product quality, interoperability, and customer trust. 

Driving Collaboration and Continuous Improvement

Southwire’s involvement with ASTM goes well beyond our daily operations. We actively take part in developing standards through leadership roles on ASTM committees. Charles Holcombe, director of solutions engineering at Southwire, currently chairs the committee on electrical conductors (B01), which develops and maintains standards related to metallic and composite electrical conductors. The committee also oversees several subcommittees, including conductors of light metals (B01.07), chaired by Drew Pearson, a lead transmission engineer at Southwire. 

As new materials and designs emerge, standards must also adapt. Southwire’s involvement brings the manufacturing and testing expertise necessary to update and clarify ASTM standards, helping to ensure the standards evolve alongside new conductor technologies. Our engineers collaborate with utility companies, testing labs, and other manufacturers to improve test methods, clarify requirements, and develop new standards for both new and existing technologies. 

For example, the standard specification for carbon fiber thermoset polymer matrix composite core (CFC) for use in overhead electrical conductors (B987) initially covered only monolithic carbon fiber composite cores, which limited its usefulness as new conductor designs appeared on the market. The revised standard now includes stranded CFC, enabling broader industry application and standardized testing across different core types. This change provides utilities and engineers a clearer, more inclusive framework for assessing advanced conductors such as Southwire’s C7 overhead conductor. 

ASTM’s collaborative approach with manufacturers and industry leaders ensures that standards remain responsive to emerging technologies while maintaining the rigor and consistency on which utilities depend.

Setting the Standard for Leadership

Southwire’s long-standing commitment to ASTM standards supports more than technical excellence. It also drives business value. Adherence to widely recognized standards helps to:

• Accelerate innovation by providing clear benchmarks for evaluating new materials and designs;
• Streamline testing and validation to reduce time-to-market;
• Improve reliability and safety, benefiting both customers and end users.

Participation in standards development also enhances Southwire’s reputation as a trusted leader in the industry. Being part of ASTM isn’t just about compliance, it’s about contributing. We are helping shape the standards that define our industry’s future. 

Although adherence to ASTM standards is voluntary, Southwire considers participation an investment that will foster both innovation and reliability in the electrical industry. By aligning our operations with ASTM standards and contributing to ongoing standards development, Southwire helps ensure that new technologies are introduced with the rigor and consistency that have long characterized the power sector.

Our collaboration with, and commitment to, ASTM standards supports our commitment to responsibility, transparency, and excellence in our work to power a reliable, resilient, innovative, and sustainable energy future. ●

Company Snapshot 

Headquarters: Carrollton, GA, USA

Description: As one of the leading manufacturers of wire and cable used in the transmission and distribution of electricity, Southwire delivers power to millions of people around the world.

Number of employees: ~ 9,000 

ASTM Members: 3

Industries Served: Utilities; data centers; mass transit; oil, gas, and petrochemical; automotive and EVs; ports; factory power and automation; renewables; building solutions, healthcare; telecom power; airports; and more

Trading Area: Global

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