Until George Jacobs invented a practical enamel for the purpose, cloth was used to insulate magnet wire.

Wire with enamel insulation could be more densely packed, allowing smaller, more efficient motors, coils and other electromagnetic devices.

He got a better job as a chemist with Sherwin-Williams in Cleveland, Ohio but continued to work privately on an enamel wire insulation.

George Jacobs left Dudlo in 1928 to form a new company, Inca Manufacturing, that later became Phelps Dodge Magnet Wire.

Sales manager Robert L. “Bob” Whearley—another Dudlo employee—was named President in late 1960 when brothers Samuel and David Rea left the company.

As a joint venture with Tongling Jingda, Rea built magnet wire factories in China in 2002 and 2004, expanding the earlier plant in 2005.