EuroWire September 2017

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September 2017 10
News
Corporate
JOSEPH William Scher – a highly
respected and instrumental figure in the
wire and cable industry – has died aged
82 after a brief illness.
A father and grandfather, ‘Bill’ joined
Weber & Scher Mfg Co Inc in 1957. Prior to
this he received a Bachelor of Art Degree
in Engineering from Dartmouth College in
New Hampshire, USA.
Directly thereafter, he secured his
Masters of Science Degree in Mechanical
Engineering from the Thayer School at
Dartmouth. He went on to become a
licensed professional engineer in the state
of New Jersey.
Directly after his studies, Mr Scher joined
Weber & Scher where he was immediately
responsible for the sole operation of the
company.
In the 1940s, Weber & Scher, working
closely with Western Electric, developed
a line of metal tape handling, corrugating
and forming equipment for producing
what was referred to back then as
the ‘Stalpeth’ and ‘Alpeth’ sheath
constructions, which were utilised in the
production of copper telephone cable.
Mr Scher advanced this technology
by adapting and standardising the
equipment such that it could be
utilised in the diverse manufacturing
environments of independent cable
manufacturers within the USA.
This technology continues to be widely
used today in the worldwide production
of optical fibre cables, copper telephone
cables, power cables, etc.
In addition to operating a successful
company, he took on the role of
consultant to the wire and cable industry.
During the early years, Mr Scher provided
his consulting services to such companies
as Indeco Peruana in Lima, Peru,
Accevenca in Valencia, Venezuela, and ITT
in New York, USA.
The extent of these consulting services
extended to the complete development
of cable manufacturing facilities. Shortly
after, he pursued the initiative of
introducing the full range of equipment
manufactured by Weber & Scher to
established and newly emerging markets
throughout the world, including the Far
East, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and
the Middle East.
In 2007, Mr Scher was awarded the WCTI
Technical Achievement Award for his 50
plus years of involvement in the wire and
cable industry. He was also a member
of the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers for many years.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years,
Joan; sons Douglas and Gregory; and six
grandchildren.
Weber & Scher Mfg Co Inc – USA
Website:
Death of J William Scher
▲ ▲ Joseph William Scher – known in the industry as Bill
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