by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
Everyone has heard about the amazing rescue of workers trapped in a Pennsylvania mine. What probably isn’t as well known is the companies and individuals who labored behind the scenes to make it happen.
Paige Electric Company in Jacksonville Beach is one those companies: it supplied the cable necessary for the mine workers to escape.
“The mine thing happened on a Wednesday,” said Jim Coffey, one of Paige’s national sales managers. “By Thursday they were getting the drilling rigs in place to drill holes when they realized they had to get the water out. Gould’s Pump Company was called to supply the 300 horsepower unit to pump out the water. We got the call from Gould’s. We are the only company that supplies flat 500 MCM3 (million circular mills) conductors with ground.”
In this instance, specializing in niche markets was a boon for Paige. The design of its unique cable was exactly what was needed to haul the stranded mine workers to safety and the company exclusively manufactures the product. Fortunately, the desired amount was in stock.
Two continuous, 600 foot long pieces of the material were needed for the job. Weighing nine pounds a foot, the cable had to be shipped to the site via a 737 airplane from Paige’s affiliate, Tamaqua Cable Products in Schuylkill Haven, Pa.
“I personally got in touch with the Pennsylvania state police,” said Coffey. “We had to get the cables hot-shotted over to the mine. They agreed to give a police escort because the governor called.”
Within four hours, the cable was delivered and handed to the installers.
A $100 million a year company with 100 employees and 13 locations nationwide, Paige Electric carries $15 million of inventory of electrical wire, cable and fiber optics.
The company is comprised of four divisions: electronics, utilities, irrigation and original equipment manufacturing. The electronics division boasts clients such as ADT Security and Motorola. For these customers, orders number 800 daily for ADT and Motorola antenna assemblies must conform to Six Sigma standards, i.e. only two defects per million are allowed.
Because of the company’s coast-to-coast presence and product specialities, Paige was able to assist in Pennsylvania last month. The design and style of the flat cable used for the rescue lessened the chance of damage to the unit. Its self-extinguishing feature kept it from catching on fire — a good thing in a mine shaft as ignited cables are toxic.
“Our cable is exactly what they needed,” said Coffey. “We only started making the cable a year ago because of the size. We were excited to be called on. We have a reputation in the industry so I’m not surprised we got the call. I’m happy we could get it there timely. The miners said that if the water didn’t get out of the mine, there was no way they could be rescued.”
Its involvement in the mine rescue was not Paige’s first moment of accomplishment. In 1999, the company won the First International Trade Award as micro-business exporter of the year given by the City. Coffey began with the firm at its corporate headquarters in New Jersey as a wet-behind-the-ears salesman. Eleven years later, he continues to see steady growth for the company. Paige’s slogan is ‘We take your business personally.’ Personal involvement was especially high during the mine rescue.
“I tracked the whole job,” said Coffey. “I felt like I knew them. I never thought they were going to come out alive.”
Established in 1958 in the Woolworth Building in New York, the firm has changed with the times by employing an engineering group in Nebraska and utilizing four AS400 IBM main frames to stay cutting-edge.
“The industry is changing all the time because of technology,” said Coffey. “People are looking for higher speed cable. As technology changes, the cables have to change to support the industry.”