WMC announces the death of Steve Williams

Wrexham Mineral Cables (WMC) is sad to announce the death of its Commercial Manager, Steve Williams. Steve has been a key figure at Wrexham Mineral Cables over the last 16 years and his death, after a short illness is an enormous loss to the team and the cabling industry.

As well as being a much-loved husband, father and grandfather, Steve Williams was a highly respected industry figure. He spent much of his time driving positive change in the building safety arena. The impacts of his tireless and energetic work to drive awareness of the benefits of fire-resistant mineral insulated copper clad (MICC) cable – and to challenge current product certification standards – have been felt right across the built environment.

Energetic educator, and change-maker

Steve joined WMC as its quality assurance manager, and quickly made his way up the ranks, displaying his passion and energy throughout the business, eventually becoming commercial manager in 2016.

Steve fervently believed that there are still too many cables classed as ‘fire-resistant’ that would not be adequate in the event of a fire, as the tests they undergo do not represent real-world conditions. For this reason, he led the company’s lobbying efforts for all enhanced fire-resistant cables to undergo true fire scenario tests. In recent years, Steve spent much of his time working with the industry and his supply chain to educate customers and consultants on these points. It was a topic he was passionate about, particularly in light of recommendations that arose from the inquiry following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Steve Williams’ passion for change is succinctly captured in a press statement he made in 2022: “It is our belief that there should also be a higher classification of cables introduced to identify those which can survive, rather than simply resist fire. Despite the lessons learned (from the Grenfell Tower tragedy) over the last five years, we do not believe this is the case, particularly when it comes to the installation of fire-resistant cables. Ensuring that the tests which construction products are subjected to are relevant and can be relied upon is the only way we can make buildings truly safe.”

Unparalleled MICC knowledge, passion, and dedication

On a personal level, Steve’s death has been felt acutely right across the company.

“We are all devastated by Steve’s death,” says John Allden, WMC Managing Director.

John continues, “He brought unparalleled MICC knowledge, passion, and dedication to everything he did. On a personal note, he was everything we could wish for in a colleague; 100% personable, smart, witty, engaging – quite simply a great person. In his professional life, Steve was a change-maker and an energetic advocate for revolution in the building standards arena. His hard work and efforts in this field have paved the way for change in how cable products are specified. The impacts of his tireless work in this area have been tremendous – and we will keep his memory alive by pursuing the work he was so passionate about. We salute him for this work and, as a colleague, we will miss him enormously.”

Steve is survived by his wife Kath, three children, and the recent addition of his first grandchild. Industry colleagues and friends are welcome to attend Steve’s funeral on 9 June at 12:00.