Exhibit 99.1

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                            PREFORMED LINE PRODUCTS

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            P.O. BOX 91129 o CLEVELAND, OHIO 44101 o (440) 461-6200


For immediate release                                Eric R. Graef
December 19, 2003                                    Preformed Line Products
                                                     (440) 473-9249

                    PREFORMED LINE PRODUCTS BOARD AUTHORIZES
                            SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM

Cleveland, Ohio, December 19, 2003 - PREFORMED LINE PRODUCTS COMPANY, (NASDAQ:
PLPC) announced today that its Board of Directors has authorized the Company to
repurchase up to 100,000 common shares, $2 par value per share, or approximately
1.7%, of the Company's outstanding common shares. Under the repurchase program,
which will not commence until the Company has released its financial results for
2003, the Company has authority to repurchase common shares through the open
market, block purchases, or in negotiated private transactions on an ongoing
basis. The repurchases will be subject to the availability of common shares,
general market conditions, the trading price of the common shares, alternative
uses for capital, and the Company's financial condition and performance.

The Board of Directors believes that the repurchase program may assist the
Company to become a Controlled Company under the new corporate governance rules
of the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. ("Nasdaq"). Under the new rules a company that
is a "Controlled Company" is exempt from certain new director independence and
other governance requirements. The Company believes that as a Controlled Company
its cost of complying with the new rules should be reduced, which would be
beneficial to all of the Company's shareholders. Certain members of the Ruhlman
family and others are exploring the possibility of forming a group in order to
qualify the Company as a Controlled Company under the Nasdaq's rules, although
no agreement has been reached to date.

Founded in 1947, Preformed Line Products is an international designer and
manufacturer of products and systems employed in the construction and
maintenance of overhead and underground networks for energy, communications and
broadband network companies.

Preformed's world headquarters are in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Company operates
three domestic manufacturing centers, located in Rogers, Arkansas, Albemarle,
North Carolina, and Asheville, North Carolina. The Company serves its worldwide
market through international operations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China,
England, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Spain.






This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 regarding the Company, including those statements regarding
the Company's and management's beliefs and expectations concerning the Company's
future performance or anticipated financial results, among others. Except for
historical information, the matters discussed in this release are
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which may cause
results to differ materially from those set forth in those statements. Among
other things, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those expressed in such forward-looking statements include the strength of the
economy and demand for the Company's products, increases in raw material prices,
the Company's ability to identify, complete and integrate acquisitions for
profitable growth, and other factors described under the heading "Cautionary
Statement With Respect to Forward-Looking Statements" in the Company's Form 10K
filed with the SEC on March 26, 2003. The Form 10K and the Company's other
filings with the SEC can be found on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov .
The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking
statements that become untrue because of subsequent events.