Okonite

The company was founded in 1878 by John Haven Cheever, as the New York Insulated Wire and Vulcanite Company and took its present name in 1885.{{cite book |last1=United States Congress House Committee on the Judiciary |title=Hearings |date=1970 |page=282 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8QMkAQAAMAAJ&dq=john+cheever+okonite&pg=PA282 |accessdate=13 July 2020 |language=en}} Its original premises were in Passaic, New Jersey. Some of its earliest customers included Samuel Morse and Thomas Edison. Charles A. Cheever (1852-1900) was its President for some time.{{cite news |title= Obituary – Long Island |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9993393/ |work=Brooklyn Daily Eagle|location=Brooklyn, New York |date=May 3, 1900 |via=newspapers.com {{open access}} | access-date=13 July 2020|quote=He organized and for several years was president of the Okonite Company Limited, manufacturers of insulated wire and submarine cables}}

Its products have been used in Pearl Street Station (the first generating station built in the United States, opening in 1882), the lighting of the Statue of Liberty, and more recently in One World Trade Center.{{cite web |last1=Francer |first1=Cory |title=The Okonite Company Takes Pride In Its In House Printing |url=https://www.inplantimpressions.com/article/the-okonite-company-takes-pride-in-its-in-house-printing/ |website=In-plant Impressions |accessdate=13 July 2020 |language=en |date=1 November 2014}}{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://www.okonite.com/about/our-history |website=www.okonite.com |publisher=The Okonite Company |accessdate=13 July 2020}}

"Okonite" was originally a material made from the residue produced when distilling the mineral wax Ozokerite, mixed with rubber, and used as an electrical insulator.{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Ozokerite}}

In 1965 the company was acquired by James Ling.{{cite book |last1=Sobel |first1=Robert |title=Dangerous Dreamers: The Financial Innovators from Charles Merrill to Michael Milken |date=2000 |publisher=Beard Books |isbn=978-1-58798-029-9 |page=42 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BkMJiEuvK6MC&dq=okonite&pg=PA42 |language=en}}

In June, 1976, Okonite became owned by its employees through an Employees' Stock Ownership Trust.{{cite web|url=https://www.okonite.com/about/|title=About Us|publisher=The Okonite Company|website=okonite.com/about|access-date=13 July 2020}}

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The company is headquartered in Ramsey, New Jersey with six manufacturing plants located around the continental United States.{{cite web|url=https://www.okonite.com/about/manufacturing-plants/|title=Manufacturing plants|website=okonite.com/manufacturing-plants/|access-date=13 July 2020}}

The company manufactures insulated wire and cable ranging from 300V to 345,000V with applications including Instrumentation, Power and Control, Medium Voltage, and High Voltage circuits. These cables are manufactured with a variety of insulating and jacketing materials including Okoguard® EPR, laminated polypropylene paper (LPP), and other thermosetting and thermoplastic compounds.

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |last1=The Okonite Company |title=Quality System Manual |date=2016 |page=1 |url=https://www.okonite.com/media/wysiwyg/Quality%20Assurance%20PDFs/QSM%20Rev%2010%20Signatures.pdf |accessdate=13 July 2020 |chapter=1.1 Company Background}} History of the company

• [https://www.okonite.com/ Official website]

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Category:Manufacturing companies of the United States

Category:Manufacturing companies based in New Jersey

Category:American companies established in 1878