Exide Technologies

Not to be confused with Exide Industries.

Exide Technologies
Founded 1888 (1888) in city, state, country
Headquarters Milton, Georgia, U.S.
Products Batteries
Website www.exide.com

Exide Technologies is a U.S. headquartered global manufacturer of stored electrical-energy solutions for the transportation and industrial markets.

Exide produces and recycles a range of products, serving the Transportation, Network Power and Motive Power market segments with battery and energy storage systems and specialty applications for a range of industries including: agricultural, automotive, electric, light and heavy-duty truck, marine, materials handling, military, mining, powersport, railroad, security, telecommunications, utility and uninterruptible power supply(UPS), among others.

    History

    Exide's predecessor corporation was the Electric Storage Battery Company, founded by W.W. Gibbs in 1888. Gibbs purchased the ideas and patents of inventor Clement Payen to make the storage battery a commercial product. Gibbs targeted electric lighting companies so they could use the storage batteries to provide services to their customers.[1][2][3]

    An important early customer for Electric Storage was the Electric Launch Company, also known as Elco.

    In 1893, the Norwegian explorer, Fridtjof Nansen, used Tudor accumulators supplied by the AFA during the expedition to the North Pole, which began in 1893, and from which he returned safely and intact in 1896. The batteries which gave light during the long polar nights were charged by windmill, and the dynamos which were used for recharging are exhibited in the Fram Museum in Oslo, Norway.[4]

    In 1898, an Electric Storage battery provided the submerged power for the USS Holland (SS-1), and Electric Storage remained a significant supplier of US Navy submarine batteries at least through World War II. Isaac Rice, president of Electric Storage in 1899, was instrumental in founding the Electric Boat Company as a bailout of the Holland Torpedo Boat Company.[5]

    In 1899, a Fulmen battery equipped the “La Jamais Contente” electric car – the first car in the world to exceed 100 km/h (62 mph).[6]

    In 1900, the Electric Storage Battery Company developed a product of greater capacity and less weight for electric taxicabs. This battery was the first to bear the name Exide, short for "Excellent Oxide".[7]

    In 1902 The Electric Storage Battery Co. formed Willard Storage Battery Co. when they acquired the battery-making assets of a jewelry manufacturer in Cleveland, OH and incorporated them. By 1950 Willard automotive batteries were outselling Exide automotive batteries although The Electric Storage Battery Co. was larger due to diversification.[8]

    In 1911, Charles F. Kettering turned to the Electric Storage Battery Company for a suitable automotive battery to complement his new electric starter.[9] This project yielded the first car battery of the modern type.[9] (Within 5 years, there was a substantial field of aftermarket brands in storage batteries and starters for automobiles, as evidenced by the advertisements in automotive trade journals of the era.)

    When the United States entered World War I, Exide batteries were used to operate airplane radio sets and power radio stations.

    In 1934 the Electric Storage Battery Company filed for the trademark Exide Ironclad and in 1935 their trademark was registered.[10][11]

    In 1938, the Electric Storage Battery Company acquired the Giant Storage Battery Company, and expanded into battery chargers and testers.[1]

    During World War II, the Electric Storage Battery Company was a major supplier of batteries for U.S. Navy submarines and primary contractor for batteries used in the Mark 18 electric torpedo.[12]

    Exide entered the dry-cell battery industry in 1957 when it acquired the Ray-O-Vac Company, the then second largest producer of dry-cell batteries in the US.

    Following the acquisition of the Wisconsin Battery Company, Exide started producing motorcycle and specialty batteries.

    NASA used solar-charged, nickel-zinc Exide batteries on all of the Apollo space missions.[2]

    In 1972, Exide acquired the Edison Storage Battery Company, which had developed a practical nickel-iron battery in 1901. The production of this type of battery was subsequently discontinued in 1975.

    In 1987, Exide acquired General Battery Corporation and moved the company headquarters to Reading, Pennsylvania.[1]

    Exide became a publicly traded company in October 1993.[13]

    In 1996, Exide acquired the French/Italian battery corporation CEAC, Clichy. With this acquisition also came the rights to the German brands Sonnenschein and dryfit. The company Accumulatorenfabrik Sonnenschein had been founded in Berlin in 1910 by Theodor Sonnenschein, and had patented the gel-cell type of valve-regulated lead–acid battery in 1957. (Marketed worldwide under the name dryfit).

