Exhibit 2.2

[GENERAL CABLE LOGO]                                                NEWS RELEASE

CONTACT:        STEPHEN J. SMITH                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                Vice President & Treasurer                      October 31, 2001
                Investor Relations
                (859) 572-8684


                       GENERAL CABLE ANNOUNCES COMPLETION
                          OF BUILDING WIRE TRANSACTION

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KENTUCKY, October 31, 2001 - General Cable (NYSE: BGC)
announced today that it has completed its transaction to divest certain of its
building wire assets to Southwire Company, a privately held wire and cable
producer based in Carrollton, Georgia. Initial cash proceeds of approximately
$82 million were received and are subject to post-closing adjustment. The
proceeds were applied to reduce General Cable's indebtedness. In addition to
cash proceeds, General Cable received certain assets of the Cyber Technologies
division of Southwire Company that includes manufacturing equipment capable of
producing enhanced data communications cable. The Cyber Technologies assets
being transferred have a value of approximately $4 million. Separately, General
Cable will begin to collect outstanding receivables, which net of outstanding
payables and other liabilities, should produce an additional $28 million in
cash.

"The Company's financial flexibility for 2002 and beyond has improved as a
result of this transaction as the divestiture reduces our financial leverage and
eliminates a low return business unit," stated Gregory B. Kenny, President and
Chief Executive Officer of General Cable. "We thank our building wire associates
for their dedication over the last few years in what has been a difficult market
environment and for their professionalism as they worked to transition the
business to the new owners. With the closing of the transaction, we ultimately
will have generated cash proceeds of more than $380 million from the sale or
closure of non-strategic businesses over the last fifteen months and will have
utilized such proceeds to significantly deleverage our balance sheet. As we look
into the future, we can now more clearly focus our attention on the profitable
growth of our communications, energy and specialty cables segments where we are
among the leaders globally," concluded Kenny.

General Cable, headquartered in Highland Heights, Kentucky, is a leader in the
development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of copper, aluminum
and fiber optic wire and cable products for the communications, energy and
electrical markets. The Company offers competitive strengths in such areas as
breadth of product line, brand recognition, distribution and logistics, sales
and service and operating efficiency. Communications wire and cable products
transmit low-voltage signals for voice, data, video and control applications.
Energy cables include low-, medium- and high-voltage power distribution and
power transmission products. The Specialty segment is comprised of
application-specific cables for uses such as electrical power generation
(traditional fuels, alternative and renewable sources, and distributed
generation), the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, mining, industrial
automation, marine, military and aerospace applications, power applications in
the telecommunications industry, and other key industrial segments. Visit our
website at www.GeneralCable.com.

Statements in this press release, other than historical facts, are
forward-looking statements including without limitation, statements regarding
future financial results and performance, plans and objectives, capital
expenditures and the Company's or management's beliefs, expectations or
opinions. Actual results may differ materially from those statements as a result
of factors, risks and uncertainties over which the Company has no control. Such
factors include domestic and local country price competition, particularly in
certain segments of the power cable, building wire and cordsets markets, and
other competitive pressures; general economic conditions, particularly in
construction; changes in customer purchasing patterns; the Company's ability to
increase manufacturing capacity and productivity; the Company's ability to
successfully complete and integrate acquisitions and divestitures; the cost of
raw materials, including copper; the impact of foreign currency fluctuations;
the impact of technological changes; the Company's ability to achieve
productivity improvements; and other factors which are discussed in the
Company's Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on March 30, 2001, as well as periodic reports filed with the Commission.

                                       ###


Release No. 0363
10/31/01