AFL Announces a Multi-Million-Dollar Investment and Expansion

Duncan, S.C. – July 31, 2023 | Industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and equipment manufacturer AFL announced its partnership with global packaging leader, Sonoco to provide a free wooden reel removal and recycling service for AFL customers. Sonoco’s EcoReel® Recycling Program is the industry’s most comprehensive and cost-effective nailed wood reel recycling program.

Through this program, AFL and Sonoco aim to address the growing concern of wooden reel waste in the telecommunications industry. AFL customers can now easily have their wooden reels picked up for reuse and recycling, effectively reducing waste and promoting responsible recycling practices.

“Environmental sustainability aligns with AFL’s core values, and this partnership reflects our commitment to preserving the environment while supporting our customers’ sustainability goals,” explained Geoff VanderVeen, Environment, Health and Safety Director at AFL. 

For more than two decades, the EcoReel Recycling Program has diverted wooden reels from landfills in the United States by picking up, repairing and refurbishing wood reels before returning to circulation for reuse.

In one five-year period, the EcoReel program has:

•      Received nearly two billion pounds of reels for recycling
•      Saved end-users more than $36 million in disposal costs
•      Protected more than 300,000 trees

This partnership between these companies signifies a significant step towards a greener future. By providing the option for recycling of wooden reels, AFL and its customers are actively contributing to reducing their carbon footprint.

Please visit our website for more information about AFL’s partnership with Sonoco’s EcoReel Recycling Program.

About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise, hyperscale and industrial markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and read our blog.

Contacts
Geoff VanderVeen
Environment, Health and Safety Director, AFL
864.433.5408
Geoff.Vanderveen@AFLglobal.com

Nancy Rice
Public Relations Specialist, AFL
Nancy.Rice@AFLglobal.com
864.486.7386

Former Corning, Inc. Executive to Lead Product Solutions Efforts for Industry-Leading Fiber Optics Manufacturer 

Spartanburg, S.C. – July 13, 2023 | AFL has announced that Marc Bolick is joining AFL as President of Product Solutions. Bringing a wealth of experience and valuable insights to the team, Bolick will lead and manage supply chain, commercial sales, marketing and customer services across AFL’s five core markets. He will report directly to Jaxon Lang, AFL’s President and CEO.

“We are very pleased to welcome Marc to our leadership team,” said Lang. “With more than two decades of industry experience, Marc brings a keen vision for the “big picture” and expertise in developing strategic plans. I have no doubt that this will help us drive growth and stay ahead in our highly competitive markets,” Lang continued. 

Bolick joins AFL from a distinguished career of driving global businesses through growth, recovery and transformation. He has a proven track record in the fiber optics and telecommunications industries, leading sales, marketing, product management, product development and strategy. He most recently served as Vice President of Corning Inc.’s Wireless Business Unit. Prior to Corning, Bolick was Senior Vice President of CommScope’s global Inside Plant Fiber and Data Center business, providing fiber cable and connectivity solutions supporting data center, fiber-to-the-home and enterprise networks.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to contribute to AFL’s already thriving culture and help lead the company through this exciting growth phase,” expressed Bolick. “My priority lies in maintaining the company’s unwavering commitment to our valued customers while expanding AFL’s diverse range of innovative and cutting-edge products and solutions.” Bolick continued.

Bolick holds a Master of Business Administration from Villanova University, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and has completed the Harvard Business School’s General Management Program.

About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise, hyperscale and industrial markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebookand read our blog.

Spartanburg, S.C. – Industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and equipment manufacturer, AFL, is launching the Fujikura SS-110 Specialty Fiber Stripper, the ultimate solution for high-quality and reliable fiber spicing in a variety of applications within the military, oil and gas and medical industries.

As AFL’s latest addition to its Stripping Cleaning and Fiber Prep Automation line, this tool is specifically engineered to improve efficiency, reliability and reproducibility. This specialty thermal stripper is equipped with replaceable blades that prevent contact with fiber cladding. It can remove fiber coating in just one pass while leaving your glass virtually free of debris. Additionally, the centralizing feature and blade assembly eliminate the need for any external guide, keeping replacement easy and hassle-free.

“Fujikura’s continued commitment to produce innovative products is truly unmatched,” said Lucas Mays, Product Line Manager for Fusion Splicers and Accessories at AFL. “Not only will the SS-110 provide exceptional value to the customer, but it will also exceed expectations with its enhanced features,” Mays continued, as he emphasized the product’s value and customer satisfaction.

