Exhibit 99.1

            General Cable Announces Plant Rationalization

    HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 2003--General
Cable Corporation (NYSE:BGC) announced today its decision to
significantly reduce operations at its Marion, Indiana manufacturing
facility. In conjunction with this action, most of the product lines
currently manufactured in the plant will be moved to other General
Cable facilities. The Marion plant, which will remain open and employ
approximately 65 people, will become a highly focused operation
specializing primarily in the production of mining and other specialty
cables. This decision stems from the feasibility study previously
announced on October 28, 2003. The Company continues to review the
operations of its South Hadley, Massachusetts facility for possible
rationalization.
    The Company will incur a charge related to the rationalization of
the Marion facility and estimates the amount of the pre-tax charge to
be approximately $16.0 million, of which about $6.6 million is cash.
The Company estimates that approximately $10.0 million of this charge
will occur in the fourth quarter of 2003, with the remaining amount
occurring during the first half of 2004 as production is transferred
out of the Marion facility. The Company will also incur a pre-tax
asset impairment charge in the fourth quarter of 2003 of approximately
$2.0 million related to its operations in South Hadley.
    "Our decision today was taken in response to the prolonged and
unprecedented decline in the North American industrial cable market. I
am confident that it will allow us to continue on the path of becoming
the low-cost producer in the industrial and specialty cables market
while maintaining ample capacity for the improving demand we have
recently begun to see," said Gregory B. Kenny, President and Chief
Executive Officer of General Cable. "This move allows us to more
efficiently utilize our manufacturing capacity for industrial and
specialty cables throughout North America, while also retaining one of
the broadest product line offerings for industrial cables in the
industry."
    "This decision allows the Marion facility to focus its attention
on achieving a cost and quality leadership position in mining and
other specialty cables," continued Kenny. "I would like to thank our
Marion associates for their dedication and commitment during the
feasibility study and for their continuing support during the upcoming
transition period."

    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 energy, industrial, specialty and communications
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.
    Energy cables include low-, medium- and high-voltage power
distribution and power transmission products. The Industrial and
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.
Communications wire and cable products transmit low-voltage signals
for voice, data, video and control applications. Visit our website at
www.GeneralCable.com.

    CONTACT: General Cable Corporation
             Paul M. Montgomery, 859-572-8684