Charles Industries (News - Alert), a manufacturing and technology company that serves the telecommunications, marine and industrial markets, reportedly has reached an agreement to acquire part of Corning (News - Alert) Cable Systems, a provider of fiber optic cable and hardware solutions.

 

Rolling Meadows, Illinois-based Charles Industries says it wants Corning’s molded pedestal product line for cable TV and telecommunications applications – such as the OptiDrop Advantage Fiber Pedestal, pictured below. The acquisition of Corning’s non-metallic pedestal line is expected to broaden Charles’ product offerings to the cable and telecommunications industries.

 

Charles says it will tap its 40 years of product development, design, manufacturing and sales experience of OSP, network and local loop electronics to expand the Corning pedestal product line further.

Corning’s products feature above-grade vertical pedestals, louvered vertical pedestals and louvered low-profile pedestals for CATV, broadband and telecommunications applications, said the company’s officials. Generally speaking, a “louver” is a window, blind or shutter with slats, which are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine and noise. Corning’s products also provide a number of mounting options and security for taps, splitters, amplifiers, line extenders and nodes.

 

According to Jack Wood, Charles’ vice president of sales, the acquisition of Corning’s pedestal product line enables his company to continue offering telecommunication service providers, cable companies and multiple service operators a line of products that they have approved, deployed and trusted in their networks.

 

Wood believes that by leveraging their expertise with environmental enclosures, active and passive optical fiber and thermal management, Charles officials are uniquely qualified to support cable operators’ traditional coax, fiber to the home and RF-over-glass initiatives as they seek to extend their fiber networks closer to the subscriber.

 

Mickey Smith, director of sales for Corning, said his company is pleased that Charles Industries, Ltd. will be offering continued support to their valued pedestal customers.

 

He said he expects the agreement to benefit service providers, cable companies and multiple service operators.