The latest news from BCI 2022 • Naples, Florida, USA • May 1-4, 2022
A Batteries International publication
What’s News East Penn’s CEO Outlines Broad Reach of the Council
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By Mike Halls
Chris Pruitt: Keynote Address
hris Pruitt, CEO of East Penn Manufacturing, gave an upbeat and highly positive start in yesterday’s opening address to kick off BCI’s latest convention. “The past year was a year of recovery — from the pandemic
We are excited by the fact that the federal government has recognized that battery manufacturing is key to America’s success to achieve energy independence.”
and its economic impact,” he said. “Our industry has fared better than most, thanks in large part to our strong domestic manufacturing base, and our strong domestic supply chain — including the key lead suppliers and recyclers.” He said total passenger car battery sales (OE and replacement) were reported by BCI members at nearly 99 million units in 2021, a 43% increase over 2020, with AGM units up more than 28%. Other group sizes are in greater demand. He said BCI has been incredibly busy, working hard Continued on page 3 >
World of Opportunities Awaits Lead Battery Industry, Says Miksad…
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But in Rallying Call to Members, BCI Chief Warns ‘Regulatory Threats Still Out There’
oger Miksad has issued a rallying call for member companies to join the BCI in fending off new US regulatory challenges expected to confront the industry in the months and years ahead. In his regulatory and advocacy
update to the convention, BCI’s executive vice president said yesterday (Monday) there was “a lot going on” in the US that the industry needs to be on its guard about. But he stressed: “We’ve made some significant strides forward.
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“Unlike in the past, where we’ve come to conventions to highlight a long list of threats to our industry, we are now starting to see opportunities — in particular, as the government invests in green
n BCI Head Pruitt Gives Rousing Address on Future Prospects for Lead Battery Industry in Both Near Term and Long Term, page 1-3 n World of Opportunities Awaits Lead Battery Industry, Roger Miksad Outlines the Changing Landscape of Energy Storage, page 1,3,5 n BCI Players Tee Off with a Bang, page 4 n Ukraine Fuelled Energy Crisis Spills over into Lead Price Concerns, New BCI Board Members Ratified, page 6 n The Calm Before The Storm, But not for Long, page 8 n The Great and the Good at BCI, Tales of Alcohol and Enthusiasm from the Opening Reception, pages 10, 11 n Interview: ENTEK’s Clint Beutelschies Discusses the Firm’s Projected Expansion Plans, page 12 n Women in the Global Battery Industry’s O’Brien Commended for ‘Exemplary Commitment and Dedication’ + The News So Far, page 14 n ABC Receives 2022 BCI Innovation Award, the Much Coveted Honor Goes to Bipolar Battery Firm, Advanced Battery Concepts, page 16 n The Last Word: Tales of Darkness, Snappy Dressers on the Greens, Do’ve el Campo da Golf Per Favore? Electrolytes For the Thirsty, The Real Battery Acid Cocktail, The BSJ Guide to Pandemic Greetings, Here Comes the Moaners, The Mystery of Dorian Miksad, pages 18, 19
Continued on page 3 & 5 >
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THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • BCI 2022 • NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA • MAY 1-4, 2022
BCI Head Pruitt Gives Rousing Address < Continued from page 1
to represent the industry. BCI is taking the lead on behalf of the industry to keep up with significant regulatory proposals that have been on the horizon for the past few years and are now having their moment.
Environmental Health and Safety Leadership and Regulatory Advocacy
BCI is the leading voice on leadrelated regulatory efforts at the EPA and OSHA and their state counterparts. “Last year, BCI was in discussion with EPA officials across the alphabet soup of agencies to address air quality, emissions and pollution control standards, chemical reporting, testing, and record keeping, just to name a few of the topics that are important to our industry,” he said. “Three of the most significant regulatory regimes at EPA and OSHA for the lead battery are currently under active review. Any one of these programs could have a significant impact on our industry and BCI is working hard to ensure that any new rules are based on sound science and are updated in a rational way while ensuring our workers and communities are properly protected from harmful exposures” Pruitt later said that the Council was pushing ahead for yet tighter
blood levels for the industry. “We want to reach a maximum universal 20µg/dL of lead in workers by 2025,” he said. “You only have to compare this level with the OSHA recommendation of 50µg/dL to see how powerful a lead we are taking.”
