A well-known battery manufacturer plans a $35-million manufacturing site in Platte County.
According to a news release, Exide Technologies — a global provider of stored electrical-energy solutions for the transportation and industrial market — will open a state of the art facility measuring 180,000 square feet in Kansas City, Mo. The punched grid manufacturing site will significantly enhance the production, quality and durability of Exide automotive batteries in North America.
The new facility is expected to add up to 50 new jobs.
“We are winning new business and growing market share necessitating strategic investments like this one that bring value to our customers and meet their need for high-performance batteries,” said Vic Koelsch, president and CEO of Exide Technologies. “With this new facility, we are bringing improved quality and operational efficiency improvements that serve to increase our capacity significantly which, in turn, positions Exide for continued growth in the automotive and industrial battery markets.”
Touted as the most advanced manufacturing site of its kind, the facility will utilize a high precision punching process to ensure grid quality and eliminates grid variability. The company said the enhanced punched grid manufacturing technology and unique grid design increases battery performance and reliability, meeting the unique and evolving battery needs of today’s most technologically advanced vehicles.
The address of the proposed facility will be 7601 NW 107th Terrace in Kansas City, Mo., located in close proximity to a Target distribution facility in the KCI corridor.
“The Platte County Economic Development Council is pleased to welcome Exide Technologies and commend their investment and job creation,” said Alicia Stephens, executive director of the Platte County Economic Development Council. “The KCI Corridor continues to attract quality businesses, and we look forward to working with Exide Technologies as they grow in Platte County”
Exide Technologies is a global provider of stored electrical-energy solutions for the transportation and industrial markets.
With 129 years of technology innovation combined with operations in more than 80 countries, Exide bills itself as delivering compelling solutions for the world’s current and future power needs. Exide produces and recycles a broad range of products, serving the transportation, industrial power and motive power market segments with battery and energy storage systems and specialty applications for a broad 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.
Exide’s new site will have the capacity to produce more than 3 billion grids per year and will supply grids for use in transportation products manufactured in Salina, Kan., Manchester, Iowa, and Columbus, Ga. These existing manufacturing facilities serve all Exide transportation customers in North America.
“Kansas City is the ideal location for our punched grid manufacturing center of excellence given its proximity to key Exide customers and our existing manufacturing facilities as well as access to an experienced local workforce,” Koelsch added. “We look forward to developing a strong relationship with the community as we expand our operational footprint in the area.”