News

Ener1 Names Richard Stanley New President

September 13, 2009 by Jeff Shepard

Advanced lithium-ion battery maker EnerDel, Inc. has named Richard L. Stanley as company President. Stanley has 30 years’ global manufacturing and management experience and is said to have a distinguished record of creating new business lines. The move is one of three new executive appointments.

"Rick is an outstanding team leader who has built his resume through building businesses in both economically challenging times and fast growth cycles," said Charles Gassenheimer, CEO of EnerDel parent company Ener1, Inc.. "He has proven that he can consistently deliver growth and profitability under even the toughest conditions. His extraordinary combination of skills, relationships and experience will drive EnerDel’s major customer-focused manufacturing programs in a lean, low-cost environment as we transition to full-scale commercial production."

As President of Remy, Inc., the largest division of Remy International, Stanley achieved a 58% increase in revenue, from $500 million to nearly $800 million, through a combination of organic growth, new customer development and corporate acquisitions from 1998 to 2006, a period when the industry as a whole was facing stiff pressures. He also led the company’s entry into new and emerging markets, including a range of technologies for hybrid vehicles, and diversified the customer base by winning new business from Audi, Daimler-Chrysler, Fiat, Ford, Hyundai, Kohler, Nissan and Volkswagen.

Stanley spent the past two years as President of the ATC Drivetrain arm of ATC Technology Corp., where customers included Allison, Aston Martin, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Isuzu, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Opel, Peugeot, Saab and Subaru.

"EnerDel is one of a handful of companies playing a fundamental role in transforming the basic technology of automotive transportation," Stanley said. "As carmakers race to meet new fuel economy standards, electric drivetrain suppliers are going to be scaling up their operations dramatically while maintaining the quality and costs that those customers demand. We’re also seeing significant new opportunities emerging on the electric utility grid. I can’t think of a more exciting place to be right now."

EnerDel’s two factories in Indianapolis are described as the first – and so far only – commercial-scale automotive lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities in the United States. The company was recently awarded a $118.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy under the federal stimulus program, and is awaiting approval of additional long-term, low-interest loan funds under the agency’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program. The company has announced active supply relationships with Think Global, Fisker and Volvo, and a research partnership with Nissan.

Ulrik Grape, who as CEO successfully led EnerDel through a expansion including massive capital investment, winning its first customer contracts, and installation of a state-of-the-art mass production line, has now been appointed President of Ener1 Europe. The division is being created to meet growing demand for electric drive and battery technology among the continent’s top automakers as well as other business opportunities involving energy storage applications. There, Grape is expected to draw heavily on his experience launching several new start-ups in his career.