Federal Legislative Lobbying
BCI continues its active engagement on Capitol Hill in a concerted effort to educate federal legislators about lead batteries, he said. “We are excited by the fact that the federal government has recognized that battery manufacturing is key to America’s success to achieve energy independence.
Energy Storage Systems Initiative
BCI’s Energy Storage Systems Initiative (ESSI) has been actively engaging with federal and state regulators and utility companies to promote investment in lead battery research, development and deployment for energy storage. “That effort led to a first of its kind Lead Battery Research Technical Advisory Group meeting jointly hosted by Argonne National Laboratory, the Department of Energy, BCI and attended by 20 industry companies,” he said. Attendees met to help DOE assess the technical innovations on the horizon that have the potential to revolutionize lead batteries.
“We want to reach a maximum universal 20µg/ dL of lead in workers by 2025. You only have to compare this level with the OSHA recommendation of 50µg/dL to see the importance and powerfulness of our leadership in health and safety.” WWW.BATTERIESINTERNATIONAL.COM
BCI Member Services
“Over the past year BCI staff and member leaders have made an investment in expanding and improving the services we offer our membership,” he said. “This year BCI formally launched the Women in the Global Battery Industry. The BCI Board as a whole is committed to supporting the WGBI, its members, and all women across the industry”
Looking Ahead: Advocacy
With the public and government rightfully focused on the role of batteries in the electrification of modern society, BCI’s voice representing the industry will continue to grow, he said. “As BCI gears up for its second century,
the BCI Board is developing a centennial strategic plan to ensure that BCI is meeting the needs of its members to the greatest extent possible.”
Charity for the Ukraine One relatively unknown aspect of how the BCI community works can be found in the way that member bodies have reacted to the unfolding catastrophe in the Ukraine. “It is worth everyone knowing,” said Pruitt, “that BCI members have contributed some $430,000 to a variety of charities supporting the country.”
World of Opportunities Awaits < Continued from page 1
energy infrastructure.” Miksad said there are “clear opportunities for the lead battery industry to engage in new markets”, as well as to engage positively with federal regulators. BCI will, as always, be in the vanguard of action to lead the industry forward, but it’s now time to “build out the great story that this industry has to tell”, Miksad said. “Recycling, sustainability and made-in-America batteries are all part of the positive story our industry has to tell.” But he warned against complacency, saying: “There are still threats out there.” “Covid has caused disruption in all our lives over the past couple of years and the regulators, too, have been distracted in dealing with that. “All their work on proposals
for updates impacting the lead industry were put aside during Covid, but now they’re back and they have two years of work that they are going to catch up on.” Miksad acknowledged things are going to “get busy” quickly in the months ahead, but he said the lead battery industry was more than capable of defending its record and he issued a rallying cry to BCI members. “This is a call to action to all our member companies. Your collaboration is absolutely critical. “When we engage with OSHA and the EPA, having our members in the room and helping us is absolutely critical to our work. “We need your participation, so please do get in touch if you want to join any of the BCI committees. “You’re very welcome and we want you there to support our engagement as we work together to shape our industry moving forward.”
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THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • BCI 2022 • NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA • MAY 1-4, 2022
BCI Players Tee Off With a Bang for ‘Golf of Mexico’ Tournament As the sound of a shotgun blast rang out across the course, the teams took their places on the tees of the 18 holes for the shotgun start. All groups had to start and finish playing all the holes at about the same time. In the popular ‘scramble format’, teams of four players each had to drive from the tee and select the best shot as the position from which to carry on play. Everyone’s performance was un-fore-gettable, in every way.
