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Kevin Depratter (27 years), Greg Mielke (35 years), and Dennis Langer (40 years), three of many Northwire employees who have worked with the company for more than 20 years.

Kevin Depratter (27 years), Greg Mielke (35 years), and Dennis Langer (40 years), three of many Northwire employees who have worked with the company for more than 20 years.

Back in 1972, Ormund Kravik founded Northwire in Osceola. His family business of nine employees produced low-voltage cords for the US market. When Ormund retired, his son Mark took over the family business and led Northwire from simple power cords to complex control cable for machine business, factory, and process automation of industrial, aerospace, defense, energy, and medical diagnostic applications. 

Then Mark retired the family business to his daughter, Katina. She led the company until acquisition discussions emerged between Northwire and a Swiss-based family business, LEMO, well known for its high-precision connectors. LEMO and Northwire agreed they made a great “connection.” In 2014, Northwire joined the LEMO family business as A LEMO Group Company.

In fifty years, Northwire has grown from nine to 250 employees and operates two facilities: Osceola, Wisconsin and Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Even more impressive to employee growth is knowing approximately one third of Northwire’s full-time staff have been employed with the company 10-47 years. 

“’Your career starts here!’ is a motto we take to heart,” says Lynda Flores, Northwire Human Resources Manager. “And for good reason!”

Many employees have made Northwire a life-long career: beginning in an entry-level position, receiving training, and growing with the company into new roles and promotions. Among them are Osceola natives, Dennis Langer and Greg Mielke, who make up the Northwire Osceola Design Engineering Team. 

Osceola residents who know Langer from community events or seeing him at a local gas station, might not have known that he also began a career with Northwire 40 years ago as a Cabling Operator. He is the second longest tenured employee, only after Harold Gjerning, who has worked with Northwire for 47 years. Langer has held many roles and received many promotions over the years. Today he is an important member of the custom cable design process and interfaces with clients from around North America and beyond as the Senior Design Engineer. 

Mielke began his Northwire employment 35 years ago as a Technical Extruder. Today he leads the Design Engineering Team as Design Engineering Manager. 

Overseeing the Northwire Design Engineering Team, R&D Department, and the New Product Introduction Team is Kevin Depratter. He joined Northwire as a seasoned professional with decades of cable manufacturing experience. Depratter celebrates 27 years with Northwire this year.

Northwire employees celebrating 10-47 years with the company include the following.

Northwire employees celebrating 20-plus years this year:

Harold Gjerning, 47 years, Quality Compliance Engineer

Dennis Langer, 40 years, Senior Design Engineer

Vernon Koehler, 38 years, Senior Process Engineer

Thomas Heitman, 38 years, Production Control Manager

Rodrick Larson, 37 years, Purchasing Manager

Randolph Prather, 37 years, Truck Driver

Greg Mielke, 35 years, Design Engineering Manager

Penny Pliscott, 35 years, Extrusion Technician

Brian Hayman, 35 years, Shipping and Receiving Specialist

Kevin Rector, 34 years, Production Manager

Donald Allee, 28 years, Cabling Technician

Paul Kevin Depratter, 27 years, NPI Manager/Director of R&D

Michael Flatten, 27 years, Cabling Technician

Marian Cruceru, 23 years, Maintenance Technician III

Chad Glaubitz, 23 years, Extrusion Technician

Nathan Jasperson, 22 years, Assembly and Retractile Technician

Michelle Hanson, 22 years, Extrusion Technician

Kristine Osborne, 22 years, Assembly and Retractile Technician

William Thiel, 22 years, Cabling Technician

Brendan Hendrickson, 21 years, Extrusion Technician

Bruce Dahlberg, 21 years, Cabling Technician

Mick Brain, 21 years, Process Technician

Steve Gustafson, 20 years, Cabling Technician

Tom Osterbauer, 20 years, Production Supervisor

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