<PAGE>

    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 20, 2001

                                                     Registration No. 333-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                  _______________

                                    FORM S-8
             Registration Statement Under the Securities Act of 1933

                                  _______________

                      Cable Design Technologies Corporation
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

             Delaware                                      36-3601505
   (State or Other Jurisdiction of                       (I.R.S. Employer
    Incorporation or Organization)                      Identification No.)

                                 Foster Plaza 7
                               661 Andersen Drive
                              Pittsburgh, PA 15220
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

                                  _______________

                    2001 Long-Term Performance Incentive Plan
                              (Full Title of Plan)

                                  _______________

                              Mr. Charles B. Fromm
                         Vice President, General Counsel
                                 Foster Plaza 7
                               661 Andersen Drive
                              Pittsburgh, PA 15220
                     (Name and Address of Agent for Service)

                                 (412) 937-2300
          (Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

                                    Copy to:

                                  Lance C. Balk
                                Kirkland & Ellis
                                 Citicorp Center
                              153 East 53rd Street
                          New York, New York 10022-4675

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                       Calculation of Registration Fee
===================================================================================================================
                                                Proposed Maximum         Proposed Maximum
Title of Securities to      Amount to be         Offering Price         Aggregate Offering          Amount of
    be Registered          Registered(1)         Per Share(2)               Price(2)            Registration Fee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                         <C>                 <C>                     <C>                      <C>
Common Stock, par
value $.01 per share          1,800,000              $13.13                $23,634,000              $5,908.50
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

(1)   This registration statement also relates to such additional securities
      as may be offered or issued under the 2001 Long-Term Performance
      Incentive Plan to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock
      dividends or similar transactions.
(2)   Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the Registration Fee
      based, pursuant to Rules 457(c) and 457(h)(1) under the Securities Act,
      on the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock as of
      November 13, 2001.

________________________________________________________________________________

<PAGE>

                                     PART I

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

     Information required by Part I to be contained in the Section 10(a)
prospectus is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with Rule
428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Note to Part I of Form
S-8.

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of certain documents by reference.

     The following documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
are incorporated herein by reference:

     (a) The registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
July 31, 2001.

     (b) The description of the registrant's common stock, par value $.01 per
share, contained in the registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1, as
amended, originally filed on October 5, 1993 (File No. 33-69992) under the
caption "Description of Capital Stock."

     All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the registrant
pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the
date of this Registration Statement, but prior to the filing of a post-effective
amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or
which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of the
filing of such reports and documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

       Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

       Kirkland & Ellis (a partnership that includes professional corporations)
provides legal services to the registrant from time to time. Lance C. Balk, a
director of the registrant since March 2000, is a partner of Kirkland & Ellis.

                                       -2-

<PAGE>

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State Delaware permits
indemnification of, and certain expense advancements to, directors, employees
and agents of corporations under certain conditions and subject to certain
limitations. ARTICLE EIGHT of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the
"Certificate") of the registrant provides that the personal liability of the
directors of the registrant is eliminated to the fullest extent permitted by
Paragraph (7) of Subsection (b) of Section 102 of the General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware, as the same may be amended or supplemented.

     ARTICLE V of the By-Laws of the registrant provides as follows:

                                    ARTICLE V
                INDEMNIFICATION OF OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND OTHERS