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THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • BCI 2022 • NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA • MAY 1-4, 2022 < Continued from page 1
Round 1 Leaderboard Low Gross Scramble Foursome v Field
To Par Gross
Total Gross
1
Brian Trymbiski + Ted Trymbiski + Richard Bruno MRH + Doug Lambert MRH
-7
47
2
Justin Bakhsh MRH + Christ Christopher MRH + Greg Granholm MRH + Mark Hulse MRH
-6
45
3
Dan Miksiewicz + Matt Miksiewicz + Ron Miksiewicz + Tim Miksiewicz
-6
48
4
Alistair Davidson + Marcus Ulrich MLH + John Reeves + Fred Wehmeyer
-5
45
5
Jay Frankhouser + Eric Holtan + Joe McKinley + Brian Stanhaus MRH
-5
47
6
Brian Crowe MRH + Michel Crowe MRH + Stephen Harmon + Mary Lou Harmon
-3
47
7
Greg Gorman MRH + Brad Reed MRH + Danny Martinez MRH + Pete Skrobot
-3
46
8
Bill Bessire + Hal Hawk MLH + George Noel MRH + Al O’Neal
-3
49
9
Steve Mate MRH + Ryan Mount MRH + David Wyrick MRH + Will Lincoln MRH
-2
49
10
Justin Gardner + Greg Moffitt MRH + Rodrigo Pavon + Gonzalo Reyes MRH
-2
51
11
Dave Brown MRH + Gary Huffman MRH + Mark McKenna MRH + Paul Ziegler MRH
-2
50
12
Steve W. Bolanowski MRH + Dane Wirtz MRH + Todd Hart MRH + Mike Romeo MRH
-2
51
13
Ben Biwer + Roel Mendoza MRH + Dan Leavitt + Pam O’Brien
-2
49
14
Mike Colella + Kurt Gifford MRH + Jeff Somers MRH + Dawn Svendsen MRH
E
50
15
Doug Bornas MRH + Ken Constant MLH + Kent Lancaster MRH + Dennis Ulrich
+1
51
16
Clint Beutelschies MRH + Troy Greiss MRH + Larry Miksiewicz MRH + Andrew Wimer MRH +2
52
NS Silvano Gelleni MRH + Mike Parker + Lee Puckett + Greg Humphrey MRH
-
NS
NS Jason Wirtz MRH + Brad Hubbell MRH + John Moyer + Craig Planton MRH
-
NS
NS Steve A. Bolanowski MRH + Jeremy Furr + Chris Eckert MRH + Bruce Murray
-
NS
CTP #4
Details
1
Mike Parker
Long Drive #12 1
Justin Gardner
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7’3” Details
Taking the Battle to the Regulators Highlighting regulatory and advocacy work BCI has in hand, Miksad said that BCI has submitted extensive comments in response to the US Environmental Protection Agency’sproposed amendments to regulations governing air emissions from lead battery manufacturing plants. Those comments challenged many of the proposals — and there are two additional long-expected lead rule-makings of considerable concern: the statutorily-mandated five-year re-consideration by the EPA of the current Lead National Ambient Air Quality Standards (Lead NAAQS), and the muchdelayed reconsideration by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of its general industry lead standard. In early March, EPA released for comment draft versions of the first two volumes of what ultimately will make up its Integrated Review Plan for the Lead NAAQS, together with a schedule for completing that review by early 2026. As BCI’s Energy Beacon has reported, the two volumes are largely background material; a third volume, which will more deeply present scientific analyses, is due early next year. The agency also announced that the volumes would be considered by EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee on April 8. These announcements provided
the first opportunity for industry to specifically comment on the need (or, more accurately, lack of need) to reconsider the existing 0.15 µg/m3. BCI, working jointly with the Association of Battery Recyclers and International Lead Association, responded with two filings. Both documented the lead battery and secondary smelter industries’ commitment to environmental stewardship and successful, dramatic reductions in lead emissions. They pointed out, for example, that levels of air in lead have been reduced by more than 98% since 1980; that neither lead battery manufacturing nor secondary smelters are now in the top 10 categories of lead emitters (lead battery manufacturers are the source of only 0.92% of point facility emissions and secondary smelters only 0.8%); and that the US lead battery industry is a critical domestic industry, with an extraordinary recycling record and is the source of significant greenhouse gas emission reductions. The associations’ comments also emphasized that the reasoning behind the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee’s recommendation to retain the current standard in the last Lead NAAQS re-evaluation remains valid today.
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THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • BCI 2022 • NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA • MAY 1-4, 2022
Ukraine Fuelled Energy Crisis Spills Over Into Lead Price Concerns Concerns over the fate of two smelters — the KCM Plovdiv plant in Bulgaria and Ecobat’s Stolberg plant in Germany — look set to spill over into broader worries over the direction of future lead prices in Europe, according to Neil Hawkes, CRU lead analyst speaking to Battery Street Journal ahead of the convention.
