Â鶹´«Ã½

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
BEFORE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

In the Matter of

THE WIRE WORKS, INC., and
ELECTRODES, INC., corporations.

FILE NO. 982 3588

AGREEMENT CONTAINING CONSENT ORDER

The Â鶹´«Ã½ Trade Commission has conducted an investigation of certain acts and practices of The Wire Works, Inc., and Electrodes, Inc., corporations ("proposed respondents"). Proposed respondents are willing to enter into an agreement containing a consent order resolving the allegations contained in the attached draft complaint. Therefore,

IT IS HEREBY AGREED by and between The Wire Works, Inc., and Electrodes, Inc., by their duly authorized officers, and counsel for the Â鶹´«Ã½ Trade Commission that:

1a. Proposed respondent The Wire Works, Inc. is a Connecticut corporation with its principal office or place of business at 252 Depot Road, Milford, Connecticut.

1b. Proposed respondent Electrodes, Inc. is a Connecticut corporation with its principal office or place of business at 252 Depot Road, Milford, Connecticut. Electrodes, Inc. is the sole distributor for The Wire Works, Inc.

2. Proposed respondents admit all the jurisdictional facts set forth in the draft complaint.

3. Proposed respondents waive:
 
a. Any further procedural steps;

b. The requirement that the Commission's decision contain a statement of findings of fact and conclusions of law; and

c. All rights to seek judicial review or otherwise to challenge or contest the validity of the order entered pursuant to this agreement.
 
4. This agreement shall not become part of the public record of the proceeding unless and until it is accepted by the Commission. If this agreement is accepted by the Commission, it, together with the draft complaint, will be placed on the public record for a period of sixty (60) days and information about it publicly released. The Commission thereafter may either withdraw its acceptance of this agreement and so notify proposed respondents, in which event it will take such action as it may consider appropriate, or issue and serve its complaint (in such form as the circumstances may require) and decision in disposition of the proceeding.

5. This agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by proposed respondents that the law has been violated as alleged in the draft complaint, or that the facts as alleged in the draft complaint, other than the jurisdictional facts, are true.

6. This agreement contemplates that, if it is accepted by the Commission, and if such acceptance is not subsequently withdrawn by the Commission pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.34 of the Commission's Rules, the Commission may, without further notice to proposed respondents: (1) issue its complaint corresponding in form and substance with the attached draft complaint and its decision containing the following order in disposition of the proceeding; and (2) make information about it public. When so entered, the order shall have the same force and effect and may be altered, modified, or set aside in the same manner and within the same time provided by statute for other orders. The order shall become final upon service. Delivery of the complaint and the decision and order to proposed respondents' address as stated in this agreement by any means specified in Section 4.4(a) of the Commission's Rules shall constitute service. Proposed respondents waive any right they may have to any other manner of service. The complaint may be used in construing the terms of the order. No agreement, understanding, representation, or interpretation not contained in the order or in the agreement may be used to vary or contradict the terms of the order.

7. Proposed respondents have read the draft complaint and consent order. They understand that they may be liable for civil penalties in the amount provided by law and other appropriate relief for each violation of the order after it becomes final.

ORDER

I.

IT IS ORDERED that respondents The Wire Works, Inc., and Electrodes, Inc., their successors and assigns, and their officers, agents, representatives, and employees, directly or through any corporation, subsidiary, division, or other device, in connection with the manufacturing, labeling, advertising, promotion, offering for sale, sale, or distribution of electrical discharge machining ("EDM") wire electrodes, in or affecting commerce, as "commerce" is defined in section 4 of the Â鶹´«Ã½ Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 44, shall not misrepresent, in any manner, directly or by implication, the extent to which any such product is made in the United States.

PROVIDED, however, that a representation that any such product is made in the United States will not be in violation of this order so long as all, or virtually all, of the components of the product are of U.S. origin or are made in the United States and all, or virtually all, of the labor in manufacturing the product is performed in the United States. PROVIDED, further, that nothing in this order shall prohibit respondents from making a representation regarding the U.S. origin or the U.S. content of such product as permitted in regulations, guides, or enforcement policy statements promulgated by the Commission.