               Section 1. Nature of Indemnity. Each person who was or is made a
               ---------  -------------------
     party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any action,
     suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
     investigative (hereinafter a "proceeding"), by reason of the fact that he
     or she, or a person of whom he or she is the legal representative, is or
     was a director or officer, of the corporation or is or was serving at the
     request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee, fiduciary, or
     agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or
     other enterprise, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the corporation
     to the fullest extent which it is empowered to do so by the General
     Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as the same exists or may
     hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the
     extent that such amendment permits the corporation to provide broader
     indemnification rights than said law permitted the corporation to provide
     prior to such amendment) against all expense, liability and loss (including
     attorneys' fees actually and reasonably incurred by such person in
     connection with such proceeding and such indemnification shall inure to the
     benefit of his or her heirs, executors and administrators; provided,
     however, that, except as provided in Section 2 hereof, the corporation
     shall indemnify any such person seeking indemnification in connection with
     a proceeding initiated by such person only if such proceeding was
     authorized by the Board of Directors of the corporation. The right to
     indemnification conferred in this Article V shall be a contract right and,
     subject to Sections 2 and 5 hereof, shall include the right to be paid by
     the corporation the expenses incurred in defending any such proceeding in
     advance of its final disposition. The corporation may, by action of its
     Board of Directors, provide indemnification to employees and agents of the
     corporation with the same scope and effect as the foregoing indemnification
     of directors and officers.

               Section 2. Procedure for Indemnification of Directors and
               ---------  ----------------------------------------------
     Officers. Any indemnification of a director or officer of the corporation
     --------
     under Section 1 of this Article V or advance of expenses under Section 5 of
     this Article V shall be made

                                       -3-

<PAGE>

     promptly, and in any event within 30 days, upon the written request of the
     director or officer. If a determination by the corporation that the
     director or officer is entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Article
     V is required, and the corporation fails to respond within sixty days to a
     written request for indemnity, the corporation shall be deemed to have
     approved the request. If the corporation denies a written request for
     indemnification or advancing of expenses, in whole or in part, or if
     payment in full pursuant to such request is not made within 30 days, the
     right to indemnification or advances as granted by this Article V shall be
     enforceable by the director or officer in any court of competent
     jurisdiction. Such person's costs and expenses incurred in connection with
     successfully establishing his or her right to indemnification, in whole or
     in part, in any such action shall also be indemnified by the corporation.
     It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to
     enforce a claim for expenses incurred in defending any proceeding in
     advance of its final disposition where the required undertaking, if any,
     has been tendered to the corporation) that the claimant has not met the
     standards of conduct which make it permissible under the General
     Corporation Law of the State of Delaware for the corporation to indemnify
     the claimant for the amount claimed, but the burden of such defense shall
     be on the corporation. Neither the failure of the corporation (including
     its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to
     have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that
     indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he
     or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the General
     Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, nor an actual determination by
     the corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal
     counsel, or its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable
     standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a
     presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of
     conduct.

               Section 3. Article Not Exclusive. The rights to indemnification
               ---------  ---------------------
     and the payment of expenses incurred in defending a proceeding in advance
     of its final disposition conferred in this Article V shall not be exclusive
     of any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any
     statute, provision of the certificate of incorporation, by-law, agreement,
     vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

               Section 4. Insurance. The corporation may purchase and maintain
               ---------  ---------
     insurance on its own behalf and on behalf of any person who is or was a
     director, officer, employee, fiduciary, or agent of the corporation or was
     serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee
     or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
     enterprise against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred
     by him or her in any such capacity, whether or not the corporation would
     have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under this
     Article V.

                                       -4-

<PAGE>

               Section 5. Expenses. Expenses incurred by any person described in
               ---------  --------
     Section 1 of this Article V in defending a proceeding shall be paid by the
     corporation in advance of such proceeding's final disposition unless
     otherwise determined by the Board of Directors in the specific case upon
     receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to
     repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she is
     not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation. Such expenses incurred
     by other employees and agents may be so paid upon such terms and
     conditions, if any, as the Board of Directors deems appropriate.

               Section 6. Employees and Agents. Persons who are not covered by
               ---------  --------------------
     the foregoing provisions of this Article V and who are or were employees or
     agents of the corporation, or who are or were serving at the request of the
     corporation as employees or agents of another corporation, partnership,
     joint venture, trust or other enterprise, may be indemnified to the extent
     authorized at any time or from time to time by the Board of Directors.