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he KCM plant in Bulgaria has been directly affected by Russia turning off gas supplies to the country because of its refusal to pay for its energy supplies in roubles, a situation provoked by the Russian attack on Ukraine on February 24. The KCM plant, which processes around 70,000 tonnes of primary lead and the same quantity of zinc, is still running, but there are questions over whether it might have to close the entire
operations, rather than Glencore’s decision to keep running its lead smelter at the same site of its zinc smelter at Porto Vesme in Italy that has been shuttered since the start of this year. “This would remove another source of lead supply in a European lead market already tight as a drum,” says Hawkes. Separately, there are question marks over the fate of Ecobat’s Stolberg primary lead smelter which has been out of ac-
tion since last summer’s floods in Germany. “There’s a lot of mixed signals going on,” says Hawkes. “Talk of it restarting operations this July is still uncertain, at one level the issue is whether in practice it will have been possible to repair this thoroughly enough to restart. Certainly market rumours suggest that the feedstock that would have been required is not in place. There are also rumours of an imminent sale of the plant
ahead of the July restart.” Hawkes added that “the ongoing uncertainties of European primary lead supplies come at a time when there are other more bearish factors at play. Investors are becoming more concerned over the bearish impact of inflation on demand rather than supply, Covid-related restrictions in China hitting demand more than supply, and a stronger US dollar on a more aggressive US Fed tightening stance.”
New BCI Board Members Ratified
The new incoming board of directors was agreed at a special BCI directors’ meeting on Sunday, and ratified on the first day of the convention. Chris Pruitt has been re-elected president for a second term in office. The new directors are: (pictured below from left to right) • Julie McClure, chairman, MAC Engineering and Equipment
• Jennifer Slater, vice president and general manager, original equipment & products, Clarios • Tim Vargo, president and CEO, Stryten Energy
• Matt Wohl, president and CEO, The Doe Run Company
• Marcus Randolph, executive chairman, CEO & president, Ecobat • Chad Schuchmann, president, Daramic
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THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • BCI 2022 • NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA • MAY 1-4, 2022
The Calm Before the Storm
’ Twas the night before the convention and all through the hotel not a creature was stirring, not even a laptop mouse.
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ell, that’s not entirely true! In and around the first-floor ballroom there was an air of quiet calm as the exhibition team worked to prepare the main auditorium and expo booths for the ‘big day’ — as these Battery Street Journal sneak preview snaps show. The main hive of activity in and around the booths was the registration desk, where the team were on hand to welcome delegates with a smile and hand out the obligatory badges.
And as our exclusive pictures show, the stage was soon set for the greatest show in town. Meanwhile, there was plenty of excited chatter amid the stirring of cocktails in the lobby bar as delegates eagerly anticipated the events that awaited once the big day arrived. Our diligent photographer, ever keen to capture the Zeitgeist of the moment, happily joined in the pre-party, pre-cocktails, pre-room 1501 drinks, we have no later pictures than these early and surprisingly in focus shots.
BCI exhibitor booths all dressed up and ready to go.
A warm BCI welcome from the registration desk team. Left to right: Aga Salata, Erick Arriaga, Cameron Wheeler and Andrew Hamill.
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THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • BCI 2022 • NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA • MAY 1-4, 2022
The Great and the Good at BCI The Annual Battery Council International Convention erupted with a huge burst of enthusiasm as the first wave of delegates descended on the drinks and canapés at the Sunday pre-conference reception. “This looks like another great BCI,” said one international delegate determinedly clinging on to both her drinks and a canapé. “There’s been such a pent-up need in Europe to get to this convention that it’s great to see the whole community back together again.” There was good reason for her enthusiasm (and her juggling), there was an exciting and quite comprehensive program of speakers lined up. For the first time some of the talks will spill over on to the third morning — traditionally held by a less than solemn gathering of the Quarter Century Club celebrating breakfast in true mid-West style (always start at dawn before milking the dairy). In all some around 600 delegates — many seen here — are attending this year’s convention.
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THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • BCI 2022 • NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA • MAY 1-4, 2022
The Papped! And in the VIP lounge … David ‘EnerSys’ Shaffer and Roger ‘Dorian’ Miksad … Terry Murphy et famille, Marianne, Meghan and Colleen … Keynote speaker Gina Radke and the BCI’s own Pam … Bob Galyen trying to look shorter next to less-than-distinguished Brit failing to exercise tummy control.
