ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Exide Technologies has announced several significant developments within the company’s global research, development and engineering (RD&E) organization. 
The company has announced the formation of an Advanced Research and Development Organization and two Global Product Development Centers. The changes are designed to deliver greater collaboration among the operating divisions, more balance between short-term and long-term engineering contributions and greater productivity.
An Advanced Research and Development organization will be established at Exide’s world headquarters in Alpharetta, Ga. This group will be led by Rick Johnson, who currently serves Exide as vice president, engineering for Transportation Americas. Johnson will assume the new role of vice president, Advanced Research and Development for Exide Technologies, focusing on technology development for potential integration into products during the next two to five years. The organization’s work will include development of advanced lead-acid systems and other battery chemistries, including lithium ion, for applications such as hybrid electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.
Two Global Product Development centers, one in Büdingen, Germany, for worldwide Industrial Energy and the other in Alpharetta, Ga, for worldwide Transportation, will focus on global product design and materials and process development. These centers will be oriented around product markets rather than geographical lines.
Friedrich Kramm, newly titled senior director, Global Product Development for Exide Technologies, will lead the Industrial Energy center; John Miller, also senior director, Global Product Development for Exide Technologies, will lead the center for Transportation.
The efforts of these globally-oriented centers will address the development and introduction of technical enhancements into existing product lines during the next two years. These two centers will continue to be responsible for product development implementation in their home geographies. As they expand, the groups will be able to support an increasing number of regions, including the company’s expanding business presence in Asia.
“These teams bring significant technical capability and experience to the table and will serve to heighten Exide’s competitiveness in the global marketplace,” said Dr. Paul Cheeseman, vice president, Global Research and Engineering for Exide Technologies. “The development of these three groups also will include the addition of approximately 60 engineering positions, and we already have begun to identify these appropriate professionals.”
Exide will be looking to recruit technical professionals with experience in advanced materials, systems engineering and electrochemistry.
“We are working to assemble the best teams in the industry to direct our efforts in becoming a worldwide leader in innovative technology solutions for tomorrow,” said Gordon Ulsh, president and chief executive officer of Exide Technologies. “This investment in our Global RD&E organization clearly underscores Exide’s commitment to the development of new products and technology. Our strategy is designed to enable Exide to participate in emerging markets and technologies for hybrid electric vehicles, energy storage, and renewable energy generation.”
For more information about Exide, visit: www.exide.com.
