Sound money recharges BAE fortunes

A great battery company was almost wiped out by bad financial management. But a shrewd piece of investment will preserve German jobs and rehabilitate the reputation of VRLA, writes Gerry Woolf.

What do you need for a successful lead-acid battery business in 2006? Good designs, almost certainly (though you'll need a sales force capable of convincing customers why such good designs are needed). A loyal and dedicated work force, willing to be switched around between jobs as demand requires. And a switched-on management which understands the importance of cash-flow control, as there's . . .