October 28, 2022: A further rationalization of the battery manufacturing supply chain was announced on October 28 with Michigan-headquartered MAC Engineering using its distribution strength across North and South America to stock and supply parts for European-based Inbatec’s formation machines in the region.
“This is a perfect example of how key players in the lead battery industry are acting to counter disruptions in the supply chain,” said one commentator. “I expect to see further rationalizations such as this in the future.”
Long delays and significantly higher costs for firms shipping international goods have characterized the market since the arrival of the Covid pandemic in 2020.
Orders will be placed and invoiced directly with MAC, which the firms said would go a long way to supporting the sale of Inbatec’s formation machines in those regions — “and give customers confidence of the availability of spare parts locally and in the shortest timescale possible”.
MAC president Doug Bornas said: “This is an opportunity to work with a great company like Inbatec, which has an outstanding reputation in this industry. We are confident this will streamline parts ordering for our US and South American customers, making it easier and quicker for them to get the parts they need for their Inbatec machines.”
Nick Hennen, Inbatec global vice president, said: “The number of installed systems in the US alone is now over 100 and we knew we had to address concerns regarding how we manage spares and service in the Americas.”
Hennen said he and Inbatec president Christian Papmahl had a long-standing admiration of MAC and the quality of its products and people. “This partnership just makes sense for our customers.”