Kris-Tech Wire Company was founded in 1984. Since that time, I am the only one still alive to record the history of the company. Since I respect history and facts. I have decided to create this blog so the history is not lost.

                                                                 1983 - 1984

My father. Glenn Brodock and I first started thinking about a company in 1983. That year, we looked at two companies that were for sale. One company, we concluded, could not be profitable even if all their machinery was running 24/7. The other company was operational, but since it was a sheet metal fabricating company and neither of us had any experience in that field, we declined to pursue that one. Then in early 1984, Glenn had the idea of starting a small wire and cable manufacturing company. He had talked to Jack Woods, his former boss at Rome Cable, about this. Jack had started a company and then sold it, and started another small wire and cable company called Westwire. That company was in operation in Phoenix, AZ and Jack was the CEO. He agreed to invest in our company and advise us as we went along. The five original investors and shareholders were Glenn Brodock, Cris Brodock, Gerry Brodock, Jack Woods, and John Elsasser (Westwire). I agreed to take this step and left my job working for a division of Schlumberger to move to the Rome NY area to be the President. Everyone thought Rome, NY was a good starting place as there were other wire and cable companies in the area, which meant it would be easier to find the experience that might be needed as we grew. Glenn and Gerry located a building with suitable power that was owned by Revere Copper and Brass. We rented about 2/3 of that building at 921 Seneca Street.

After moving to Clinton to be President of Kris-Tech, Jack and I went to Alcoa in Massena, NY to look at surplus equipment that we could purchase and adapt to our needs. We bought a 1946 Waterbury-Farrell drawing machine, cabling equipment and other miscellaneous items. We also bought a 2 1/2 inch extrusion line that Rome Cable had taken out of service. Luckily, I had taken photos of it while it was still on the floor at Rome Cable, as it comes to our building complete disassembled. It was nice to know what it looked like before it was taken apart. We also bought annealers and a respooling equipment from Westwire.

We were officially a company in August, 1984. Glenn and I started with that empty building and began the task of receiving, assembling, and installing our "new" equipment. I went to Phoenix for two weeks in August to learn all I could from the operation at Westwire. They send one of their employees to Rome to help with the installations. Hired our first employee, Frank Grzywacz.


                                                           1985

Jack Martin, from Rome Cable, helped me set up a test lab so that we could acquire Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listings. After buying the appropriate testing equipment, we called UL to come to Rome to view our set-up and test procedures. Then, again with the help of Rome Cable, we ran the first samples and submitted them to UL for testing and approval. We were awarded several listings from those samples. Now we were ready to fill some orders promised to us by Bill Anixter. Anixter Brothers was the first significant customer for Kris-Tech. Paige Electric was soon to follow. This allowed us to start production and develop manufacturing procedures that served us well in the future. We also worked on getting government contracts and we received a really big one for 22/4 telephone wire. This order was ongoing for about two years and really gave us a base of products to run. Sales for the year was about $1,000,000. Ann Brodock started working here.


                                                                 1986

Gerry Brodock retired from Revere and joined Kris-Tech. We purchased a 3-1/2 extrusion line from Capital Wire and installed in with an accumulator we built. It worked right away! We had to remove some of the supporting wall and install I-beams to replace the support structure. It was the only place we could fit the machine. We also starting running two shifts. Sales were about $2,500,000.


                                                           1987

This was a busy year. We added the first part of the warehouse extending towards the east. It was designed to easily add more later if needed. We also added a computer system to do payroll, order entry, invoicing, accounts receivable, customer files and more. It was a software package that could be modified as future needs arose. Gerry developed a profit sharing program that KT could pay into to provide employees with a retirement fund. Jon Brodock joined KT in October as Vice President. Jon had worked for Giant Tires, a tire wholesaler, then co-started Tires and Wheels, a company that was a tire wholesaler. Riverdale realty was also started, with Glenn, Gerry and Cris as the principals. Riverdale Realty bought the building from Revere and rented to Kris-Tech. Sales were about $4,000,000.

                                                            1988

Kris-Tech has sold a small amount of Cathodic Protection Cable in 1987. Jon Brodock researched this product and found a number of other customers for CPC. This became an important and profitable part os the KT offering. We starting running 24 hours per day this year. Sales we about $6.700,000.

                                                      1989

Glenn Brodock leaves Kris-Tech. We worked 31 Saturdays that year. Sales were about $7.600,000.

                                                         1990

Sales were about $7.100,000.

                                                           1991

Gerry Brodock retires from Kris-Tech. We ran 21 Saturdays this year. Jill Henderson became a shareholder Sales were about $6.500,000.

                                                          1992

  Sales were about $6,500,00.

                                                           1993

Ran 24 Saturdays. Changed banks from Fleet to Rome Savings Bank. Sales were about $6,200,000.


                                                        1994

Started drawing wire on 30" reels. Bought a striper that paid for itself in the first year. Replaced our transformer, which was quite a spectacle. Ran 33 Saturdays. Sales were about $8,200,000.

                                                         1995 

A customer was having a companywide sales meeting and asked if I could do presentation on how wire was made. I did it in one take, and here it is:

                                                          1999

With Woodstock99 coming to Rome, we were concerned about traffic problems. TV5 sent a crew to interview someone from Revere Copper products, but it didn't work out, so they came next door to us and we substituted for them. I programmed the VCR to get all the news programs, so there is some repetition.

                                                         2001

Christmas party and retirement party for President Cris Brodock and Office Manager Ann Brodock.


                                                     2014

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About Us

About K-T

Kris-Tech Wire was started in August 1984 in Rome, NY by twins Glenn and Gerry Brodock, and Glenn's son Cris. Glenn needed a diversion from restlessness retirement from Rome Cable. and set up shop across the parking lot from Rg-ygre-CgppŠL&-Bxas, where Gerry led Industrial Relations, and where the Kris-Tech plant still stands today.

Kris-Tech's first sale was made in October of 1984, with sales more than doubling for the next several years, serving primarily the Cable TV, Cathodic Protection and golf irrigation industries.

Some of our most valued customers have been with us since those first few years, and we've since grown significantly - we now serve, among others, the Explosives, Directional Drilling, Commercial Building Wire, Solar, Roadway, and Water and Gas industries, we've expanded our facilities in Rome, opened up a warehouse in Southern California - and we've even managed to have a little fun while doing it.

2009 marked our 25th year in business, and gave us an opportunity to both celebrate and reflect upon our history. There are several things we do - and well - that we're committed to continually highlighting in our future: quick and timely order fulfillment, excellent customer relations, and involvement in our internal and external communities.

For those of you who have worked with us before, we thank you, and we look forward to working with you in the future. For those of you who haven't, give us a call - we look forward to speaking with you, and hope we can thank you for working with us in the near future.