National Standard LLC (www.nationalstandard.com) is celebrating its centennial year in the industrial, weld and tire bead wire industries.

Started in 1907 as the National Cable and Manufacturing Company (National), the company was a producer and marketer of scientific lightning protection cables, and expanded to producing flat, steel braided wire for the tire industry, then to items such as ornamental wire craft products, i.e., lamps, vases, tire covers, waste baskets, and fire screens. In 1942, National Standard developed a stainless steel wire for magnetic sound recordings and quickly led the industry in recording wires.

The company introduced a gas-cleaned stainless steel welding wire in 1963, and carbon based solid wire for the welding industry. It later introduced its trademarked, Copper-Free weld wire, Satin-Glide stainless weld wire, the 45-lb. weld wire spool, and Tru-Trac technology for automated welding applications.

National Standard has been owned by Heico Wire Group since 2000.