What Prestolite Wire makes

Prestolite Wire manufactures automotive and commercial-vehicle wire and cable. The core line is automotive primary wire built to the SAE thin-wall standards, GXL, SXL, and TXL, alongside SAE HDT, HTS, J1128, J1654, and ISO 6722 constructions. Around that base the brand builds battery cable and battery cable assemblies, ignition wire sets, specialty wire harnesses and assemblies, multi-conductor cable, welding cable, and general industrial cable. Conductors are copper, insulated with cross-linked polyethylene or PVC depending on the temperature and abrasion rating the application calls for.

The product set has moved with the vehicle. Prestolite, marketed inside Prysmian as Draka Prestolite Automotive, now lists 600-volt high-voltage cables for hybrid and electric vehicles, data and DataBus cables for connected and autonomous platforms, SAE J1772 charge plugs for EV charging, and AUTO-FLEX flexible cables for industrial and robotics use. The customer base is transportation first: automotive OEMs and their Tier 1 suppliers, heavy-truck and commercial-vehicle builders, plus military, renewable-energy, and industrial buyers, served both as an OE supplier and through OEM distribution channels.

Ownership and history

Prestolite Wire is no longer an independent company. Its automotive-wiring lineage runs back to 1911, and for decades it operated as a standalone US and Mexico manufacturer serving vehicle OEMs and their tier suppliers. General Cable acquired Prestolite Wire in 2012 to expand its automotive footprint. When Prysmian Group acquired General Cable in 2018, Prestolite came with it. Today it is a brand and business unit inside Prysmian, a cable manufacturer listed on Borsa Italiana, and its automotive assemblies also carry the Draka Prestolite Automotive name.

The North American manufacturing base is in Paragould, Arkansas, at #1 Prestolite Drive, where wire and cable production has run since 1989. Prysmian announced a $2.8 million expansion of the Paragould plant and 12 new jobs in 2019. Beyond Paragould, the brand's production footprint includes plants in Durango and Nogales, Mexico, part of a wider automotive cable business that Prysmian has described as spanning eight plants worldwide. Buyers should note that the standalone prestolitewire.com site is no longer maintained; the live product presence is on Prysmian's North American automotive pages.

Certifications and quality

The Paragould facility is certified to IATF 16949:2016, the automotive quality management standard, by the registrar DQS, with general ISO conformance referenced across the automotive line. Quality performance is a stated point of pride for the plant: in the coverage of its 2019 IEWC Supplier of the Year award, Prestolite reported scoring 100 on quality assessments in 9 of the previous 10 months across hundreds of thousands of shipped items. That award, given on on-time delivery, quality, lead time, and technical support, is the clearest recent third-party read on the operation. Automotive wire is a high-volume, tight-tolerance business where PPAP discipline and consistent insulation quality decide who stays on a program, and IATF certification is the table stakes for it.

Known customers

Prestolite serves automotive OEMs and their Tier 1 suppliers as a Tier 2 wire and cable producer, but individual OEM programs are not publicly named, which is normal for a component supplier at this level. One documented, third-party relationship is on the record:

IEWC is a distribution and channel partner rather than a vehicle OEM, and the automotive OEM programs the brand supplies through are not disclosed. No other customer relationship clears the documented-evidence bar, so none are asserted here.

Frequently asked questions

What does Prestolite Wire make?

Prestolite Wire manufactures automotive and commercial-vehicle wire and cable: SAE GXL, SXL, and TXL primary wire, battery cable and assemblies, ignition wire sets, specialty harnesses, multi-conductor and welding cable, plus 600-volt high-voltage cable and data cable for electric and connected vehicles. It serves automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and heavy-truck, military, and industrial buyers.

Who owns Prestolite Wire?

Prestolite Wire is owned by Prysmian Group, a cable manufacturer listed on Borsa Italiana. General Cable acquired Prestolite in 2012, and Prysmian acquired General Cable in 2018. Prestolite now operates as a brand and business unit inside Prysmian, also marketed as Draka Prestolite Automotive.

Where is Prestolite Wire located?

Prestolite Wire's North American manufacturing plant is at #1 Prestolite Drive, Paragould, Arkansas 72450, where production has run since 1989. The brand also operates plants in Durango and Nogales, Mexico, within Prysmian's wider automotive cable business.

Is Prestolite Wire IATF 16949 certified?

Yes. The Paragould, Arkansas facility is certified to IATF 16949:2016, the automotive quality management standard, by the registrar DQS. Prysmian's automotive line also references general ISO conformance.

Is Prestolite Wire still in business?

Yes. Prestolite Wire is an active brand and manufacturing operation within Prysmian Group. Its standalone website is no longer maintained, but the Paragould plant continues to produce automotive wire and cable and the products are sold through Prysmian's North American automotive channels.

Last verified September 28, 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.