Stryten Energy agreed today to acquire C&D Technologies and Trojan Battery in one of the largest consolidations in the North American lead battery industry in recent years.
Today’s announcement came as a complete shock to the battery industry. “I didn’t have a clue — and I normally know when something is in the air — that this was even going on,” one senior battery machinery supplier told Batteries International.
Financial terms have not been disclosed.
“The transaction is about far more than adding manufacturing capacity. It reflects growing demand for larger, vertically integrated battery suppliers capable of serving sectors ranging from AI data centres and telecommunications to defence, utilities and critical infrastructure,” said one observer.
In an odd way it fits in with a prophetic interview that Rick Godber, then CEO of the family firm gave in July 2013 to Batteries International. Trojan was then being acquired by private equity firm Charlesbank Capital Partners.
He told Mike Halls, then the editor, that the sale reflected a change in the ownership emphasis: “Our ambition is no longer to be about the future of batteries as a product — but ourselves as a solutions provider for the energy needs of the world to come.”
This deal, which should close during the third quarter of 2026 subject to regulatory approvals, also shows how private equity firms continue to reshape the battery industry through successive rounds of acquisition and consolidation. Charlesbank sold Trojan in 2018 to C&D Technologies, itself owned by private equity firm KPS Capital which has now sold this arm on to Atlas Holdings.
The combined business will bring together two complementary companies with relatively little overlap in several key markets.
Stryten has strong positions in transportation batteries, motive power, military applications and energy storage. C&D Technologies is well known for reserve power batteries used in telecommunications, utilities and data centres.
Trojan Battery adds one of the industry’s best recognised brands in deep-cycle batteries for golf cars, floor care equipment, renewable energy and recreational vehicles.
Once completed, Stryten will operate 15 manufacturing and component facilities across the US employing around 3,700 people, together with operations in Mexico and China and commercial offices across Europe and Asia.
The company also plans to expand production of AGM batteries, reflecting increasing demand from start-stop vehicles, telecommunications infrastructure and data centres.
The acquisition strengthens Stryten’s position in markets that have become increasingly strategic. Demand for reserve power batteries has risen sharply as investment in AI data centres accelerates, while telecommunications operators, utilities and defence organisations continue to prioritise proven battery technologies supported by domestic manufacturing.
The transaction reshapes the North American competitive landscape. The enlarged Stryten will emerge as a stronger competitor to established manufacturers such as Clarios, East Penn and EnerSys. It says it will have one of the broadest product portfolios in the industry spanning automotive, industrial, reserve power, military and lithium-based energy storage technologies.
Mike Judd, chief executive officer and president of Stryten Energy, said the acquisition would broaden the company’s manufacturing footprint, strengthen its product portfolio and improve its ability to serve customers across transportation, industrial, reserve power and government markets.
Rick Heller, president and chief executive officer of C&D Trojan, said the combination would create a stronger platform capable of meeting customers’ evolving energy storage requirements.
