Exide Technologies Achieves ISO Certification For U.S. Navy Submarine Products

PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 13 -- The Exide Technologies manufacturing facility in Kankakee, Illinois, has received the International Organization for Standardization quality certification ISO 9002 for its submarine battery manufacturing operation. The facility is now fully certified for ISO 9002. Exide Technologies is the global leader in stored electrical-energy solutions.

The ISO 9002 certification is a nationally recognized quality standard acknowledging a superior quality system that includes contract review, purchasing, manufacturing, document control and process control. The Kankakee facility, which produces submarine batteries for the United States Navy and telecom batteries for other customers, is part of the company's Network Power Business Group, based in Lombard, Illinois. In today's nuclear submarines, the primary purpose of the battery system is to supply the power to restart the nuclear reactor; however, in emergencies it is capable of supplying power for propulsion and all vital life support systems.

``The Kankakee facility has been a supplier of submarine energy storage batteries to U.S. Navy since World War II, and the ISO certification substantiates the quality of our products, processes and services,'' said Mitchell S. Bregman, President of the Exide Technologies Network Power Group. Exide Technologies is the primary source of energy storage products to the U.S. Navy because of a long, combined history of supply by the former Exide Corporation and GNB Technologies, which Exide acquired last year.

The certification process requires an outside auditing agency to review and document quality and process systems in accordance to ISO standards. Det Norske Veritas (DNV) led the ISO 9002 scope extension at the Kankakee facility. DNV conducted a comprehensive, two-day, on-site review of the quality system to ensure that the facility complies with customer and ISO 9002 requirements.

``As the world's largest manufacturer of lead-acid batteries, our commitment to delivering the highest quality to our customers is unwavering,'' said Craig H. Muhlhauser, Exide Technologies President and CEO. ``Our steadily increasing number of ISO certifications is a clear indication that we are achieving this goal.''

About Exide Technologies:

Exide Technologies is the world's largest industrial and transportation battery producer and recycler with operations in 89 countries.

Industrial applications include network-power batteries for telecommunications systems, fuel-cell load leveling, electric utilities, railroads, photovoltaic (solar-power related) and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) markets; and motive-power batteries for a broad range of equipment uses, including lift trucks, mining vehicles and commercial vehicles.

Transportation uses include automotive, heavy-duty truck, agricultural, marine and other batteries, as well as new technologies being developed for hybrid vehicles and new 42-volt automotive applications. The company supplies both aftermarket and original-equipment transportation customers.