Big changes start with concrete actions, and the more you change, the bigger these actions become. How many steps has Flash Battery taken since, as a small Italian start-up launched in 2012, it has turned into a lithium battery company with an international reach? The answer is a lot, both little steps and bold steps, which have enabled ideas to become a reality through actions, translating these into solid investments.
Today, our steps have led us to a very valuable investment: the opening of our first operational site in the United States, in Houston, Texas. It has been set up with the aim of supporting our active clients in NAFTA – the North American Free Trade Agreement, which includes Canada, the USA and Mexico, to provide them with our best after-sales service right where they need it most: in the market where they operate.
From start-up to international company: the Flash Battery evolution thanks to proprietary technology and remote monitoring
Speaking of steps taken, to put our investment in the North American market into context, we need to take a step backwards, to when it all started, over twelve years ago, in a garage in the Italian province of Reggio Emilia. Here, two friends who were passionate about electronics, Marco Righi and Alan Pastorelli, driven by their desire to bring sustainable innovation to the industrial machinery and vehicle market, founded Kaitek Srl, which is now Flash Battery Srl.
The leap from start-up to business: On the right, the historic headquarters of Flash Battery (Kaitek up until 2020) in Calerno (RE), Italy. On the left, the new industrial HQ of Flash Battery in Sant’Ilario d’Enza (RE), Italy.
The smart BMS that enabled Flash Battery lithium batteries to land on the market
At the time, the industrial sector was almost unaware of the concept of electrification and the introduction of high-performance lithium batteries, with a revolutionary and complete BMS system, such as the Flash Balancing System, enabled Flash Battery to quickly reach the market.
Orders quickly began to grow exponentially, as did the new customers, first and foremost, the automated logistics giant E80 Group, which decided to implement Flash Battery lithium batteries in various plants around the world. An important challenge then arose: how to monitor the use of these batteries all over the world and manage any maintenance work while dealing with the regular administration and business development in Italy at the same time? Added to this problem was the fact that Flash Battery was made up of just three people at that time.
The remote monitoring that eliminated the need for battery maintenance, paving the way for international development
Hence the new winning idea: the creation of a remote monitoring system that would allow the daily tracking of the use of each lithium-ion battery installed and that would send real-time alerts in the event of malfunctions or abuse by the user. This would prevent faults, therefore avoiding downtime and unnecessary travel. This is how the foundations were laid for the creation of the Flash Data Center, the remote monitoring system for Flash Battery lithium batteries. Implemented with artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, it now allows 24/7 automatic monitoring of operating data from all active battery systems globally, eliminating the need for maintenance thanks to self-diagnosis and predictive analysis.
The Flash Data Center, together with tailor-made orientation, proprietary electronics, entrepreneurial vision and a focus on the industrial market, has enabled us to grow into a large-scale company. Over the last twelve years, we have positioned ourselves as one of the leading European lithium battery manufacturers for the industrial world, active in 54 countries globally.
The launch of Flash Battery Inc: the Flash Battery subsidiary set up to enhance after-sales service in the USA
Today, Flash Battery is made up of a team of over 120 collaborators and has built a network of strong commercial partnerships both in Europe and around the world. It works alongside the largest industrial OEMs who have chosen to invest in the electrification of their fleets, but we’re still aiming higher: our goal is to foster relationships with our customers to make them increasingly thriving.
How do we want to do this?
By supporting them in the territory in which they operate every day, overcoming the constraints caused by time zones.
In March 2023, the desire was born to open a subsidiary in the United States, in Houston, Texas, under the direct control and coordination of the headquarters in Sant’Ilario d’Enza (RE) Italy. This would allow us to get closer to our customers active in the rapidly-expanding American, Mexican and Canadian markets.
Today, our Flash Battery Inc subsidiary is officially a reality, and it relies on the work of a team of specialized technicians, led by the President Marco Righi, CEO of Flash Battery Srl, together with Chief Operating Officer Filippo Di Gregorio and Andrea Pongolini, Vice President of Sales at E80Group in the United States, which are both members of the Board of Directors.
“The decision to locate our headquarters in Houston is a strategic part of our development plans and, most importantly, our post-sales assistance. Our aim is to closely support our customers on the NAFTA market, which represent 35% of the revenue for Flash Battery when we consider direct and indirect sales. Although our lithium batteries do not require routine maintenance, being ready to support our clients on-site if this is needed is a key value for us, allowing us to strengthen relationships, establish mutual trust and enhance our after-sales support.”
Flash Battery Inc. extends over a surface area of 300 m2 with offices and a warehouse dedicated to storing materials and spare parts, which will be used to provide rapid on-site assistance in the event of emergency maintenance.
The US technical team will also be responsible for carrying out remote assistance operations, through the battery monitoring portal, the Flash Data Center, to monitor the health status of the systems active in the country and intervene promptly in the event of predictive alerts, nipping any possible anomalies in the bud.
In the photo, the CEO of Flash Battery, Marco Righi, together with CTO Alan Pastorelli and COO Filippo Di Gregorio, with the USA technical team on a visit to the Italian HQ.
The opening of the operational site in Texas will also allow us to support on-site the world leader in automated logistics, E80 Group, which has been not just a customer but a real partner in our development since 2015. With four operational offices in the American continent, in the United States, Mexico, Chile and Brazil, E80 Group has obtained extraordinary sales results in these markets for several years now, thanks to its automated intralogistics solutions.
The research, development and production of the Flash Battery lithium battery packs, however, takes place at the central headquarters in Sant’Ilario d’Enza, the real nerve center of our proprietary lithium technology.
This is where every electrification project takes shape and where we develop all the skills needed to produce most of the strategic components. Thanks to a validated industrial process and a consultancy approach that allows us to put into practice the detailed needs of our customers, we are able to provide the most suitable electrification solution for every type of industrial vehicle, operating in any part of the world.
Flash Battery aims to continue building the solid and loyal relationships that drive international development
It’s only fitting to end this article by going back to the theme of steps taken and new roads to explore. The Flash Battery Inc US subsidiary is our first step towards the internationalization of our consulting know-how. It is an operational site designed to pave the way for ever greater growth, particularly in industrial sectors such as construction machinery, automated logistics and airport handling, which see the United States as the hub of innovation for the next decade.
The widespread presence of Flash Battery on North American soil will therefore enable us to support OEMs and manufacturers in an even more direct way, providing personalized support at each stage of their experience, from the preliminary analysis and production of lithium battery packs made in Italy, to a fast and efficient after-sales service, right in the territory where they work every day.
Our goal is to continue improving every day, further strengthening the close affinity with our customers around the world, to build solid relationships based on trust and long-term satisfaction.
DISCOVER
WHY THE FLASH BATTERY LITHIUM BATTERIES ARE A DIFFERENT BREED FROM THE COMPETITION ONES
THE MOST SOLD LITHIUM BATTERIES
IN ITALY
FLASH BATTERY produces lithium batteries for industrial machines and electric vehicles.
Flash Battery srl
Via XXV Aprile Ovest, 23/A
42049 Sant'Ilario d'Enza (RE)
ITALY
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