News & Updates

East Penn Chairman Receives BCI Honorary Life Membership

DeLight E. Breidegam, Jr., chairman and founder of East Penn Manufacturing, was given the Battery Council International (BCI) title of Honorary Life Member. Randy Hart, BCI Vice-President, presented the award to Mr. Breidegam on May 20, 2003 at the 115th BCI convention held at Cancun, Mexico.

The BCI Board of Directors nominated Mr. Breidegam in recognition of his important contributions to the worldwide battery industry and his years of dedicated service to the Council. In its entire 78-year history, the BCI has only awarded this title to a few individuals.

“On behalf of BCI, I would like to thank DeLight for his valuable assistance, insight and fostering of model best practices for battery manufacturing…Delight was instrumental in mitigating many of the most onerous aspects of proposed lead battery industry regulations….The entire worldwide battery industry benefited by his continuos actions,” stated the BCI Vice-President as he recognized Mr. Breidegam with the honorary title.

Mr. Breidegam has an extensive career with the BCI. He served as the BCI President from 1978 to 1979. He also served as a BCI Director from 1969 until 2002. Mr. Breidegam founded East Penn manufacturing in 1946. He continues to grow the company serving as chairman. His dedication and commitment to the customer, employees, community and to his company has made East Penn the largest independently owned battery company in the industry.

East Penn is a leading manufacturer of high quality lead-acid batteries and accessories for the automotive, marine, telecommunications, industrial, commercial, and stationary markets. The company’s quality systems for its entire 480-acre complex have been certified to ISO 9001:2000 and QS 9000:1998 requirements. The company’s Wire and Cable division has been certified to ISO 14001 Environmental Management System requirements. The company claims to have the largest, most modern single-site manufacturing facility in the world. For more information contact East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc., Lyon Station, PA 19536 or visit the company’s web site at www.dekabatteries.com.