The SS-110 features an industry-first Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensor, which matches the RFID tag on every FH-110 series fiber holder. This new technology is tied to an innovative fiber holder management capability in the SS-110, allowing users to pair a fiber holder to a thermal stripping mode using PC software. Each fiber holder has a unique RFID and a user defined name for quick and easy setup of fiber holder and thermal stripping mode combinations. The SS-110 automatically updates the thermal stripping mode based on the fiber holder identified by the RFID sensor.

Additional features of the SS-110 include:

• Heating temperature, time, length, and pull speed are all adjustable.
• Heater height adjustable depending on fiber coating diameter.
• Standard blade sizes of common fiber types with custom options available.

View AFL’s complete product line of field and specialty fusion splicers plus accessories. For additional information about AFL, its products and services, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise, hyperscale and industrial markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and read our blog.

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Contacts
Lucas Mays
Product Line Manager – Fusion Splicers and Accessories, AFL
864.433.5423
Lucas.Mays@AFLglobal.com

Spartanburg, S.C. – June 6, 2023 | AFL announced today that Fujikura Ltd, their parent company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan has appointed current Chief Operating Officer, Jaxon Lang as President and CEO effective immediately. This follows Jody Gallagher’s resignation from his position as President and CEO of AFL.

Lang, an industry leader with a diverse career portfolio, has served as AFL’s Chief Operating Officer since he joined the company in January 2023, most recently serving as AFL’s Acting CEO. Previously, Lang served as President and CEO of FiberRise, leading the company through an acquisition with ENTRUST Solutions Group. Lang held key positions within CommScope, TE Connectivity and ADC Telecommunications across global service provider, enterprise, and hyperscale market and product groups.

“With over two decades in the telecommunications industry, Jaxon brings unparalleled leadership and a proven track record of success,” said Mr. Naoki Okada, CEO of Fujikura Ltd. “I have a strong belief that AFL will continue to provide industry leading solutions, achieve profitable growth and attain long-term success,” continued Okada.

AFL remains committed to its mission and values and under this new leadership the company is positioned for continued growth and success.

“As I transition into this new role, my focus remains on exceeding customer expectations, strengthening our core business operations and driving product innovation,” said Lang. “I look forward to leading the company toward continued growth in the years ahead,” Lang continued.

For additional information on AFL, its products and services, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise, hyperscale and industrial markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and read our blog.

Spartanburg, S.C. – June 5, 2023 | AFL, an industry-leading manufacturer of fiber optic cable, connectivity, hardware accessories and equipment, is exhibiting and presenting at the 2023 UTC Telecom and Technology Conference  75th Annual Conference June 5-9 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. As a leader in connecting the world to innovative technologies, AFL will showcase its  FOLLOW THE POWER ® service at booth #619, featuring – Apex® Fiber Optic Splice Closure, Fujikura 90S+ Fusion Splicer, Switchblade Fiber Containment Vault, and FOCIS Flex Fiber Optic Connector Inspection System.

On the show floor, AFL will feature the Apex Sealed Splice Closure, designed to decrease installation time with easier-to-use sealing and cable retention methods, increase network reliability and increase density of fiber splices. Apex splice closures are ideal for applications including enterprise/campus LAN, ADSS core, utility fiber-to-the-home, service provider access, long line and dark fiber.

Fujikura 90S+ Fusion Splicer improves splice losses for fibers that possess a poor cleave angle and prevents bad splices due to a poorly maintained cleaver. With the extended life of 300 splice and heat cycles, the 90S+ fusion splicer sets the standard for compatibility for fusion splicing in the field.

AFL’s Switchblade is a completely collapsible fiber containment vault ideal for transporting to worksites and installs. The compactness supports five units per pallet and up to 200 units per truckload. When combined with other AFL products, Switchblade can comfortably hold 3,456F of spliced fibers using Apex X-2 and SpiderWeb Ribbon® cable, or multiple AFL TITAN RTD® Multiport Terminals on a mounting bracket.

Also featured will be AFL’s FOCIS Flex, a self-contained, tether-free, compact and handheld connector inspection probe. FOCIS Flex simplifies connector inspection by applying Pass/Fail rules, displaying results and saving data wirelessly to FlexScan OTDR or smart device.

Attend AFL’s presentation on Thursday, June 8 from 9:10-10:10 a.m. in the Broward County Convention Center in room 208AB. Steven Kranz, Technical Sales Development Manager, AFL, will lead a session on technological advancements that support the Electrical Grid of today and the future, titled “Fiber Applications in Today’s Marketplace: What is in the Fiber Toolbox”.

To see live demonstrations and to learn more about how to FOLLOW THE POWER, stop by booth #619 at UTC. Learn more about AFL full line of products and services, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise, hyperscale and industrial markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and read our blog.