               Section 7. Contract Rights. The provisions of this Article V
               ---------  ---------------
     shall be deemed to be a contract right between the corporation and each
     director or officer who serves in any such capacity at any time while this
     Article V and the relevant provisions of the General Corporation Law of the
     State of Delaware or other applicable law are in effect, any repeal or
     modification of this Article V or any such law shall not affect any rights
     or obligations then existing with respect to any state of facts or
     proceeding then existing.

               Section 8. Merger or Consolidation. For purposes of this Article
               ---------  -----------------------
     V, references to "the corporation" shall include, in addition to the
     resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any
     constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which,
     if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority
     to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any
     person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such
     constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such
     constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of
     another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
     shall stand in the same position under this Article V with respect to the
     resulting or surviving corporation as he or she would have with respect to
     such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

     Not applicable.

                                       -5-

<PAGE>

Item 8.   Exhibits.

       Reference is made to the Exhibit Index that immediately precedes the
exhibits filed with this Registration Statement.

Item 9.   Undertakings.

   (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
       made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement;

               (i)   To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of
          the Securities Act of 1933;

               (ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
          after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most
          recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
          aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth
          in the Registration Statement;

               (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
          plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration
          Statement or any material change to such information in the
          Registration Statement;

          (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
       Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be
       deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities
       offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall
       be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

          (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
       amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
       the termination of the offering.

       (b) The undersigned registrant hereby further undertakes that, for the
purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each
filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section
15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of any
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange
Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

       (c) Insofar as the indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Securities

                                       -6-

<PAGE>

Act and is, therefore unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of express expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person
in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                       -7-

<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Pittsburgh, State of Pennsylvania, on this 19th day
of November, 2001.

                                        CABLE DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

                                        By:    /s/ Paul M. Olson
                                              ----------------------------------
                                              Paul M. Olson
                                              President and Chief Executive
                                              Officer

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Paul M. Olson and Kenneth O. Hale
his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution
and revocation, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments)
to this Registration Statement, and to file the same with all exhibits thereto,
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto such attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and
authority to do and perform such, each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as such person might
or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact and agent or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or
cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 this
Registration Statement and the foregoing Power of Attorney have been signed by
the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
      Signature                            Capacity                                         Date
      ---------                            --------                                         ----
<S>                                <C>                                                   <C>
 /s/ Bryan C. Cressey              Chairman of the Board, Director                       November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Bryan C. Cressey

 /s/ Paul M. Olson                 President, Chief Executive Officer and Director       November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Paul M. Olson                      (principal executive officer)

 /s/ Kenneth O. Hale               Vice President and Chief Financial Officer            November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Kenneth O. Hale                    (principal accounting and financial officer)

 /s/ George Graeber                Chief Operating Officer and Director                  November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
George Graeber

 /s/ Lance C. Balk                 Director                                              November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Lance C. Balk

                                   Director                                              November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Michael F.O. Harris

                                   Director                                              November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Glenn Kalnasy

 /s/ Ferdinand Kuznik              Director                                              November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Ferdinand Kuznik

 /s/ Richard Tuttle                Director                                              November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Richard Tuttle
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS



        Exhibit No.                        Description
        -----------                        -----------

            4.1        Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, of the
                       Registrant. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to
                       the Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended,
                       originally filed on October 5, 1993 (File No. 33-69992),
                       and Exhibit 2.4 to Form 8-A/A as filed December 23, 1996.

            4.2        By-laws of registrant, as amended to date. Incorporated
                       by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registration Statement
                       on Form S-1, as amended, originally filed on October 5,
                       1993 (File No. 33-69992).

            4.3        2001 Long-Term Performance Incentive Plan.

            5.1        Opinion and consent of Kirkland & Ellis, counsel to the
                       registrant.

            23.1       Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.

