New appointment to lead expansion of global manufacturing operations

LIVONIA, Mich.--A123 Systems LLC, a developer and manufacturer of advanced lithium-ion batteries and systems, announced today that Chris Eisenhart has joined the company as its new Chief Operations Officer. His distinguished career in automotive manufacturing spans more than two decades of steadily increasing scope including profit and loss responsibility for revenues exceeding $1 Billion. In his new role, Chris will lead A123s manufacturing, quality and supply chain organizations globally and oversee the companys plan to more than double manufacturing capacity within the next two years.

Earlier this year, A123 announced a series of business expansion initiatives totaling more than $300 Million in capital investments between its facilities in the US and China. Due to new business wins and increasing orders from existing accounts, the company is accelerating those plans to reach 1.5 GWh of global manufacturing capacity. Further expansions later this decade are also anticipated and the company is actively acquiring key leadership talent needed to execute its strategy.

Chris began his manufacturing career at Ford Motor Company before transitioning to the component supplier industry with Spartanburg Steel Products. More recently he lead operations in a unit of Johnson Controls and also held a senior operations position at Lear Corporation. He is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University.

"Chris will be sharply focused on execution of our massive expansion both in terms of facilities and the organizational development to run them at world-class efficiency," said Jason Forcier, CEO. "His comprehensive experience across various organizational disciplines will contribute to furthering A123s growth and profitability objectives."

About A123
A123 Systems is a global leader in providing complete energy storage solutions through advanced battery cells and systems for transportation and commercial applications, offering performance, reliability, and cost savings from concept through commercialization. A123 is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Wanxiang Group.