Industry Leading Manufacturer Continues to Connect the World with Cutting-Edge Digital Learning Space 

Spartanburg, S.C. – May 24, 2023 | AFL, an industry-leading manufacturer of fiber optic cable, connectivity, accessories and equipment, announces the launch of its cutting-edge AFL Classroom today. This innovative digital learning environment will provide customers with expert instruction and knowledge on AFL’s extensive product line, empowering them to make informed decisions when utilizing the company’s solutions. As a leader in connecting the world with innovative fiber optic technology, AFL is proud to introduce the AFL Classroom as yet another way of empowering customers with knowledge and tools for success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Click Video Above To Learn More About the AFL Classroom

“We are thrilled to introduce this innovative resource to our customers. The AFL Classroom’s launch marks a major milestone in establishing AFL as an educational leader within the industries we serve,” expressed Mary Ellen Grom, Executive Director of Customer Experience Solutions at AFL. “This valuable content is designed to empower our customers with a more comprehensive view of AFL’s products and solutions,” Grom added.

In collaboration with advertising agency, EP+Co, AFL has created a transformative learning environment tailored to optimize the pre- and post-production process while increasing AFL’s ability to continuously generate branded content year-round. Located in South Carolina’s historic Taylors Mill, this contemporary-styled classroom is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and is dedicated to producing educational and instructional materials that will elevate the customer experience.

“Our aim is to deliver a best-in-class customer experience that builds a connection with our customers in the best way possible”, said Harrison Andrews, Interactive Video Specialist. “Through the AFL Classroom, we are able to create easy-to-comprehend technical and how-to content in the most efficient manner,” Andrews explained.

The expert-led classes will provide comprehensive instruction on a variety of topics related to fiber optic technology. The first series begins with an introduction to fusion splicing, followed by an exploration of Fujikura Fusion Splicing Systems for practical field applications. In each episode, viewers will learn operation techniques and invaluable tips to help master the equipment.

•  Episode 1: Fusion Splicing 101
•  Episode 2: Splicing 102: Fujikura 90S+
•  Episode 3: Splicing 103: Fujikura 90R
•  Episode 4: Splicing 104: Fujikura 41S+
•  Episode 5: Splicing 105 Fujikura 31S+

AFL plans to expand its digital learning offerings throughout the year with additional content and resources that customers can access on-demand.

To learn more about AFL, its products and services, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise, hyperscale and industrial markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and read our blog.

Four patents were received for connectivity, two of which coincide with AFL’s ASCEND® high-density platform. The first invention is for the ASCEND high density patch panel with modular cassettes. These panels can be deployed in a chassis system with extendable drawers to facilitate moves, adds and changes within a connected network. The second invention is for a splice cassette that includes a splice holder that supports single and mass splices using the same components. This Poli-MOD splice cassette fits in locations where other ASCEND cassettes fit without requiring changes.

The next patent is for AFL’s NodeFLEX Bendable Cable Assemblies. The assembly’s fitting includes a flexible boot with integrated steel wires that allow installers to flex and hold the fitting at any angle up to 90° depending on the cable installation requirements. The fourth patent is for optical fiber trunk cable breakout canisters and assemblies in which the canister is designed to use like parts and provide ease of manufacturing.

Lastly, AFL received a patent for reduced-diameter composite downhole logging cables that contain both copper and fiber components. The design is smaller, lightweight and a more flexible alternative to traditional downhole cables.

For more information about AFL, its products and services, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

Patent recipients pictured (top to bottom, left to right):
Mark Vogel, Brett Villiger, Kyle Marchek, Tom Sawyer
Shirley Ball, Will Miller, Wink Courchaine

About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise, hyperscale and industrial markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.
 
Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and “like us” on Facebook. Review our blog or subscribe to our bi-monthly e-newsletter.

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“As with all of our tools, the VFI4 is designed for real-world field testing,” explained Arun Jain, director of product marketing for AFL. “The VFI4 is small enough to fit on a keychain, yet has enough power to reach up to 10 km. It’s a must-have tool for any technician working on fiber-optic networks.”
 
The light generated by the VFI4’s eye-safe Class 3R laser “leaks out” from sharp bends and breaks in jacketed or bare fibers, as well as poorly mated connectors, enabling technicians to quickly spot faults. Uses include quick continuity checks, fiber tracing, splice verification and Pass/Fail validation for mechanical connectors.
 
AFL designs a host of test and inspection equipment that are easy-to-use and provide quick results, including OTDRs, fiber identification tools, optical power meters, test kits, cleaning and more. For additional information about AFL, its products and service, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise and industrial markets as well as several emerging markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.
 
Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and “like us” on Facebook. Review our blog or subscribe to our bi-monthly e-newsletter.

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