            23.2       Consent of Kirkland & Ellis (included in Exhibit 5.1).

            24.1       Powers of Attorney (included in signature page).

                                       I-2
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "ds8.txt", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 24495}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "CABLE DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES CORP", "cik": "0000913142", "assigned-sic": "3357", "irs-number": "363601505", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0731"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-73790", "film-number": "1796960"}, "business-address": {"street1": "661 ANDERSON DR", "street2": "FOSTER PLZ 7", "city": "PITTSBURGH", "state": "PA", "zip": "15220", "phone": "4129372300"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "FOSTER PLAZA 7", "street2": "661 ANDERSEN DRIVE", "city": "PITTSBURGH", "state": "PA", "zip": "15220"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 20, 2001

                                                     Registration No. 333-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                  _______________

                                    FORM S-8
             Registration Statement Under the Securities Act of 1933

                                  _______________

                      Cable Design Technologies Corporation
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

             Delaware                                      36-3601505
   (State or Other Jurisdiction of                       (I.R.S. Employer
    Incorporation or Organization)                      Identification No.)

                                 Foster Plaza 7
                               661 Andersen Drive
                              Pittsburgh, PA 15220
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

                                  _______________

                    2001 Long-Term Performance Incentive Plan
                              (Full Title of Plan)

                                  _______________

                              Mr. Charles B. Fromm
                         Vice President, General Counsel
                                 Foster Plaza 7
                               661 Andersen Drive
                              Pittsburgh, PA 15220
                     (Name and Address of Agent for Service)

                                 (412) 937-2300
          (Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

                                    Copy to:

                                  Lance C. Balk
                                Kirkland & Ellis
                                 Citicorp Center
                              153 East 53rd Street
                          New York, New York 10022-4675
Calculation of Registration Fee
===================================================================================================================
                                                Proposed Maximum         Proposed Maximum
Title of Securities to      Amount to be         Offering Price         Aggregate Offering          Amount of
    be Registered          Registered(1)         Per Share(2)               Price(2)            Registration Fee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, par
value $.01 per share          1,800,000              $13.13                $23,634,000              $5,908.50
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)   This registration statement also relates to such additional securities
      as may be offered or issued under the 2001 Long-Term Performance
      Incentive Plan to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock
      dividends or similar transactions.
(2)   Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the Registration Fee
      based, pursuant to Rules 457(c) and 457(h)(1) under the Securities Act,
      on the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock as of
      November 13, 2001.

________________________________________________________________________________
PART I

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

     Information required by Part I to be contained in the Section 10(a)
prospectus is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with Rule
428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Note to Part I of Form
S-8.

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of certain documents by reference.

     The following documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
are incorporated herein by reference:

     (a) The registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
July 31, 2001.

     (b) The description of the registrant's common stock, par value $.01 per
share, contained in the registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-1, as
amended, originally filed on October 5, 1993 (File No. 33-69992) under the
caption "Description of Capital Stock."

     All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the registrant
pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the
date of this Registration Statement, but prior to the filing of a post-effective
amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or
which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of the
filing of such reports and documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

       Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

       Kirkland & Ellis (a partnership that includes professional corporations)
provides legal services to the registrant from time to time. Lance C. Balk, a
director of the registrant since March 2000, is a partner of Kirkland & Ellis.

                                       -2-
Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State Delaware permits
indemnification of, and certain expense advancements to, directors, employees
and agents of corporations under certain conditions and subject to certain
limitations. ARTICLE EIGHT of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the
"Certificate") of the registrant provides that the personal liability of the
directors of the registrant is eliminated to the fullest extent permitted by
Paragraph (7) of Subsection (b) of Section 102 of the General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware, as the same may be amended or supplemented.

     ARTICLE V of the By-Laws of the registrant provides as follows:

                                    ARTICLE V
                INDEMNIFICATION OF OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND OTHERS

