Doubts about Investing in AGM battery

[70bigblockdodge]

Unfortunately there aren't any lead smelting plants here anymore. (Thanks to you know who's EPA's regulations) With any luck maybe that will change.

There are 16 of them according to a quick Google search. But you are right none in Northeast. Seems Exide smelts their own in a couple different places. The other thing they have in common is they are all privately held corps., no undereducated, whiney, any old smuck with a buck stockholders to answer to.

 

[1978 NYB]

OK....I stated that wrong.

There are THREE MANUFACTURERS.

Exide, East Penn, and Johnson Controls.

 

[Big_John]

OK....I stated that wrong.

There are THREE MANUFACTURERS.

Exide, East Penn, and Johnson Controls.

I believe Interstate is owned by Johnson Controls.

 

[1978 NYB]

Johnson Controls makes numerous batteries including Interstate Batteries.

 

[Big_John]

Johnson Controls makes numerous batteries including Interstate Batteries.

I was incorrect...

I thought I had read that they were Johnson's house brand.. I researched it and found that they were started by C body Bob's brother, John.

Interstate Batteries - Wikipedia

 

[1978 NYB]

I 've been through the factory tour probably 20 years ago. Johnson Controls is probably the biggest and they make 50 or more different batteries. The batteries have different plates and use different media inside. On one side of the plant they are making interstate, on another side Die Hard, on another side Autocraft, etc. Pretty much assembly line automation.

 

[crazyboutwagons]

I had a Optima red top in the wagon .it was already 5 yrs old when I took it out of a daily driver it lasted another 3 yrs. I did not like the look and fit (spacer under it )in the car so I went with a Interstate AGM as it looks better and was cheaper. this year it will be 2yrs old. I have had good luck with AGM type batteries currently using one as a backup in the sump pump in the garage. its a optima red top and is going on 7 yrs old and is connected to a trickle charger to keep it maintained.

 

[CBODY67]

Regarding lead smelters, it's been widely known that such plants were "bad news" for those downwind from them for decades. Well BEFORE any more recent issues were discovered.

One plant, in a less-well-off area of Dallas, TX became a SuperFund clean-up sight about 20 years ago. Children in the neighborhood tested positive to elevated levels of lead in their blood.

Environmental issues didn't start 10 years ago, but decades prior to that. Just that nobody was really paying attention, in some cases, with little oversight or federal physical plant inspections. Interesting how "blind" some inspectors might be when one party is running things, but when those indiscretions are discovered 4 or 8 years later, the "discoverers" become the bad guys instead of the ones who did the indiscretions that have to be cleaned up with taxpayer money. It would have been better to follow the rules to start with, rather than skirting them for a few more cents in corporate dividends each quarter. Cost of compliance is almost always less than the clean-up costs and related fines.

CBODY67