As the complexity of vehicles increases, so does the need to keep it all under control. Enter Amphenol Unlimited Services of Oconto, which has been harnessing wires for some of the nation’s most sophisticated vehicles for more than four decades.
Unlimited Services, which has been exclusively manufacturing vehicle wire harnesses since 1982 and was acquired by Connecticut-based Amphenol Corporation in 2020, operates manufacturing plants in both the U.S. and Mexico — of its 1,000 employees, about one-quarter are based in Oconto, says General Manager Andy Sweeney.
And while all vehicles require wire harnesses, “we specialize in harsh environment, off-road-type vehicles — a little bit on the lower volume, but very complex,” says Sweeney, adding that nearby Oshkosh Corporation was Unlimited Services’ first customer and remains its biggest customer today. He says the harnesses Unlimited Services makes go into vehicles such as cement mixers, fire trucks and military equipment.
Sweeney says the harness designs are the intellectual property of clients and furnished by clients, and he has seen them get increasingly complex over the years. “And the volumes get lower and lower,” he adds, “as companies try to differentiate themselves.” He says the largest harness the company has built holds a whopping 980 wires.
The complexity and customization of the company’s orders keep the workforce engaged and excited, says Sweeney, who has worked for Unlimited Services for eight years. “We’re building different things all the time and, you know, there’s a bit of challenge in that,” he says.
In addition to the satisfaction of rising to a challenge, Sweeney says loyalty and pride characterize Amphenol Unlimited Services’ tight-knit workforce in Oconto County.
“I think there’s a lot of pride in knowing that the products we’re building are going into equipment that’s going to save lives,” he says.