               Section 1. Nature of Indemnity. Each person who was or is made a
               ---------  -------------------
     party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any action,
     suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
     investigative (hereinafter a "proceeding"), by reason of the fact that he
     or she, or a person of whom he or she is the legal representative, is or
     was a director or officer, of the corporation or is or was serving at the
     request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee, fiduciary, or
     agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or
     other enterprise, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the corporation
     to the fullest extent which it is empowered to do so by the General
     Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as the same exists or may
     hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the
     extent that such amendment permits the corporation to provide broader
     indemnification rights than said law permitted the corporation to provide
     prior to such amendment) against all expense, liability and loss (including
     attorneys' fees actually and reasonably incurred by such person in
     connection with such proceeding and such indemnification shall inure to the
     benefit of his or her heirs, executors and administrators; provided,
     however, that, except as provided in Section 2 hereof, the corporation
     shall indemnify any such person seeking indemnification in connection with
     a proceeding initiated by such person only if such proceeding was
     authorized by the Board of Directors of the corporation. The right to
     indemnification conferred in this Article V shall be a contract right and,
     subject to Sections 2 and 5 hereof, shall include the right to be paid by
     the corporation the expenses incurred in defending any such proceeding in
     advance of its final disposition. The corporation may, by action of its
     Board of Directors, provide indemnification to employees and agents of the
     corporation with the same scope and effect as the foregoing indemnification
     of directors and officers.

               Section 2. Procedure for Indemnification of Directors and
               ---------  ----------------------------------------------
     Officers. Any indemnification of a director or officer of the corporation
     --------
     under Section 1 of this Article V or advance of expenses under Section 5 of
     this Article V shall be made

                                       -3-
promptly, and in any event within 30 days, upon the written request of the
     director or officer. If a determination by the corporation that the
     director or officer is entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Article
     V is required, and the corporation fails to respond within sixty days to a
     written request for indemnity, the corporation shall be deemed to have
     approved the request. If the corporation denies a written request for
     indemnification or advancing of expenses, in whole or in part, or if
     payment in full pursuant to such request is not made within 30 days, the
     right to indemnification or advances as granted by this Article V shall be
     enforceable by the director or officer in any court of competent
     jurisdiction. Such person's costs and expenses incurred in connection with
     successfully establishing his or her right to indemnification, in whole or
     in part, in any such action shall also be indemnified by the corporation.
     It shall be a defense to any such action (other than an action brought to
     enforce a claim for expenses incurred in defending any proceeding in
     advance of its final disposition where the required undertaking, if any,
     has been tendered to the corporation) that the claimant has not met the
     standards of conduct which make it permissible under the General
     Corporation Law of the State of Delaware for the corporation to indemnify
     the claimant for the amount claimed, but the burden of such defense shall
     be on the corporation. Neither the failure of the corporation (including
     its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to
     have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that
     indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he
     or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the General
     Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, nor an actual determination by
     the corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal
     counsel, or its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable
     standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a
     presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of
     conduct.

               Section 3. Article Not Exclusive. The rights to indemnification
               ---------  ---------------------
     and the payment of expenses incurred in defending a proceeding in advance
     of its final disposition conferred in this Article V shall not be exclusive
     of any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any
     statute, provision of the certificate of incorporation, by-law, agreement,
     vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

               Section 4. Insurance. The corporation may purchase and maintain
               ---------  ---------
     insurance on its own behalf and on behalf of any person who is or was a
     director, officer, employee, fiduciary, or agent of the corporation or was
     serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee
     or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
     enterprise against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred
     by him or her in any such capacity, whether or not the corporation would
     have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under this
     Article V.

                                       -4-
Section 5. Expenses. Expenses incurred by any person described in
               ---------  --------
     Section 1 of this Article V in defending a proceeding shall be paid by the
     corporation in advance of such proceeding's final disposition unless
     otherwise determined by the Board of Directors in the specific case upon
     receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to
     repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she is
     not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation. Such expenses incurred
     by other employees and agents may be so paid upon such terms and
     conditions, if any, as the Board of Directors deems appropriate.

               Section 6. Employees and Agents. Persons who are not covered by
               ---------  --------------------
     the foregoing provisions of this Article V and who are or were employees or
     agents of the corporation, or who are or were serving at the request of the
     corporation as employees or agents of another corporation, partnership,
     joint venture, trust or other enterprise, may be indemnified to the extent
     authorized at any time or from time to time by the Board of Directors.

