East Penn Manufacturing Company Continues Expansion of World's Largest Battery Manufacturing Complex

---

Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Privately owned, East Penn Manufacturing Company, Incorporated (Lyon Station, Pennsylvania) was formed in 1946 and now is known as the world's largest battery manufacturing site. Located on 460+ acres the company operates in about two million square feet of building space, which includes four battery plants, a lead smelter & refinery, distribution facility, wastewater treatment plant, and corporate headquarters.

East Penn Manufacturing is currently constructing a new 112,000 square foot plastic injection molding plant. The plant will produce battery casings and shells for the company's line of batteries. The company received a $1.25 million loan form the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority to support the project.

The company spends about $12 million per year just for routine maintenance of its sprawling manufacturing complex and employs around 320 full time central maintenance staff, which handles the majority of the work there.

The company has been consistently expanding at the site for the past five years, including a 300,000 square foot addition in 1999/2000, a 144,000 square foot maintenance building in 2001, and a 200,000 square foot addition in 2001, and the current injection molding plant.

Long-term growth plans include expansion of the companies battery recycling and secondary lead smelter. Initial estimates are being gathered for a new secondary lead smelter at a cost of $75 million. The company currently produces about 82,000 metric tons per year of secondary lead and would boost capacity up to 145,000 metric tons with the expansion.