In line with its plan to continue the strategic growth of its business Manbat, the UK's largest battery distributor, has set its sights on Europe as its makes its debut appearance at Automechanika, Frankfurt this September, promoting its three key battery brands of Numax, Lucas and VARTA to the European aftermarket.
According to Johnson Controls, an estimated 70 per cent of all new vehicles manufactured by 2015 will feature Start-Stop technology. Yet Joacim Adlerborn, the company’s training and technical services manager, opines that the majority of independent workshops still feel ill-equipped to service these vehicles.
Varta’s start-stop batteries have scooped two industry awards, reinforcing the brand’s prominence in both the OE and European aftermarket. Heading the accolades is a bronze Edison Best New Product Award in the Energy and Sustainability category. The annual Edison Awards are one of the most renowned business prizes, with the jury honouring the most progressive, creative and successful products and services from industry and commerce.
Mainstream media tends to pass over Start-Stop technology and instead focuses on plug-in electric or concept cars, yet despite this dearth of attention vehicle manufacturers continue to quietly go about their business and introduce ever more micro hybrids – Start-Stop vehicles – into their model ranges. This technology is admittedly only one of a number of powertrain alternatives under development, yet micro hybrids have gained considerable favour due to the ability of Start-Stop technology to cost effectively achieve EU emission targets while still providing motorists with vehicle range and usability.
Johnson Controls believes it is now providing stockists with a competitive edge over rivals by making available all the materials needed to market their battery business to UK workshops, fleets and commercial operators, and motorcycle and marine specialists online.
After 13 years at its current headquarters in Shrewsbury, Manbat has moved to a substantially larger site. The shift to a new headquarters has seen the UK’s largest battery distributor move a full 500 yards along Lancaster Road; Manbat says the new side provides sufficient room for its ongoing expansion plans.
Johnson Controls, Inc. has announced it is investing $118 million in building a third automotive battery plant in China, this time located in Chongqing. The company's existing plants are located in Shanghai and Changxing.
"Our recent investments in China are an indication of the importance of this market for Johnson Controls," said Alex Molinaroli, president of Johnson Controls Power Solutions. "In three years we will be growing from a single plant to three plants that will produce more than 18 million automotive batteries annually. These plants support our plan to install capacity for 30 million batteries annually in China by 2015."
For more than 30 years Manbat has been the primary distributor of Varta batteries to the UK aftermarket. The Varta brand has developed a strong reputation and is the preferred OEM supplier for numerous European vehicle manufacturers. Alongside Varta, Manbat is also the sole supplier of the Lucas and Numax brands.
Cutting-edge research expeditions may not be the first thing to spring to mind when UK battery distributor Manbat’s name is mentioned. However, a group of medical researchers have employed Lucas LG75 batteries supplied by the company to keep vital blood samples at the correct temperature while staying at a hut in the Alps. The Xtreme Alps project is designed to test the effectiveness of a dietary supplement taken to improve the body’s tolerance for lack of oxygen.
Manbat has confirmed that Jon Bailey has joined the company as sales director. Bailey has been in the battery business all of his working life, leaving school in 1980 to work in a small auto electrical battery distribution business in south Manchester. In the late 80’s he joined the then importer of Banner batteries, managing their Northern Branch operations, before moving to VB Automotive in 1998. Working with both the Bosch and Varta brands, Bailey was instrumental in developing sales and latterly battery recycling projects and strategies.
Manbat is exhibiting at Brityrex 2010 in Manchester this October with the express intention of making the tyre trade aware of the excellent profit opportunities that battery sales offer the tyre industry. Manbat’s marketing manager, Myles Pemberton explained: “Many sectors of the aftermarket do extremely well out of selling batteries, but the tyre trade lags far behind. However, if shouldn’t be this way because of the sheer number of vehicles, each of which is a genuine sales opportunity, that pass through the average fast-fit on a daily basis.”
According to Pemberton, the purpose of exhibiting at Brityrex is to speak with tyre professionals and explain how they can start selling batteries if they don’t offer them at the moment, or “how simple it is to increase sales and therefore revenue,” if they currently only sell a few.
Manbat, the UK's largest battery distributor, has reported significant sales growth from its top six buying group and national account contracts. Increasing sales of OE brand VARTA, along with its own brand Numax, and the expansion of the leisure sector account for majority of the gains, however without training, the picture would be far less rosy.
The UK battery market is seeing branded products in growth at the expense of private labels, though the latter still hold over two-thirds of the total market, according to Paul Matarewicz, the managing director of Johnson Controls Batteries and VARTA. Meanwhile, Manbat’s MD, Steve Sheppard believes that the rising brand awareness in the UK is a result of the general economic slump, to which consumers are responding with a desire for greater reliability and longer lifespan.
Manbat, the UK’s largest battery distributor is reporting that the aftermarket response to its control of the Lucas battery brand has been “fantastic.” Manbat was awarded the distribution contract following a tender invitation in the New Year and it became the only source of supply for the Lucas brand on 1 March. The agreement includes all Lucas automotive and commercial vehicle batteries for the UK and Eire.
Manbat, the UK’s leading battery distributor, and Johnson Controls Batteries Ltd (JCI) have announced a revised distribution agreement which takes effect immediately. Both companies have grown their businesses impressively in the last two decades and this formalised distribution agreement follows three years of particularly close cooperation. The contract, which was signed on 15 January 2009, is for an initial three-year term, but with the intention of maintaining the agreement on a rolling basis, reviewed annually.
From the early 2000s, JCI began the process of reducing the number of own label supply contracts it had inherited through its battery manufacturer acquisitions, to concentrate on its own brands and the supply of Original Equipment (OE) batteries for the automotive and commercial vehicle sectors. Manbat was the obvious partner through which to grow the aftermarket supply business for those two sectors for the Varta brand.
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