Prysmian Group to expand its Paragould facility

Prysmian Group, formerly General Cable, announced Monday (May 6) it is expanding its Paragould facility. As part of the expansion, Prysmian Group plans to invest $2.8 million and create 12 new positions. The facility currently employs 182. Specific details about the expansion and when it will be completed were not released.

“We have been impressed with our Paragould facility and knew that this was the right place for us to invest our resources,” Dewayne Kirby, interim plant manager for Prysmian said. “Thanks to dedicated workers and support from our local and state partners, Paragould is home.”

The company designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes copper, aluminum, and fiber optic wire and cable products for the communications, electrical, and energy markets. They are the world’s largest manufacturer of wire cables with approximately 100 facilities across the globe.

“We couldn’t be more excited that Prysmian has chosen to expand its facility in Paragould,” Arkansas Economic Development Commission Executive Director Mike Preston said. “This is a worldwide company that, quite frankly, could have chosen to expand just about anywhere. The fact that they chose Arkansas speaks volumes about our workforce and our business climate.”

The facility opened in 1989 when Prestolite moved its operations to Paragould. Prestolite operated the Paragould facility until it was acquired by General Cable in 2012, and General Cable became part of Prysmian Group in 2018. Prysmian’s Paragould facility is a Tier 2 automotive supplier manufacturing copper wire and cable products for high-end markets.

“For 30 years, Prysmian and its predecessors have found success in Paragould,” said Paragould Mayor Mike Gaskill. “The workforce here in Paragould is second to none, and I’m hopeful that great things are going to come from this partnership.”