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For 75 years, Marmon Utility has helped electric utilities address the practical challenges of building and maintaining reliable infrastructure. That legacy—and the partnerships behind it—was the focus of a recent episode of Down to Business, the podcast from the New Hampshire Business Review.
In the episode, "Building Efficiency Through Partnerships," Marmon Utility President Ken Woo joined Managing Editor Amanda Andrews to discuss the company's role in the electric utility supply chain, the importance of U.S.-based advanced manufacturing, and the investments positioning the business for its next chapter of growth.
A Partnership That Extends Beyond Products
Marmon Utility brings together Hendrix and Kerite, two long-established brands serving the electric utility industry. The company manufactures overhead covered conductor systems, polymer insulators, and underground medium-voltage cable. Its work, however, begins well before a product reaches the field.
As Mr. Woo explained to the New Hampshire Business Review, Marmon Utility supports utility providers from site assessment and system design through product selection, procurement, installation training, field support, and final inspection. That end-to-end approach helps utilities plan, build, and modernize grid infrastructure while addressing demands such as severe weather, vegetation exposure, constrained rights-of-way, and growing capacity needs.
Early engagement is especially important in an industry comprising more than 3,000 electric utilities across the United States. Each provider faces distinct operating conditions, infrastructure priorities, and regulatory requirements. Long-term collaboration allows Marmon Utility's engineering, manufacturing, and field teams to better understand those needs and help utilities move from system design to successful installation.
"Our true longevity is grounded in engineering innovation, the skilled employees we have to execute on that, our U.S.-based manufacturing philosophy, and really a lot of our long-term utility partnerships," Ken Woo said.
Built in New Hampshire, Supporting Utilities Across North America
The New Hampshire Business Review conversation also highlighted the value of domestic manufacturing as utilities modernize aging infrastructure and strengthen supply chains. U.S.-based production can provide greater sourcing confidence, consistent quality, and closer access to engineering and technical support. For utilities managing complex, long-term projects, that combination contributes to more predictable planning and execution.
Marmon Utility's New Hampshire operations are central to that work. The company is headquartered in the state and employs approximately 200 people across a range of roles, from production and engineering to office and leadership positions. Together with its manufacturing facility in Seymour, Connecticut, its Milford and Amherst facilities produce solutions used throughout the United States and around the world.
These operations also create skilled career pathways. In the interview, Woo described the company's focus on hands-on training, mentorship, cross-training, continuing education, leadership development, and succession planning. Marmon Utility has received a New Hampshire Training Grant in each of the past two years, supporting continued workforce development for products designed for safety-critical electric infrastructure.
Seventy-Five Years of Manufacturing Innovation
The interview grew from New Hampshire Business Review's interest in Marmon Utility's celebration of 75 years of Hendrix innovation. Founded by Bill Hendrix in 1951, the New Hampshire-born brand built its reputation by listening to utility customers and developing practical responses to changing grid challenges.
That principle still guides the business. As Ken Woo said, "We’ve remained relevant by continually listening to our utility customers and, more so, developing practical solutions for the ever-evolving challenges in the electrical grid."
The company is now building on that foundation with a new 80,000-square-foot manufacturing expansion in New Hampshire. The additional space will increase production capacity and create room for continued investment in machinery, technology, and automation. It represents both a commitment to advanced manufacturing in the state and a long-term investment in the people and capabilities needed to support utilities as grid demand grows.
Across its three New England facilities, Marmon Utility continues to invest with near-, mid-, and long-term needs in view. The expansion is an important part of that pathway, strengthening the company's ability to innovate and help utility partners improve the reliability, resiliency, and capacity of electric infrastructure.
Listen to the full Down to Business conversation to hear Ken Woo discuss Marmon Utility's history, people, partnerships, and outlook for the future: Building Efficiency Through Partnerships, available from the New Hampshire Business Review.
FAQs
1) How does Marmon Utility support electric utilities beyond product supply?
Marmon Utility works with utilities from early planning and system design through product selection, procurement, installation training, field support, and final inspection. This end-to-end approach helps utility providers address challenges such as severe weather, vegetation exposure, limited right-of-way, and growing capacity needs.
2) What brands are part of Marmon Utility?
Marmon Utility brings together Hendrix and Kerite. Hendrix is known for overhead covered conductor systems and polymer insulators, while Kerite provides underground medium-voltage cable solutions. Together, the brands support a wide range of overhead and underground utility infrastructure applications.
3) Why is U.S.-based manufacturing important to Marmon Utility?
U.S.-based manufacturing helps Marmon Utility provide greater sourcing confidence, consistent quality, and closer access to engineering and technical support. For utilities managing long-term infrastructure projects, domestic production can also support more predictable planning, supply chain stability, and project execution.
4) How is Marmon Utility investing in future growth?
Marmon Utility is expanding its New Hampshire manufacturing operations with a new 80,000-square-foot facility. The expansion will increase production capacity and create room for additional investment in machinery, technology, and automation while supporting continued workforce development and future utility infrastructure needs.
