SIC 3643 Current-Carrying Wiring Devices

Contenidos

• NAICS CODE(S).
• INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT.
• BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT.
• CURRENT CONDITIONS.
• INDUSTRY LEADERS.
• WORKFORCE.
• FURTHER READING.

SIC 3643

The current-carrying wiring devices industry is comprised of establishments principally engaged in manufacturing current-carrying wiring devices, primarily interior electrical components used to connect equipment to a power source.

The industry is divided into six major categories: switches, wire connectors, convenience and power outlets, lamp holders, metal contacts, and other devices such as plug caps and connector bodies. Miscellaneous products encompass items such as trolley line materials, lightning protectors, and fluorescent starters.

NAICS CODE(S)

335931

Current-Carrying Wiring Device Manufacturing

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

While total sales fell steadily in the early 2000s—from $5.4 billion in 2000 to $4.9 billion in 2002—there remained bright spots on the horizon for manufacturers of current-carrying wiring devices. A rebounding U.S. economy was expected to generate renewed construction of both residential and commercial buildings, a sector to which this industry was closely tied. At the same time, an increasing proportion of those new construction projects were being outfitted for networking of various stripes. The current-carrying wiring devices industry was well poised to take advantage of these developments, and the early and mid-2000s saw industry players jockeying for position to take advantage of these emerging opportunities.

BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT

The basic technology for this industry was discovered in 1729, when Stephen Gray, an English physicist, found that some substances could carry electricity from one location to another. These substances were called conductors. In 1820, Danish physicist Hans Christian Oersted found that a metal wire carrying a current of electricity would cause a compass needle to change direction. Georg Simon Ohm is credited with developing the theory of electric circuits in 1825. Subsequent advances gave birth to manufactured current-carrying wiring devices.

Rapid development of residential, commercial, and institutional structures in the United States between 1945 and 1980 propelled industry revenues past $2.5 billion per year. Strong development during most of the 1980s resulted in average annual growth of about 8 percent. By 1989, sales of current-carrying devices had surged to about $4.4 billion. Economic recess in 1990...