{{short description|American engineering company}} thumb|right '''The Okonite Company''' is an American manufacturer of insulated wire and cable.<ref name="bloomberg">{{cite web |title=Okonite Co Inc/The |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/2349T:US |website=www.bloomberg.com |publisher=Bloomberg |accessdate=13 July 2020}}</ref>
==History== 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.<ref name="hearings1970">{{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}}</ref> Its original premises were in Passaic, New Jersey.<ref name=history /> Some of its earliest customers included Samuel Morse and Thomas Edison.<ref name=about /> Charles A. Cheever (1852-1900) was its President for some time.<ref name=obit>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref name="francer">{{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}}</ref><ref name="history">{{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}}</ref>
"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.<ref name=eb>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Ozokerite}}</ref>
In 1965 the company was acquired by James Ling.<ref name="sobel">{{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}}</ref>
In June, 1976, Okonite became owned by its employees through an Employees' Stock Ownership Trust.<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=https://www.okonite.com/about/|title=About Us|publisher=The Okonite Company|website=okonite.com/about|access-date=13 July 2020}}</ref>
thumb|Okonite's premises at 15 Park Row, New York, in the 1900s
==Facilities== The company is headquartered in Ramsey, New Jersey with six manufacturing plants located around the continental United States.<ref name="plants">{{cite web|url=https://www.okonite.com/about/manufacturing-plants/|title=Manufacturing plants|website=okonite.com/manufacturing-plants/|access-date=13 July 2020}}</ref>
==Products== 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.<ref name="about"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== *{{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''
==External links== *[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