Iraq Creates Surge in Business

Fighting in Iraq and increased training back home are straining the military’s supplies – and giving battery manufacturers in the United States a surge in business reports Chicago’s Daily Southtown.

Gen. Paul Kern, the U.S. Army’s chief logistician, is in charge of finding enough batteries for equipment such as night-vision gear and radios. “Virtually all equipment in the U.S. Army is in that dynamic right now of either being used in combat or returning from combat,” says Kern. “Combat units are in no danger of running out of ammunition, and they’ve been able to shift combat-ready equipment from units outside Iraq to supply units close to the fighting.”

Still, many manufacturers are working to capacity. Among them is Saft America Inc., which makes 90% of the most common type of military batteries. The company has been running its plant in Valdese, North Carolina, around-the-clock for more than a year, says spokeswoman Heather Moldenhauer.