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THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • BCI 2022 • NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA • MAY 1-4, 2022
Interview: ENTEK’s Clint Beutelschies Clint Beutelschies joined ENTEK in 2017 as VP of global sales responsible for the company’s lead-acid separator business. Today, he is based in Singapore, the hub of the company’s operations in the region, from where he leads a global sales team.
A message from the separator front line: “Despite the difficulties we’ve all experienced around the world over the last couple of years or so — we work in an industry that is as innovative and exciting as ever and going places,” says ENTEK’s Clint Beutelschies. To say the lead battery industry is motoring ahead almost seems to be an understatement as far as just this one company in the business is concerned. “This has been an exceptionally busy year for us” Beutelschies says. He is referring to ENTEK’s major investment announced on April 19, when the company promised to invest in an expansion of its production of AGM battery separators to India and
the US, in response to expanding demand for energy storage solutions for inverters, industrial, and automotive applications. And just days before the battery world all headed to Florida, ENTEK was making headlines again — this time unveiling plans on April 26 to build two “giga-scale” EV battery separator plants in the US for lithium-ion separators. Beutelschies says this will see
ENTEK’s annual lithium battery separator production in the US increase to a total of 1.4 billion square metres by 2027, including output from existing manufacturing sites in Oregon and Nevada. Beutelschies says: “In terms of the lead side of the business, the OEMs are still making ICE vehicles and will be for quite some time to come. There are 1.4 billion cars in the global car parc that will still need a new bat-
“Line five alone will be producing more than the combined 45 million square metres capacity of its existing four lead separator lines in the country”
tery every three to four years, so the runway for lead acid is quite long. “Even the rise in the EVs market is good for lead too, because pretty much all of them still need lead batteries for comfort and convenience features, as well as safety features, so that means big opportunities going forward.” And Beutelschies had an exclusive for the Battery Street Journal to break to BCI too… In the third quarter of 2022, the company will commission its extended lead battery separators line (line five) in Indonesia, which will have an annual production capacity of 45-60 million square metres. “Line five alone will be producing more than the combined 45 million square metres capacity of its existing four lead separator lines in the country,” says Beutelschies. Beutelschies says it has not all been plain sailing, if it ever has been for any businesses. There are still supply chain challenges that the company has to tackle as the economies of the world get back into sync following the impact of pandemic lockdowns. “But we’ve got a great supply chain team and that’s really our secret weapon,” Clint says. “We get what we need when we need it and it’s our supply chain team that makes that happen. More important still is that they also ensure we deliver on our commitments to our customers. “That’s what it’s all about and that’s what all of us in this industry do, day in and day out.”
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THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • BCI 2022 • NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA • MAY 1-4, 2022
O’Brien Commended for ‘Exemplary Commitment and Dedication’ “Astonished. Absolutely surprised.” That was the faltering reply as Pam O’Brien, senior vice president was publicly commended for her work for BCI at a special directors meeting held on Sunday.
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hris Pruitt, president of BCI, praised her for her “exemplary commitment and dedication to supporting the efforts of BCI to establish the Women in the Global Battery Industry, an organization of professionals, founded to promote and develop the growth of women in the battery industry. “Her commitment to this program has exceeded that asked of her and demonstrates her full and complete dedication and passion to the industry as
a whole, and to the industry’s goal of supporting the careers of women in the battery industry and STEM careers.” Julie McClure, a BCI director, paid a huge tribute to Pam in proposing the motion for consideration by the BCI board of directors. She said: “Over the past year, Pam has moved mountains to take the WGBI from a concept presented to the BCI board by a small group of BCI members and staff, to a fully-fledged and functional
networking and professional collaboration group of industry women. “This group holds the potential to bring greater numbers of promising women into the battery industry, and to support the professional growth of women in the industry. Doing so can only serve to strengthen our companies and the battery industry as a whole.” Julie McClure’s motion was unanimously approved by the BCI board of directors.
Pam O’Brien: “She moved mountains to take the WGBI from a concept to a fully-fledged and functional networking and professional collaboration group.”
Women in the Global Battery Industry — the News so Far Julie McClure chair of MAC Engineering and president of the WGBI, revealed on the opening morning of the convention, details of the newly formed group in an introduction ahead of announcing Gina Radke, as a keynote speaker for the morning session. The WGBI was launched in January as a global organization to promote and develop the growth of women professionals in the battery industry. WGBI has grown to include 168 professional members and seven academic members. Of these, 75 participated in the first webinar, featuring a presentation from Nancy Martin, NRM Consulting on career development. This was the first of a quarterly webinar series that will continue through this year.
