General Cable 10-Q 2004 Q3 Quarterly report

Exhibit 12.1

GENERAL CABLE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
(in millions)

	Nine Fiscal Months Ended			Years Ended December 31,
	October 1, 2004			2003			2002			2001		2000			1999
EARNINGS, AS DEFINED
Earnings (loss) from operations before income taxes and before adjustments for minority interests in consolidated subsidiaries and after eliminating undistributed earnings of equity method investees	$	14.9		$	(1.2	)	$	(27.6	)	$	58.1	$	(28.9	)	$	55.4
Preferred stock dividend (pre-tax equivalent)		(6.4	)		(0.9	)		—			—		—			—
Fixed charges		36.1			53.2			47.1			51.5		67.8			43.4
TOTAL EARNINGS, AS DEFINED	$	44.6		$	51.1		$	19.5		$	109.6	$	38.9		$	98.8
FIXED CHARGES, AS DEFINED
Interest expense	$	25.6		$	44.9		$	40.9		$	43.2	$	61.4		$	39.0
Amortization of capitalized expenses related to debt		2.0			4.5			3.7			4.4		4.2			1.1
Preferred stock dividend (pre-tax equivalent)		6.4			0.9			—			—		—			—
Interest component of rent expense		2.1			2.9			2.5			3.9		2.2			3.3
TOTAL FIXED CHARGES, AS DEFINED	$	36.1		$	53.2		$	47.1		$	51.5	$	67.8		$	43.4
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES		1.2			—			—			2.1		—			2.3

For the years ended December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2000, earnings were insufficient to cover fixed charges by $2.1 million $27.6 million and $28.9 million, respectively.

41