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EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES’ CEO TIM VARGO

New batteries have been launched are primarily a transportation battery improvement he says it benefits
across the marine and leisure, manufacturer. Motive and network employees as well as customers;
material handling and heavy-duty power are good, solid businesses for when we talk about investments
truck applications, with AGM, gel Exide, but the bulk of our business in manufacturing facilities, he says
and VRLA ranges across the board. is in transportation and we see that a big focus has been ‘to improve
But automotive is where Exide as a great growth opportunity for our ergonomics and to provide an even
began and where it’s going to stay business.” safer work environment; and when
tuned, Vargo says. it comes to customer service, he
“Exide’s 130-year history is in Employee culture says ‘how we do that starts with our
the transportation battery business One of the key messages that comes employees’.
and that is our clear focus on both up time after time talking with Vargo “I see our responsibility as being
enhancing the technology to starting is his belief in the importance of first to our employees and to continue
and charging wherever that may go. Exide’s employees. It’s a sentiment in investing in and nurturing a culture
Yes, we’re in other segments, but we that echoes the mindset of the late based on integrity, accountability,
CEO Gordon Ulsh, the man who quality, customer success, courage
was responsible for successfully and safety,” he says.
restructuring Exide a year after it “Our employees embrace the
came out of Chapter 11 in 2004. ‘Powered by You!’ rallying cry, which
When he took charge in 2005, Ulsh means each of us knows what we
identified one key problem at Exide have to do each day to help drive the
was its low morale, and that this was success of Exide Technologies.
taking hits from the outside as well “When employees are aligned with
as within. our company strategy and believe in
“You really have to thank people the future success of our company
and praise them, and after just a little they will naturally be more engaged
bit of celebration, you raise the bar so with customers, provide excellent
that we keep trying to get better the service levels and partner them to
next time,” Ulsh said in an interview help them more profitably grow.”
with ESJ’s sister publication Batteries This is new, he says. “Who we are
International in 2008. today is different from who we were
“The only thing that erases self- in the past. We have improved our
doubt is success. Turning around team in the past three years and have
morale is the constant reinforcement hired great people from this industry
of successes, be they small or large.” and others to up our game so that we
The issue is intrinsic in every area can improve all facets of our business.
discussed with Vargo: when he We’ve done it and now we’re going
stresses the importance of continuous for it.”

“We have improved our team in the past three years
and have hired great people from this industry and
others to up our game so that we can improve all
facets of our business. We’ve done it and now we’re
going for it.”

NEW PRODUCTS, NEW APPROACHES

Vargo says the company is setting out a new approach demands, features such as stop-start functionality place
to customers, with products tailored towards specific additional strain on the batteries.”
needs, for example whether a vehicle requires more start- Improving batteries to meet these demands is what
ing power, or more power for its electrical systems. Exide calls ‘reinventing batteries from the inside out’,
“Modern vehicles demand more from their batteries says Vargo, and the new EFB Marathon and Marathon
than ever. In a race to provide more modern conveni- Max products released by the company were specifically
ences and safety features, car makers have dramatically designed for the North American market: Marathon uses
increased the number of electrical components in their enhanced flooded battery technology, which was intro-
vehicles. duced to North America for the first time in November,
“All of these systems create an additional burden for the when the Nautilus marine battery was launched on the
car’s electrical system. To put this in perspective, a mod- continent to meet growing energy need in modern boats.
ern vehicle may contain more than 100 pounds (45kg) “Overall, our new products and new path-to-purchase
of wiring and as many as 90 small computers, whereas strategy will reduce customer confusion, increase cus-
a base model vehicle from the 1970s contains less than tomer satisfaction, and strengthen profits in the battery
10 pounds (4.5kg) of wiring. In addition to these electrical category,” he says.

www.energystoragejournal.com Energy Storage Journal • Summer 2019 • 43