Why General Cable Still Matters: Efficiency, Experience, and What They’re Doing Now

I Used to Think Brand Didn’t Matter. Then I Measured 47 Faulty Runs.

It took me about 4 years and roughly $12,000 in rework costs to understand that picking a cable brand isn’t just a preference—it’s an efficiency decision. I’m the guy who handles cable orders for a mid-size electrical contractor, and I’ve made (and documented) enough mistakes to fill a small binder. One of my earlier ones: assuming all Cat6a is the same.

I once ordered 15,000 feet of cheap riser-rated cable for a data center build. Looked fine on the spool. But when we tested every run with our Fluke 117 multimeter (yes, the 117—handy for continuity and voltage checks), nearly 40% failed NEXT specs. That order? $3,200 of material plus a week of re-pulling. The client didn’t care about my cost savings—they cared about the delay.

The irony? The spec called for General Cable. I thought I could save 15% by substituting. I couldn’t.

“From the outside, it looks like generic copper is just as good once it’s in the wall. The reality is consistent impedance and jacket quality don’t show up until you’re troubleshooting at 2 AM.”

What General Cable (and BICC General Cable) Actually Means Today

People hear “General Cable” and think of the old Rhode Island manufacturer with 150+ years of history. That’s accurate—but incomplete. After the Prysmian acquisition a few years back, the brand became part of a global supply network. What that means in practice? Their SOOW, THHN, and Cat6 products now go through the same quality gates as Prysmian’s premium lines, but at a price point that still works for most industrial jobs.

I’ve seen a lot of contractors ask, “Is General Cable still the same company?” The answer is nuanced. The manufacturing plants in Marion, Indiana and Lawrenceburg, Kentucky still operate, and I’ve toured the Marion facility. The production lines are cleaner than they were a decade ago. The QC process now includes automated impedance testing on every reel of Ethernet cable—not just spot checks.

That investment in process efficiency is exactly why I shifted my view. In 2017, I would have said “buy whatever passes the spec.” Today, after seeing how automated testing eliminates the variability I used to catch with my 117 multimeter on-site, I believe the brand-backed consistency is worth the premium—especially on jobs where rework costs more than the cable itself.

The Flip Phone Lesson: Why Old Infrastructure Still Sets the Baseline

Here’s a weird example: I still have a flip phone I use as a backup. Not for calls, but because it runs a basic cable tester app I like. That little device reminds me that the copper in the walls often outlasts the equipment connected to it. The cables we pull today for 10GBASE-T will probably still carry traffic when we’re all using whatever comes after smartphones.

So when I hear people dismiss legacy brands like BICC General Cable as “yesterday’s choice,” I push back. The exact opposite is true: the same long-term reliability that made those brands standard in the 1990s is exactly what you need for infrastructure that’s expected to last 15+ years. A cheap cable might pass certification today. Will it still pass in year 8 when oxidation and thermal cycling take their toll? I’ve replaced enough early-failure generic cables to bet on the established manufacturers.

But Wait—Isn’t “Efficiency” About Going Digital and Just Buying the Cheapest?

I hear this objection a lot: “If you’re all about efficiency, shouldn’t you optimize for lowest first cost?” It sounds logical. But in my experience, total cost of ownership includes hidden factors: the time your team spends chasing bad cable, the schedule impact of a rejected test report, the credibility lost with a general contractor who now questions your material sourcing. Those soft costs are real, and they eat the savings from a cheaper product pretty fast.

That’s not to say you should always buy the most expensive brand. I’ve used plenty of Belden, Commscope, and Southwire cables and had good results. But when the spec calls for General Cable, or when the job involves harsh environments where physical durability matters most, I’ve learned to stick with the original spec. My checklist now includes a note: “If substituting, require written approval from GC and factor in potential schedule risk.”

What Is General Cable Doing Right Now? (And Why You Should Care)

As of Q1 2025, General Cable under Prysmian is investing heavily in data center-grade shielded cables and hybrid fiber-copper assemblies. They’re also pushing a new line of industrial Ethernet cables rated for 105°C continuous operation—something that used to require a specialty supplier. I saw their booth at a trade show last fall, and the product manager told me they’re prioritizing stock availability for common SKUs. That’s a direct response to the post-2020 supply chain issues that left many contractors scrambling.

So when someone asks “what is doing now?” about General Cable, the honest answer is: they’re focusing on making the high-volume, reliable products that contractors actually use, with better logistics and more consistent quality than they had before the acquisition. That’s not glamorous, but it’s exactly what a contractor like me values.

Here’s my bottom line: Brand consistency is an efficiency multiplier. I learned that lesson the hard way—through a $3,200 mistake, a flip phone tester, and a 117 multimeter that didn’t lie. You don’t have to make the same mistakes.