Douglas to Sell Automotive Battery Division

Douglas Battery Manufacturing Co. of Winston-Salem North Carolina, has agreed to sell its automotive battery division to East Penn Manufacturing Co. of Lyon Station, Pennsylvania.

The companies, both privately held, did not say how many jobs would be eliminated nor provide specific details of the deal but did say that some Douglas sales personnel would be offered jobs with East Penn.

Gayle Anderson, president of the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, said in January she had no further details on the job impact of the decision other than the companies likely would need several months to complete the transition and meet customer orders.

There had been speculation about the fate of the automotive division since Douglas said on November 5 that it could cut as many as 350 jobs in Winston-Salem in 2005 as part of a restructuring of its struggling automotive division. The company said it would scale back that business and pur more resources into its industrial battery division, which has been growing.

“This transition is consistent with the restructuring Douglas Battery announced in November and our strategic focus of our industrial division,” said President Charles Douglas. “The terms of the agreement provide for the transition to be carried out with flexibility and patience.”