A123 Systems (Nasdaq:AONE),
a developer and manufacturer of advanced Nanophosphate(TM) lithium ion batteries
and systems, today announced the creation of two focused business groups --
one dedicated to the transportation market and the other to cell design and
development -- to best serve customers across all of A123's vertical markets.
The newly formed business organizations are the Automotive Solutions Group,
led by Jason Forcier, and the Cell Products Group, led by Chris Tecca. These
groups will operate alongside the existing Energy Solutions Group, led by Robert
Johnson, which serves electric grid and consumer markets among others.
"The creation of these specific business organizations was a natural progression
for the company as we continue to align our business offerings to best serve
our customers, as well as put in place the infrastructure that we believe will
help A123 Systems capitalize on our market opportunity and scale to much larger
levels," said David Vieau, A123 Systems' president and chief executive
officer. "We've added deep vertical expertise to our team as we take on
new projects for customers who are eager to solve existing industry challenges
by applying our battery cells and systems in innovative ways."
The Automotive Solutions Group, led by vice president Jason Forcier, works
with major global automotive and heavy duty transportation manufacturers and
tier-one suppliers to provide batteries and battery systems. This business group
is comprised of dedicated engineering and product development experts and sales
and marketing professionals with extensive automotive experience and locations
in Michigan, Massachusetts, Germany and Asia. This business group will continue
to work with automotive OEMs to offer customers a variety of choices in hybrid,
plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle technology. A123's automotive portfolio
includes relationships with major global automotive companies such as BMW, Chrysler,
Renault/Better Place and Delphi/Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation for
passenger vehicle models; and Daimler, Magna Steyr and BAE Systems for heavy-duty
transportation vehicles.
Forcier's prior experience as North American president of automotive electronics
for Robert Bosch LLC will help A123 to grow its transportation business and
encourage continued adoption of A123 technology in battery-powered automotive
and heavy-duty vehicles, thus reducing our country's dependence on foreign oil
and increasing our energy security.
The Cell Products Group, led by vice president Chris Tecca, will be responsible
for the customer focused development and improvement of the battery cell products
that form the basis for all of the company's offerings. This dedicated business
group will improve upon A123's existing Nanophosphate technology and drive innovation
through continual responsiveness to customer requirements. It will also explore
new applications for A123's batteries that can benefit from A123's superior
combination of battery power, safety and life.
Tecca's previous experience as managing director of GeesinkNorba, a subsidiary
of the Oshkosh Corporation Company, as well as president at Danaher Power Solutions
will play a key role in maintaining A123's high level of innovation, ensuring
that new, innovative technology remain at the forefront of A123's product portfolios.
The Automotive Solutions Group and the Cell Products Group will operate alongside
the existing Energy Solutions Group. Led by industry veteran Robert Johnson,
the Energy Solutions Group designs and develops battery systems for the electric
grid and consumer product markets among others. For the electric grid services
market, A123 develops solutions that improve and enhance the efficiency of the
electric grid in order to address the growing demand for alternative energy
generation, in an effort to reduce CO2 emissions and meet renewable portfolio
standards. As previously discussed, A123 has increased the level of resources
dedicated to the electric grid market based on the anticipated size of the market
opportunity and growing level of interest in the company's technology and battery
systems. For the consumer market, A123 provides batteries with high power, long
cycle life and high abuse tolerance to enable new applications.
Prior to this role, Johnson was senior vice president, president North America
at APC-MGE, a $3 billion in revenue global provider of critical power and cooling
services.
A123 Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:AONE) develops and manufactures advanced lithium
ion batteries and battery systems for the transportation, electric grid services
and consumer markets. Headquartered in Massachusetts and founded in 2001, A123
was funded initially with a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
A123 Systems' proprietary nanoscale electrode technology is built on initial
developments from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Among the companies
selecting A123 batteries, battery systems and technology in the fields of transportation,
grid energy storage and consumer products are Chrysler, Delphi/Shanghai Automotive
Industry Corporation, AES Energy Storage, LLC and The Black & Decker Corporation.
For additional information please visit www.a123systems.com.