Johnson Controls boost prices for lead-acid batteries

Lead isn’t the issue; other materials’ inflation cited

By Tom Stundza -- Purchasing, 1/9/2008 10:22:00 AM

Johnson Controls plans to boost prices of its lead-acid batteries by 4% in March but it’s not because of the 34% increase lead metal costs in 2007. “Over the past year we have seen unusual increases in the price of raw materials and other costs associated with production and recycling,” says Alex Molinaroli, president of Power Solutions for Johnson Controls in a statement.

While instability in the lead market has also been a challenge over the past year, the company insists this price increase is not associated with lead. “This increase reflects other extraordinary cost increases that we simply can no longer absorb," says Molinaroli, pointing out that “costs of key raw materials such as sulfuric acid and polypropylene have increased as much as 200% in the last six months.”