McClure invited WGBI members to join a closed LinkedIn group dedicated to connecting women in the industry for networking and sharing best practices. The first informal discussion was held on April 8 with 51 participants and featured an article from Kelly Shue of Yale University on promoting women and recognizing their potential. Later this year, WGBI will be launching mentoring programs for both professional members and STEM students in an effort to develop its community of leaders. In an effort to emphasize STEM education programming, WGBI has also sponsored two university students from Florida State University to attend this year’s convention to provide
leaders of the future exposure to the opportunities available in the battery industry. “The success of the launch of WGBI has truly been a testament to the commitment of our female leaders in the industry. We couldn’t have done it without your support,” McClure said. The first WGBI meeting of
the convention was followed by the WGBI reception in the early evening. The meeting was for WGBI-members only and those interested in learning more. C+D Technologies/Trojan Battery Company and Hollingsworth & Vose gave generous support for the reception.
WGBI – Leadership Steering Committee • • • • • • • •
President – Julie McClure, MAC Engineering Vice president/treasurer – Virginia Archibald, Surrette Battery Secretary – Ellen Maxey, Clarios Membership recruitment – Teresa Grocela, Hollingsworth & Vose Member education – Angelika Mayman, Hollingsworth & Vose STEM education – Negin Salami, Clarios Marketing – Tammy Stankey, The Doe Run Staff – Pam O’Brien and Priscilla Gil
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THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • BCI 2022 • NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA • MAY 1-4, 2022
Advanced Battery Concepts Receives 2022 BCI Innovation Award One of the highlights of every recent BCI convention has to be the prestigious — it couldn’t be anything otherwise — award for the best innovation of the previous year. Given the pressing need for yet improved performance against lithium batteries now competing in many of lead’s traditional markets, this section of the convention is always well attended. This year’s award went to Advanced Battery Concepts whose founder and CEO, Ed Shaffer, has been at the cutting edge of bipolar battery design for well over two decades. Bipolar batteries offer advantages in terms of greater energy storage, at some expense of power, and the reduced use of lead in their manufacture. The increase in energy storage over traditional flooded and AGM batteries means they are well adapted to the domestic capture of renewable energy The award recognizes ABC’s Home Emergency Energy Storage System (HEES), which builds on the strength of the company’s GreenSeal bipolar lead acid battery technology. HEES is a scalable system that provides energy security for homeowners and small commercial operations when the grid fails. The system can also be coupled with solar installations. Since the establishment of the award — to honor industry thought leader and former East Penn Manufacturing CEO Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz — BCI has sought to seek out and acknowledge those firms at the cutting edge of technology and creativity. “Michigan-headquartered ABC,
which comprises 50 employees, is a worthy recipient to be inducted into BCI’s innovation ‘hall of fame’, which showcases innovation in equipment, processes, services and products that advance the lead battery industry,” says a BCI announcement. Shaffer describes HEES as a first step in a “multi-year product roadmap rollout” by ABC that responds to the exponential demand for economically viable energy storage solutions, as fossil fuels make way for the new energy market — most notably wind and solar sources. “ABC is proud to have commercialized the very first bi-polar battery incorporated into our HEES system, which we believe represents a significant milestone in the evolution of the lead battery,” said Dave Barrie, chairman of the board after receiving the award. “We continue to lead the way into the stationary, long duration energy storage markets with proprietary, safe, low cost and responsible energy storage systems, leveraging the benefits of bi-polar battery technology developed at our company. “This Innovation Award from our battery industry peers is received with gratitude from each and every member of our ABC team.” BCI’s executive vice president, Roger Miksad, says: “Year after year, we’ve been continually impressed by the magnitude of advancements that come from the lead battery industry. We are
truly poised to deliver sustainable, practical and innovative outcomes for the future of the industry.” In the presentation of this year’s
award, honorable mentions were given to Hollingsworth & Vose and Daramic for their submissions.
Dave Barrie, chairman of the ABC board, receiving the award
The award recognizes ABC’s Home Emergency Energy Storage System, which builds on the strength of the company’s GreenSeal bipolar lead acid battery technology.