    In 1997, Exide NASCAR Select Batteries were introduced, which is the official battery of NASCAR. Exide NASCAR Select is engineered to start high compression engines that demand nearly twice the starting power of a typical car. In 2000, the battery brand was renamed Exide Select.

    Arthur M. Hawkins resigned as chairman and chief executive officer of Exide in October 1998.[14] Robert A. Lutz, former president and vice chairman at Chrysler Corporation, was appointed Exide's Chairman of the Board. He reorganized the worldwide management structure into Global Business Units and sold off non-battery units to allow the company to concentrate on its primary business.

    In 2000, Exide acquired GNB Technologies, a North American supplier of automotive batteries.[1]

    In 2002, Exide filed for bankruptcy after compiling a debt of $2.5 billion as a result of the recent acquisitions.[15] In April 2004, a judge approved the company's plan to eliminate $1.3 billion in debt and exit bankruptcy protection by the end of the month.[16]

    In April 2013, Exide closes plant in Vernon, California (Los Angeles County).[17]

    In June 2013 Exide again filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with the aim of cutting debt and implementing a restructuring plan to better compete in the market (Exide Technologies, Case No. 13-11482, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware).

    In April 2015, the company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which reduced its debt by approximately $600 million.[18]

    On May 20, 2015, the Company announced the appointment of Victor M. (Vic) Koelsch, former Executive Vice President, Michelin North America, as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.[19]

    On May 24, 2017, Exide completed a series of financing transactions that generated significant new capital to fund growth and additional capacity.[20]

    On October 25, 2017, Exide Technologies unveiled a $35 Million state of the art grid manufacturing facility in Kansas City, Missouri.[21]

    On May 24, 2018, Exide expanded its motive power offering with acquisition of Aker Wade Power Technologies.[22]

    On June 15, 2018, Exide celebrated 130 Years of Powering Forward.[23]

    Headquarters and Locations

    Exide Technologies' global headquarters is located in Milton, Georgia. It has both manufacturing and recycling plants located throughout the U.S. and Europe. Exide’s European Headquarters is located in Gennevilliers, France. Exide operates in approximately 80 countries around the world.

    Exide operates three R&D facilities including one in the U.S.(Milton, Georgia), and two in Europe (Büdingen, Germany and Azuqueca, Spain)

    Exide operates seven manufacturing plants and three recycling plants in the U.S. In Europe, Exide operates ten manufacturing plants and three recycling facilities.

    Exide maintains principal sales offices in Mexico City, São Paulo, Dubai, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Sydney.

    Sustainability and Recycling

    Exide is one of the largest secondary recyclers in the world, and one of few battery companies with the ability to provide Total Battery Management, also known as "closed loop recycling."[24] Closed loop recycling frees customers from the burden of handling spent batteries in their own facilities.

    Recycling recovers 99% of all lead received at Exide’s recycling centers. Every year Exide recycles millions of pounds of lead and recovers and neutralizes millions of gallons of sulfuric acid.

    In 2017 Exide Technologies recycled 35 million pounds of plastic in the United States alone, which was used to produce 13 million new batteries.

    Lead battery recycling is one of the best examples of a circular economy as recognized by the World Economic Forum.

    Industry-wide, this “closed loop” process for recycling lead batteries keeps more than 1.7 million tons of lead batteries out of U.S. landfills annually.

    Products

    Exide produces batteries and accessories for the Transportation markets with applications in the original-equipment and aftermarket channels for Auto/Truck/SUV, Heavy Duty, Lawn and Garden, Marine/RV, Golfcarts and Powersport, using Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM), Flooded, Enhanced Flooded Battery and Gel (VRLA) technologies. Exide also markets lithium-ion batteries for motorbikes in Europe.

    Exide serves the Industrial market with lead acid and lithium-ion batteries for Motive Power material handling (forklifts), Railroad, Mining and Submarine applications. Exide also provides charging and fast charging solutions for material handling applications as well as modeling and real time monitoring solutions. Exide produces energy storage solutions for Industrial Network Power markets including the Telecommunications, Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), Utility and Solar storage segments as well as other critical backup needs.

