Carrollton, Ga.-based Southwire recently unveiled a new line of more than 40 voice-data-video (VDV) tools. The line includes cable cutters, strippers, crimpers and punch down tools, as well as cable tracers and testers. Southwire said its Tools & Equipment product line offers a robust selection of hand tools and a professional array of meters and test equipment, as well as larger contractor equipment serving areas such as cable pulling, hole making, and accessories used in both commercial and residential installations.

The new VDV tools complement Southwire’s full line of low-voltage cable products and extend the company’s Tools & Equipment line, which was introduced in 2013.

“Installers are passionate about the tools in their tool bag,” said John Payne, Southwire’s product director for VDV, Test & Measurement. “Our objective is to build professional tools that exceed our customers’ expectations for quality, performance and features — tools that make a difference on the real-world jobsite.”

One such product is the T100PK Professional Tone & Probe Kit (pictured below). Market research demonstrated that installers find the test leads on most tone generators to be frustrating because they hang loosely and get tangled easily with other tools in the tool bag, Southwire claimed. With what the company calls an innovative tone generator design, Southwire has found a way to easily store the test leads in the tester body to completely eliminate the problem.

“It’s an installer-focused product development approach — the same approach Southwire has successfully used to maintain leadership in the wire and cable market for years. And each VDV product has its own innovation story,” Payne said. “Our goal is to improve installer jobsite productivity by creating a set of quality tools that take advantage of our knowledge of wire and cable.”

Payne told SDM that Southwire is also “very, very focused on what’s going to make it easier, faster, and safer for the user.” For example, the ESP-1 Electricians Scissors PRO is a spring-loaded tool that eliminates the “pinch hazard” present in other similar tools, he said.

Southwire’s Tools & Equipment and the new VDV line, unveiled at CEDIA EXPO 2014, are available nationwide at retail outlets and electrical, electronic wholesale and tool supply houses. The back of each package contains a QR code that links to a 30-second video describing the tool.

 Southwire and its subsidiaries produce building wire and cable, metal-clad cable, portable and electronic cord products and OEM wire products. Its brands include well-known names such as ROMEX^®, SIGNAL^®, SIMpull THHN^®, Royal^®, MCAP^®, Copperfield^® and Road Power^®. For information, visit www.southwiretools.com.