The Upper Austrians are thus able to enter the North American market and compensate for declines in Europe.
The battery manufacturer Banner, based in Leonding (Linz-Land district), has received an order worth EUR 60 million in the USA. The Upper Austrian company is to produce 1.5 million lead-acid batteries for a customer in the automotive industry, which will be retrofitted in European vehicles. The company reported in a press release on Wednesday that this will offset the corona-related decline in sales in Europe for banners.
Lots of potential
The order means market entry in North America and “makes a significant contribution to securing jobs in Austria,” said the commercial director Andreas Bawart. “Starting in 2021, we will be delivering lead-acid batteries in the six-figure range to the USA every year,” said Sales and Marketing Manager Franz Märzinger.
With a market share of European vehicles of around 15 percent, the potential across the Atlantic is very great.
With its recycling cycle, in which 99.9 percent of used batteries are reused, Banner is now also setting international standards for environmental protection and sustainability. Slight growth is expected for 2020 despite the difficult conditions.
High export quota
The family company has been producing batteries for all types of vehicles since 1937 and employs around 805 people across Europe. Over 4 million starter batteries are produced and sold annually. In the 2018/2019 financial year, sales amounted to 307 million euros and the export quota was 95 percent.