               Section 7. Contract Rights. The provisions of this Article V
               ---------  ---------------
     shall be deemed to be a contract right between the corporation and each
     director or officer who serves in any such capacity at any time while this
     Article V and the relevant provisions of the General Corporation Law of the
     State of Delaware or other applicable law are in effect, any repeal or
     modification of this Article V or any such law shall not affect any rights
     or obligations then existing with respect to any state of facts or
     proceeding then existing.

               Section 8. Merger or Consolidation. For purposes of this Article
               ---------  -----------------------
     V, references to "the corporation" shall include, in addition to the
     resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any
     constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which,
     if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority
     to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any
     person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such
     constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such
     constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of
     another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise,
     shall stand in the same position under this Article V with respect to the
     resulting or surviving corporation as he or she would have with respect to
     such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

     Not applicable.

                                       -5-
Item 8.   Exhibits.

       Reference is made to the Exhibit Index that immediately precedes the
exhibits filed with this Registration Statement.

Item 9.   Undertakings.

   (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
       made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement;

               (i)   To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of
          the Securities Act of 1933;

               (ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
          after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most
          recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
          aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth
          in the Registration Statement;

               (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
          plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration
          Statement or any material change to such information in the
          Registration Statement;

          (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
       Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be
       deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities
       offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall
       be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

          (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
       amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
       the termination of the offering.

       (b) The undersigned registrant hereby further undertakes that, for the
purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each
filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section
15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of any
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange
Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

       (c) Insofar as the indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Securities

                                       -6-
Act and is, therefore unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of express expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person
in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                       -7-
SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Pittsburgh, State of Pennsylvania, on this 19th day
of November, 2001.

                                        CABLE DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

                                        By:    /s/ Paul M. Olson
                                              ----------------------------------
                                              Paul M. Olson
                                              President and Chief Executive
                                              Officer

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Paul M. Olson and Kenneth O. Hale
his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution
and revocation, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments)
to this Registration Statement, and to file the same with all exhibits thereto,
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto such attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and
authority to do and perform such, each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as such person might
or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney-in-fact and agent or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or
cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 this
Registration Statement and the foregoing Power of Attorney have been signed by
the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.
Signature                            Capacity                                         Date
      ---------                            --------                                         ----
/s/ Bryan C. Cressey              Chairman of the Board, Director                       November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Bryan C. Cressey

 /s/ Paul M. Olson                 President, Chief Executive Officer and Director       November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Paul M. Olson                      (principal executive officer)

 /s/ Kenneth O. Hale               Vice President and Chief Financial Officer            November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Kenneth O. Hale                    (principal accounting and financial officer)

 /s/ George Graeber                Chief Operating Officer and Director                  November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
George Graeber

 /s/ Lance C. Balk                 Director                                              November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Lance C. Balk

                                   Director                                              November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Michael F.O. Harris

                                   Director                                              November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Glenn Kalnasy

 /s/ Ferdinand Kuznik              Director                                              November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Ferdinand Kuznik

 /s/ Richard Tuttle                Director                                              November 19, 2001
-------------------------------
Richard Tuttle
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

        Exhibit No.                        Description
        -----------                        -----------

            4.1        Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, of the
                       Registrant. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to
                       the Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended,
                       originally filed on October 5, 1993 (File No. 33-69992),
                       and Exhibit 2.4 to Form 8-A/A as filed December 23, 1996.

            4.2        By-laws of registrant, as amended to date. Incorporated
                       by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registration Statement
                       on Form S-1, as amended, originally filed on October 5,
                       1993 (File No. 33-69992).

            4.3        2001 Long-Term Performance Incentive Plan.

            5.1        Opinion and consent of Kirkland & Ellis, counsel to the
                       registrant.

            23.1       Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.

            23.2       Consent of Kirkland & Ellis (included in Exhibit 5.1).

            24.1       Powers of Attorney (included in signature page).

                                       I-2