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THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • BCI 2022 • NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA • MAY 1-4, 2022
The last word Snappy Dressers on the Greens! As everyone knows the duty of every native born American Batteryman is to play as much golf as is possible between the hours of daylight during a conference. Anything less than a full sun-up to sun-down is not just unmanly but a betrayal of the Constitution, the Flag and the Duty of every citizen to bear arms in homes, offices, supermarkets across the nation. But here is a true story at a BCI meeting in Savannah from our golfing correspondent and wild life photographer. “All the delegates scurried away from the last but one hole on the course,” he said. “They cheated. They were too worried that the alligator (actual photo) would get in the way of their putting that they fled.” “Mind you, I’d run too if it were going to add a penalty stroke for a drop?
Electrolytes for the Thirsty! Every BCI attendee knows that a late afternoon snifter is de rigueur after a long day on the golf course, or the conference hall. One specially concocted cocktail known as The Dynamic Charger — you never need even mention the word ‘Acceptance’ here — is circulating among high society here in Naples. It’s a straightforward recipe: • • • •
Add half bottle dark rum Mix with half bottle light rum Add full bottle of vodka Add ice and chili flakes. Shake thoroughly and pour into chilled pint glasses. • Serves three.
The Real Battery Acid Cocktail 1 oz Green Chartreuse, 1 oz Jose Cuervo Especial gold tequila, 1 oz Bacardi 151 rum, 5 drops Tabasco sauce
Dov’è il campo da golf, per favore? The mounds of golf bags cluttering up airports across the US can now be explained. Various geographically challenged batterymen — yes they are men as they never ask for directions — have sent their clubs to 10 other cities called Naples across the nation — California, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, New York, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Utah. One poor misguided soul was seen wandering the tiny airport at Naples, Florida complete with an Italian phrase book asking the bewildered locals … “dov’è il campo da golf, per favore?”
Combine equal ingredients in a shot glass, leaving a little room for a few drops of tabasco sauce. Stir, then down in one. (And probably up in two.)
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THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • BCI 2022 • NAPLES, FLORIDA, USA • MAY 1-4, 2022 THE BATTERY STREET JOURNAL • 15 ELBC, Malta • September 13-16, 2016
The Battery Street Journal Guide to Pandemic Greetings We all know the Twist, the Mashed Potato, the Boogaloo and the Bump. But does the Elbow Bumps in the foyer of the Naples conference hotel really look the right thing to do? We were surprised by the number of people that did and didn’t do this. What people don’t tell you is that we’re told to sneeze and cough into our elbows so (humming sound) “let’s smear like we did, last summer ...”
The Elbow Bump:
Only used by politicians in front of cameras
The Fist Bump:
Beloved by macho batterymen. No covid germs could survive on my manly fists
The Foot Tap:
Difficult to do late at night after heavy electrolyte consumption
Hand Waving:
Increasingly popular but make sure it’s a clear hello not a goodbye
The Handshake:
I’ve been double jabbed, had Covid and don’t care who I infect
The Air Kiss:
I like everyone to know I’ve holidayed in Europe
The Hug:
I’m warm and cuddly but brave too
The Surly Nod:
Business as usual
Here Come the Moaners What is it about battery conferences that bring out the moaners? We’ve heard whines from attendees at three different conferences — “the palm trees are too high, they don’t give enough shade and I burn easily” … “the sky bar is too high up, it makes me dizzy” … ” Most mortals would give their eye teeth to stay at a hotel like the Naples Grande but what did we hear as we dozed in the foyer? “Why is the floor so shiny, it looks a bit slippery to me”? “What’s that huge capital ‘O’ doing in the middle of the lobby? Is that meant to be art?” And to cap it all? “Why can’t we have the opening reception in the car park like we used to?”
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The Outing of Dorian Gray Miksad Mysteries abound at the heart of BCI. And the deepest of them is that of the eternal youth of socalled Roger ‘High School’ Miksad. As battery cognoscenti well know, one of the classics of English literature is a strange tale called The Picture of Dorian Gray — a story where the hero remains locked in the appearance of youth but is elsewhere ravaged by time. The BCI team — deeply loyal to their youthful leader — said they could stand his apparent youth no longer. “Two days ago Roger had his 42nd birthday and now we’re outing him!” said a loyal coworker “He’s enormously experienced, accomplished and a great guy, we want the world to know he’s a man not a fledgeling!”
After
Before
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