    Criticism and Controversy

    Main article: Exide lead contamination

    Exide has been the subject of much controversy regarding environmental practices in the past. Lead and other dangerous chemicals coming from Exide's plants have repeatedly polluted communities around the United States, triggering protests, Facebook groups, and news pieces against Exide, as well as extensive media coverage.[25][26][27] This media depicts apparent failures on behalf of government agencies under whose jurisdiction the pollutions fall to enforce laws and hold responsible the right perpetrators, failures on behalf of Exide to meet standards for filtration and abide by regulations, a perceived lack of priority and consideration from Exide toward the environmental health and well-being of the towns in which they operate, and a sense of outrage and helplessness from residents in affected communities.[28][29][30]

    1. 1 2 3 4 "Exide Technologies - Our History". 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    2. 1 2 "Our History". 2017-01-29. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    3. ↑ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). 2017-02-15. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    4. ↑ "Fotos". www.musee-tudor.lu (in German). Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    5. ↑ "USS Holland (SS-1) Gas-Electric Attack Submarine - United States". Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    6. ↑ "Autrique - Events | Camille Jenatzy & La Jamais Contente". www.autrique.be. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    7. ↑ "Exide Technologies - Our History". 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    8. ↑ "In 62d Year--and Happy, Electrical Storage Battery Pushes Vigorous Program". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, PA. 1950-03-27. p. 28 a d.
    9. 1 2 Waltz, George H. (September 1951), "Bet I'm the toughest battery in town", Popular Science, 159(3): 110–113.
    10. ↑ "ELECTRIC STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, THE Trademarks :: Justia Trademarks". trademarks.justia.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    11. ↑ "EXIDE IRONCLAD (trademark)". Bizstanding. Retrieved 2017-12-31. Owner: Electric Storage Battery Company, The, 19Th St. And Allegheny Ave., Philadelphia, PA
    12. ↑ Blair, Clay, Jr. Silent Victory (New York: Bantam, 1976), p.280.
    13. ↑ Spatz, Don (1993-11-03). "Exide Goes Public With Stock Offering". Reading Eagle. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
    14. ↑ White, Gregory L.; Sendler, Emily R. (1998-10-19). "Exide Corp.'s Chairman, CEO Resigns; Earnings to Fall Far Short of Estimates". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
    15. ↑ News, Bloomberg. "COMPANY NEWS; EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION". Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    16. ↑ News, Bloomberg. "COMPANY NEWS; EXIDE'S PLAN TO CUT $1.3 BILLION IN DEBT IS APPROVED". Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    17. ↑ Radio, Southern California Public (2015-03-12). "Exide to shut down permanently under deal with US Attorney". Southern California Public Radio. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
    18. ↑ Technologies, Exide. "Exide Technologies Emerges From Chapter 11 Restructuring". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
    19. ↑ Technologies, Exide. "Exide Technologies Announces Victor M. Koelsch Appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
    20. ↑ "Exide to raise $200 million for capital projects - Batteries International". Batteries International. 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    21. ↑ Staff, MMH. "Exide Technologies unveils $35 million manufacturing facility in Kansas City, Mo. - Supply Chain 24/7". www.supplychain247.com. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
    22. ↑ "Exide acquires Aker Wade to forge motive powerhouse | www.bestmag.co.uk". www.bestmag.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    23. ↑ Journal, Jean Kozubowski Salina. "Exide celebrates 130 years on battery power". Salina Journal. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
    24. ↑ "Open-Loop vs Closed-Loop Recycling | General Kinematics". General Kinematics. 2018-03-27. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    25. ↑ "State's Plan For Exide Cleanup Continues to Draw Protests  : Eastern Group Publications/EGPNews". egpnews.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19. horizontal tab character in |title= at position 58 (help)
    26. ↑ "Protect Muncie- Say NO to Exide". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    27. ↑ Poston, Tony Barboza, Ben. "The Exide plant in Vernon closed 3 years ago. The vast majority of lead-contaminated properties remain uncleaned". latimes.com. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    28. ↑ "Exide Home". www.dtsc.ca.gov. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    29. ↑ "Burned By Slow Government Response To A Polluter, Residents Mistrust Cleanup Efforts". DeSmogBlog. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
    30. ↑ "If Exide Goes Bankrupt, What Happens to the Lead-Filled Landfills of Frisco? — Downwinders at Risk". www.downwindersatrisk.org. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
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