Exide

Exide Technologies

Company type	Public
Industry	Battery manufacturing
Founded	1888 (1888)
Founder	William Warren Gibbs
Headquarters	Milton, Georgia , United States
Area served	Worldwide (approximately 80 countries)
Key people	Timothy D. Vargo (President and CEO), Victor M. Koelsch (former CEO)
Products	Lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries, battery accessories, chargers, energy storage systems

Exide began as a battery brand developed by The Electric Storage Battery Company and later evolved into Exide Holdings, Inc., operating under the name Exide Technologies. It became a prominent American manufacturer specializing in lead-acid batteries for automotive and industrial applications, with its main office situated in Milton, Georgia, United States.

Exide Holdings maintained production facilities throughout the United States, the Pacific Rim, Europe, and Australia. Additionally, it operated recycling centers located in Canon Hollow near Forest City, Missouri and Muncie, Indiana. However, several recycling plants—including those in Frisco, Texas, Vernon, California, Reading, Pennsylvania, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana—were shut down between 2012 and 2013.

19th century

The Electric Storage Battery Company was founded in 1888 by businessman William Warren Gibbs, who secured critical patents from inventor Clement Payen to commercialize storage battery technology. Gibbs aimed to expand the use of batteries within electric lighting enterprises.

By 1893, the company was manufacturing lead chloride accumulators designed to stabilize electrical grids. By 1902, more than 220 such accumulator systems were installed to support electric streetcar networks.

In 1894, the company consolidated patent rights from key competitors—including General Electric and Edison firms—thereby obtaining exclusive manufacturing privileges for electric storage batteries within the United States. This strategic move provided a substantial competitive edge in the nascent battery market.

In 1898, an Exide battery powered the USS Holland (SS-1), recognized as the first commissioned submarine of the U.S. Navy. Under Isaac Rice’s presidency starting in 1899, Electric Storage played an instrumental role in founding the Electric Boat Company, strengthening its position as a naval battery supplier through World War II.

20th century

In 1900, the Electric Storage Battery Company introduced a lighter yet higher-capacity battery tailored for electric taxicabs under the brand name Exide, which stands for "Excellent Oxide". By 1902, the company established Willard Storage Battery Co. through acquisition of battery assets from a Cleveland jewelry firm. Although by 1950 Willard's automotive batteries surpassed Exide's sales, Electric Storage Battery Co. remained larger overall due to its broader product range.

In 1911, Charles F. Kettering partnered with Electric Storage Battery Company to create the first modern automotive battery designed specifically to complement his electric starter invention. This breakthrough fueled growing demand for storage batteries and starter systems in the aftermarket.

During World War I, Exide batteries powered aircraft radios and communication stations. In 1920, the firm acquired a 40-acre site in Crescentville, Philadelphia to construct a $2 million plant dedicated to manufacturing automotive starting and lighting equipment.

The Exide Ironclad trademark was filed in 1934 and officially registered in 1935. In 1938, the company expanded its portfolio by acquiring Giant Storage Battery Company, adding battery chargers and testers to its offerings.

Throughout World War II, Electric Storage Battery Company served as a principal supplier of batteries for U.S. Navy submarines and the Mark 18 torpedo.

The company entered the dry-cell battery sector in 1957 by purchasing Ray-O-Vac Company, which was then ranked as the second-largest dry-cell manufacturer in the United States.

NASA employed solar-recharged nickel-zinc batteries supplied by Exide on all Apollo space missions.

In 1967, Electric Storage Battery Company merged into ESB Incorporated. Subsequently, ESB acquired Edison Storage Battery Company in 1972—the producer of a nickel-iron battery invented in 1901—though production ended in 1975.

Between 1974 and 1978, ESB Inc. transformed into Inco Electroenergy Corporation following what is considered the first hostile takeover in U.S. history. Inco divested its Exide division in 1983 to First Chicago Investment Corporation along with principals from Spectrum Group.

Operating as Exide Technologies, Exide Corp. acquired General Battery Corporation in 1987 and moved its headquarters to Reading, Pennsylvania.

Exide completed its initial public offering (IPO) in October 1993.

In October 1998, Arthur M. Hawkins stepped down as chairman and CEO amid concerns over company earnings.

21st century

In 2000, Exide enhanced its market footprint by acquiring GNB Technologies, a supplier of automotive batteries in North America.

Burdened with $2.5 billion in debt due to acquisitions, Exide filed for bankruptcy protection in 2002. By April 2004, the company had successfully reduced its debt by $1.3 billion and emerged from bankruptcy.

Exide shut down its battery-recycling plant in Vernon, California, in April 2013. Two months later, in June 2013, the company again sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to restructure and decrease its debt load. By April 2015, Exide exited bankruptcy after achieving a $600 million reduction in debt.

On May 20, 2015, Victor M. (Vic) Koelsch, formerly Executive Vice President at Michelin North America, was named CEO, marking a shift in leadership strategy. In May 2017, Exide raised $200 million in funding aimed at supporting expansion and increasing production capacity. Later that year, the company launched a $35 million manufacturing facility for grid batteries located in Kansas City, Missouri.

Exide expanded its motive power product line with the acquisition of Aker Wade Power Technologies in May 2018.

