B3 Cable Solutions
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| B3 Cable Solutions | |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Headquarters |  Manchester, England, UK |
| Area served | United Kingdom Republic Of Ireland |
| Key people | David Powell, Finance Director Steve Ellis, Managing Director |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Products | Telecommunication Cables Energy Cables Rail Cables Cable Distribution |
| Revenue | ▲£N/A GBP (2006) |
| Operating income | ▲£N/A GBP (2006) |
| Employees | Approx. 400 (2007) |
| Website | www.b3cables.co.uk www.b3cables.ie |
B3 Cable Solutions or B3 are a company who manufacture and supply Telecommunications, Rail and Energy Cables in the United Kingdom and the Republic Of Ireland.
Their head office and UK manufacturing plant are based in Blackley, Manchester, in the United Kingdom. The company also has a manufacturing plant in Longford in the Republic Of Ireland.
[edit] History
The company was formed in March 2006 following a management buyout of the former Belden UK Telecom Cable manufacturing plant.
The Manchester plant has manufactured cables for over 100 years, firstly as Connolly's (Blackley) Limited, then as part of the former world leading BICC Cables in the 1960's. As part of BICC Cables the plant led the way in telecommunications cable products, it had the first Optical Fibre cable production facility in the UK. Production of Optical Fibre cables was transferred to a purpose built factory in Whiston, Merseyside in the late 1980's and the Blackley factory was made into the sole manufacturing plant for copper telecommunications cables soon after, as BICC closed both the Helsby, Cheshire and Prescot, Merseyside factories in the early 1990's. The factory continued as part of BICC until 1999 when Corning purchased the communication division of BICC. After less than a year the factory was sold to Belden. After many years of profitable trading, the plant faced an uncertain future after Belden decided to exit the telecommunications market in the UK. In March 2006, following BT renewing their supply contract the senior management of the site purchased the site as a going concern.
After the formation of B3, the company quickly sought new markets, which led to the purchase of the former ABB Cable manufacturing plant in Longford, Republic Of Ireland in October 2006.
