Senator Joni Ernst visited Stryten Energy’s battery manufacturing plant in Manchester, IA, on Friday, July 14, 2023. During the visit, she toured the plant where Stryten employees manufacture batteries used in military, heavy-duty agriculture, short and long-haul trucking and other industrial applications.
The commercial batteries produced in this plant are essential to supporting our country’s supply chain and agriculture industry. The P-Series 6TMF batteries are critical to keeping our military’s combat vehicles operating reliably in the harshest conditions.
Steve Schmit, Production Control Manager, led the plant tour for Senator Ernst.
Senator Ernst with Stryten Energy P-Series 6TMF Batteries
Senator Ernst commented, “I saw the varying types of batteries produced here, as well as the quantity. Whether it’s farm vehicles, moving goods on the road or commercial vehicles, hands in this plant touch all of that. There is a huge push for electric vehicles, but I don’t see that happening in the near future. We will still need this type of plant making these types of batteries.” Source: Manchester Press
Senator Ernst spoke with many Stryten employees while touring the plant.
Stryten employees with the “Joni” battery the Senator helped produce.
The Senator also hosted an employee Q&A session where she answered questions about improving the labor pool and access to affordable housing in rural Iowa. The Senator was impressed with the many employees that have been long-time members of the Manchester team. She expressed her appreciation for the batteries the company manufactures, which are used in vehicles across all sectors of industry.
“Speaking with a couple of employees, they told me they worked here for over 30 years, so that tells me this is a good place to work,” said Ernst. Source: Manchester Press
Ron Huber presented the Stryten Energy Challenge coin to Senator Joni Ernst
Senator Ernst addressing employees at Stryten Energy in Manchester, IA
Ernst, a 23-year veteran of the Army Reserves and the Army National Guard, was presented a Stryten Energy Challenge coin by Ron Huber, an eight-year veteran of the United States Air Force. Each year during Veteran’s Day celebrations, Stryten Energy presents a special Challenge Coin to honor and thank its employees who are also veterans.
The Senator’s visit was the result of outreach to her office almost a year ago.
“Our leadership team met with her in Washington. We thought it was important to develop a relationship and have had ongoing discussions since we have a plant here (in Iowa) with a great group of dedicated employees,” said Melissa Floyd, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Digital Marketing. Source: Manchester Press
During the employee Q&A session, Senator Ernst shared that she is supportive of all energies.
“I’m a big renewables person from liquids like the ethanol we produce right here in Iowa all the way to solar and wind energy. But storage is an issue for renewables that are produced. And when we talk about the electric vehicle movement, we have a long way to go.” Source: Manchester Press
Stryten Energy is actively developing long-duration energy storage technology to address the storage needs for renewable energy generation with its vanadium redox flow battery technology. Stryten Energy is working to solve the challenges associated with the increasing need for energy storage systems within the electric power industry capable of reliably and cost-effectively shifting the time between when renewable energy is generated and when it is used.
“We wanted to get the message across how essential Stryten Energy is here. Companies like this have been operating quietly in the background, providing power, and we see how important energy storage is. We feel companies like this should be valued and understood for what they do for energy storage and energy independence,” concluded Floyd. Source: Manchester Press
