Manufacturers We Trust: Okonite

Our series that shines the light on our most famed manufacturers continues with Okonite, the oldest and most famed wire and cable manufacturer since 1878.

Company's History

Okonite was founded in New Jersey in 1878 by John Haven Cheever. The company's distinctive name, which came to be in 1885, stems from the fact that the original name had the word vulcanite in it. Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, was one of the first customers of Okonite. 

The company sustained all the challenges and continued to be the wire and cable industry leader in the 20th and 21st centuries. Throughout the company's history, Okonite products have been used in famous buildings and sculptures, including the Statue of Liberty and One World Trade Center, the central part of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex.

Okonite has changed many owners throughout its history, but since 1976, it has been owned by its employees through the Employees' Stock Ownership Trust. Today, the company is headquartered in Ramsey, NJ, where it has six extensive manufacturing facilities. All of the Okonite cables are made in the United States of America.

Okonite's Specialization

While the range of the cable provided by Okonite is extensive, the company mainly serves several industries. 

Its specializations include utility industry, oil and gas industry, cabling of chemical plants, military stations, universities, hospitals, water plants and data centers. The company has an equal dedication to all the industries it serves with wire and cable products, and the quality of the Okonite cables is consistent across the industries.

Okonite Products Sold by Nassau National Cable

At Nassau National Cable, we carry 196 original Okonite products that can be divided into five major groups depending on their purpose. The cables come with the original insulations created by Okonite, including Okoseal, Okolene, and Okoguard.

• High Voltage 2KV Cables are the cables for high-voltage power, industrial and instrumental applications. The cables come in voltages up to 35kv.
• Rapid Transit Cables are sturdy, powerful cables for railroads and transit.
• Instrumentation Cables for control systems and instrumentation applications. The range includes cables like Okobus for harsh industrial environments, cables with Okoseal insulation, and many other.
• Special Purpose Cables and Products is the vast range of cables for miscellaneous industries, such as hospital cables for x-rays, aerial jumper cables, cables for data centers, military applications, and many others.
• Transportation Cables are a range of Okonite products that include various signal cables, line cables, and power, control, and communication cables designed specifically for transport.