PROVIDED, further, that a representation that describes the specific processing that is performed on such product in the United States, e.g., that such product is "Drawn in U.S.A.," "Annealed in U.S.A.," "Coldworked in U.S.A.," or "Strengthened in U.S.A.," will not be in violation of this order so long as the claim is truthful and substantiated. Provided, however, that, if such product is not last substantially transformed in the United States, respondents must comply with regulations and rulings issued by the U.S. Customs Service under section 304 of the Tariff Act, 19 U.S.C. §1304. 

II.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondents The Wire Works, Inc., and Electrodes, Inc., and their successors and assigns, shall, for five (5) years after the last date of dissemination of any representation covered by this order, maintain and upon request make available to the Â鶹´«Ã½ Trade Commission for inspection and copying:

A. All markings, labels, advertisements and promotional materials containing the representation;

B. All materials that were relied upon in disseminating the representation; and

C. All tests, reports, studies, surveys, demonstrations, or other evidence in their possession or control that contradict, qualify, or call into question the representation, or the basis relied upon for the representation, including complaints and other communications with consumers or with governmental or consumer protection organizations.

III.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondents The Wire Works, Inc., and Electrodes, Inc., and their successors and assigns, shall deliver a copy of this order to all current and future principals, officers, directors, and managers, and to all current and future employees, agents, and representatives having compliance responsibilities with respect to the subject matter of this order, and shall secure from each such person a signed and dated statement acknowledging receipt of the order. Respondents shall deliver this order to such current personnel within thirty (30) days after the date of service of this order, and to future personnel within thirty (30) days after the person assumes such position or responsibilities.

IV.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondents The Wire Works, Inc., and Electrodes, Inc., and their successors and assigns, shall notify the Commission at least thirty (30) days prior to any change in the corporation(s) that may affect compliance obligations arising under this order, including but not limited to a dissolution, assignment, sale, merger, or other action that would result in the emergence of a successor corporation; the creation or dissolution of a subsidiary, parent, or affiliate that engages in any acts or practices subject to this order; the proposed filing of a bankruptcy petition; or a change in the corporate name or address. Provided, however, that, with respect to any proposed change in the corporation about which respondents learn less than thirty (30) days prior to the date such action is to take place, respondents shall notify the Commission as soon as is practicable after obtaining such knowledge. All notices required by this Part shall be sent by certified mail to the Associate Director, Division of Â鶹´«Ã½, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Â鶹´«Ã½ Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580.

V.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondents The Wire Works, Inc., and Electrodes, Inc., and their successors and assigns, shall, within sixty (60) days after the date of service of this order, and at such other times as the Â鶹´«Ã½ Trade Commission may require, file with the Commission a report, in writing, setting forth in detail the manner and form in which they have complied with this order.

VI.

This order will terminate twenty (20) years from the date of its issuance, or twenty (20) years from the most recent date that the United States or the Â鶹´«Ã½ Trade Commission files a complaint (with or without an accompanying consent decree) in federal court alleging any violation of the order, whichever comes later; provided, however, that the filing of such a complaint will not affect the duration of:

A. This order's application to any respondent that is not named as a defendant in such complaint; and

B. This order if such complaint is filed after the order has terminated pursuant to this Part.

Provided, further, that if such complaint is dismissed or a federal court rules that the respondent(s) did not violate any provision of the order, and the dismissal or ruling is either not appealed or upheld on appeal, then the order will terminate according to this Part as though the complaint had never been filed, except that the order will not terminate between the date such complaint is filed and the later of the deadline for appealing such dismissal or ruling and the date such dismissal or ruling is upheld on appeal.

Signed this day of ___________, 1999

THE WIRE WORKS, INC.

By:

____________________
David J. Dudas
President

ELECTRODES, INC.

By:

 ____________________
David J. Dudas
President

__________________________
GENE S. WINTER
St. Onge Steward Johnson & Reens, LLC
Attorney for respondents

__________________________
KENT C. HOWERTON
Counsel for the Â鶹´«Ã½ Trade Commission

__________________________
LAURA KOSS
Counsel for the Â鶹´«Ã½ Trade Commission

APPROVED:

_________________________
ELAINE D. KOLISH
Associate Director
Division of Â鶹´«Ã½

_________________________
JOAN Z. BERNSTEIN
Director
Bureau of Consumer Protection