MILWAUKEE – Johnson Controls has strengthened its commitment to the Central and South American automotive battery market by acquiring 90 percent ownership of Colombian battery supplier MAC.
 
Johnson Controls and MAC launched a joint venture in June 2011 to produce and sell lead-acid batteries in the Central and South American regions. The partnership allowed both companies to better serve its customers as market leaders in a fast-developing emerging market.
 
Working together, the two companies have expanded their footprint, bringing new technology and innovation to the market and increasing their exports from Colombia, mainly to the countries in the Andean region. Johnson Controls sells several key brands of batteries in Latin America, including Heliar, VARTA, LTH and OPTIMA. The company is the market leader for automotive batteries in South America.
 
MAC is the most recognized brand in Colombia for automotive batteries, and has a strong presence in the Central and South American regions and in the Caribbean, selling to the aftermarket and to major automakers.
 
"We are committed to growth in this market," said Jorge Guillen, vice president and general manager, Latin America for Johnson Controls Power Solutions. "We will be able to leverage our Brazilian and Mexican operations which will further allow us to capitalize on this investment and continuously improve the products and services we provide to our customers in this region."
 
In addition to manufacturing batteries, recycling operations in Yumbo, Colombia will continue to serve as a key resource in providing a stable supply chain for operations in the region, the company says.