A BRIEF HISTORY OF BATTERY TIME: 2000-2020 2006
2007
2010
• Daramic expands into China by forming a joint venture. The following year it acquires a plant in Tianjin, China.
• ENTEK sold to its senior manufacturing team.
• Firefly Energy, developer of an advanced lead battery, files for bankruptcy but is bought by Indian firm later that year. Although it announced a distribution agreement in Australia three years later little has been heard of it since.
• After an 18-month hiatus Batteries International is relaunched by new owner and life-long journalist Michael Halls. • Trojan Battery breaks ground on new plant in Sandersville, Georgia. • Johnson Controls and Saft agree to collaborate in a venture that falls apart acrimoniously five years later over “a fundamental disagreement” about the direction and scope of the JV.
• Spectrum/Rayovac reorganize in hunt for profitability. • The race into China hots up. Johnson Controls forms a joint venture with China’s Fengfan to make sealed lead acid batteries. This is the start of a huge investment made into the People’s Republic in future years, including troubled relations with government agencies in the early 2010s. • European Chemicals Agency announces REACH requirements as previous EU directives are bound into the one legislation.
In other news: 2007: Apple launches iPhone • 2008: Beijing olympics • 2009: Barack Obama 44th president of the USA
2008 • Sovema, Italian battery machine manufacturer, acquires Bitrode Corp, a leading manufacturer of battery testing equipment. It marks the first major move into the US market. • Greek battery giant Sunlight makes €50m investment in lead recycling plant. • GS Yuasa forms Thailand joint venture with Siam Motors. • Polypore International, owner of separator giant Daramic, acquires Microporous. It would take five years for the US Federal Trade Commission to rule that the acquisition had been uncompetitive. • Scott Fink and Taro Yoshimura become presidents of Sorfin Yoshimura NY and Tokyo respectively and transformation to the second generation formally takes place. 2009 • Zesar launches EVOLINE, low cost, high performance assembly line. The product is first fruit of involvement in 3D computer aided design work. • Eternity Technologies is founded as part of Al Dobowi Group. It is based in Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates and is the region’s first modern battery manufacturer.
98 • Batteries International • Autumn 2020
2011 • David Wilson, head of the International Lead Association, steps down after 35 years. He leaves ILA work fully in 2016. Incoming managing director is Andy Bush. • Sovema moves into the lithium business with creation of business unit called Solith. • Birth of SY Europe focuses on growing sales, marketing and logistics competency in the EMEA region. This is followed by SY Brasil and SY India regional offices (2014) and SY Thailand (2015). • EnerSys hits the acquisition trail, once more acquiring ABSL Power Solutions (2011), Ergon Batteries (2011), GAIA Akkumulatorenwerke (2011), EnerSystems (2011), Energy Leader Batteries (2q012), Purcell Systems (2013), UTS Holdings (2014), ICS (2015), Enser (2016), Alpha Technologies (2018), and Northstar Battery Company (2019). • Daramic India relocates to new, larger facility in Bangalore, India. It had been acquired in 2008. • Penox makes first move into Asia and sets up commercial branch in South Korea. By 2015 the firm is producing and selling high grade lead oxides to Asia. In 2017 Penox acquires all the shares of Penox Korea. • Daramic establishes Xiangyang, China plant. • Johnson Controls forms a joint venture with Colombia’s MAC. 2012 • Johnson Power Solutions opens its first US battery recycling centre in Florence, South Carolina. • Emerson completes acquisition of Chloride Group, the end of one of the most famous brands in lead battery
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