US battery firm Navitas is expanding production of its Starlifter line of lithium-ion forklift batteries from a new manufacturing facility in Michigan.
Navitas has secured a 100,000 sq ft building to boost production by an additional 5,000 systems annually, in line with the company’s reported “almost 200% year-over-year growth in revenues”.
The new facility is near Navitas’ existing 48,000 sq ft R&D and manufacturing facility in Ann Arbor.
“We see the forklift market taking a significant turn toward lithium, particularly in two and three shift applications” said Mil Ovan, chief marketing officer. “The new Starlifter manufacturing centre will enable the company to rapidly scale its production to meet expected high demand of our North American customers.”
The move will also allow Navitas to expand a recently installed automated lithium custom cell production line at the current Ann Arbor facility, “to handle the increased demand coming from government agencies like the US Navy and US Army”.
Chief operating officer Kevin Hykin said the company was witnessing strong growth in both of its main businesses— the commercial Starlifter product line, as well as its government and defence department lithium cell business. “Securing this new 100,000 square feet enables us to provide site-specific focus and a growth path for each of these lines of businesses.”
Navitas announced in 2018 it had signed an aftermarket sales agreement with Hyster-Yale Group to sell its Starlifter batteries through authorised Hyster and Yale dealers on the back of the growing impact of lithium-ion power in the traditional lead acid traction market.