Timothy D. Vargo, who previously served as AutoZone CEO and board member, took over as president and CEO on November 14, 2018, also assuming the role of board chairman. Throughout 2019, Exide strengthened its executive team by appointing new leaders in roles including CIO, CLO, COO, CFO, and President EMEA.

In April 2019, Battery Systems, Inc. acquired Exide’s branch network business to exclusively distribute aftermarket transportation batteries.

By June 2019, Exide completed refinancing and recapitalization efforts that enhanced liquidity, extended debt maturities, and lowered overall leverage.

On May 19, 2020, Exide and its subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to enable the sale of their North American assets. In July 2020, Atlas Holdings purchased these assets for $179 million and created independent companies Stryten Manufacturing and Element Resources to continue operations.

In October 2020, a federal bankruptcy court approved Exide’s sale of liabilities connected to various waste sites including the Vernon recycling facility.

Continuing its advancement in energy storage technology, Exide introduced the Solition Mega Three containerized system at ees Europe 2024 in July 2024.

Locations

Exide Technologies is headquartered globally in Gennevilliers, France, with major operations formerly situated in Milton, Georgia. The company maintains an extensive presence across roughly 80 countries worldwide.

The firm operates three research and development centers: one located in the U.S. at Milton, Georgia; and two others based in Europe at Büdingen, Germany and Azuqueca, Spain. Its production network includes seven manufacturing plants and three recycling facilities throughout the U.S., along with ten factories and three recycling sites across Europe.

Strategically placed sales offices serve key markets such as Mexico City, São Paulo, Dubai, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Sydney, supporting Exide’s international business operations.

Products

Exide manufactures batteries and related accessories tailored for the transportation industry, providing both original-equipment and aftermarket solutions for automobiles, trucks, SUVs, heavy-duty vehicles, lawn and garden machinery, marine and RV applications, golf carts, and powersports vehicles. Their product range incorporates technologies such as absorbed glass mat (AGM), flooded, enhanced flooded batteries, and gel (VRLA). In the European market, Exide also offers lithium-ion battery options specifically designed for motorcycles.

In industrial sectors, Exide supplies lead–acid and lithium-ion batteries for motive power uses including forklifts, railroads, mining operations, and submarines. The company also delivers chargers and rapid charging systems for material handling equipment alongside software tools for modeling and real-time system monitoring. Furthermore, Exide provides energy storage solutions targeting industrial network power needs such as telecommunications infrastructure, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, utility services, solar power applications, and other essential backup power requirements.

Criticism and concerns

As one of the largest global manufacturers and recyclers of lead-acid batteries, Exide has faced persistent criticism concerning environmental impact and legal matters. Worker grievances dating back to 1937 revealed insufficient safety measures for employees. Since 2010, seven Exide facilities have been associated with hazardous airborne lead contamination affecting nearby communities.

The company’s environmental conduct has repeatedly attracted attention due to pollution in various U.S. neighborhoods, prompting public protests and widespread media scrutiny. In 2001, Exide admitted guilt in a fraud conspiracy involving the sale of used batteries disguised as new through Sears stores, resulting in a $27.5 million penalty. Two former senior executives received prison terms linked to this fraudulent activity.

In 2008, emissions from Exide’s battery smelting plant in Bristol, Tennessee were found to exceed legal limits by double. By 2013, federal authorities launched investigations into its Vernon, California recycling facility following years of complaints about toxic emissions from local residents.

California responded with an extensive cleanup initiative in 2017 that involved removing lead-contaminated soil from approximately 2,500 homes near the now-closed Vernon plant. This cleanup is regarded as the largest environmental remediation effort in California’s history, covering seven neighborhoods within Los Angeles County and aiming to safeguard nearly 100,000 people. The state allocated $192 million for this project, with Governor Jerry Brown approving $176.6 million in 2016.

Sustainability and recycling

Exide stands as a global leader in secondary battery recycling and is among the few companies providing Total Battery Management through a "closed loop recycling" system. This approach eliminates the burden on customers to handle spent batteries onsite. At its recycling facilities, Exide recovers up to 99% of lead content and annually processes millions of pounds of lead while safely neutralizing substantial quantities of sulfuric acid.

In 2017 alone, Exide recycled 35 million pounds of plastic within the United States and produced 13 million new batteries from recycled materials. The recycling of lead batteries serves as a prime example of circular economy principles and has been acknowledged by the World Economic Forum. Industry-wide efforts ensure that more than 1.7 million tons of lead batteries are diverted from U.S. landfills each year through this closed-loop process.

Exide actively participates in the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium (ALABC) and the Lead Battery Research Working Group to collaborate on pre-competitive studies aimed at improving lead battery durability and efficiency. Additionally, the company is involved with EUROBAT, representing European manufacturers of automotive and industrial batteries.

Timothy D. Vargo—Exide’s president, CEO, and chairman—holds a position on the board of Battery Council International (BCI), a trade organization dedicated to advancing the global battery industry. These affiliations underscore Exide’s leadership role and dedication to sustainable practices within the battery manufacturing sector.

External links

• Report on the Supply of Electrical Equipment for Mechanically Propelled Land Vehicles, UK Board of Trade, Monopolies Commission, 1963. Chapter 4 details the historical context involving Exide and its market rivals.
• Official website for the 2020 bankruptcy proceedings