Women in the Global Battery Industry (WGBI) is pleased to count Stryten Energy as one of its sustaining sponsors for 2024.
Stryten Energy is a U.S.-based battery manufacturer with advanced lead, lithium and vanadium energy storage solutions that power everything from microgrids to submarines, to forklifts, cars and trains. Its 2,500 employees across North America provide 14 GWH of annual capacity to keep supply chains running and people on the move.
In the following interview, Stryten provides some detail on its work with WGBI as well as its internal efforts to foster diversity and inclusion to build a best-in-class workforce and support the future of energy storage.
Q: Why has Stryten chosen to support WGBI, and the broader goal of industry-wide workforce diversity?
A: WGBI provides opportunities for women in this vital industry to network, learn and mentor others. When this organization is together, there is a profound sense of camaraderie in the room. Even though we are competitors, we come together as one voice on industry-related topics such as pre-competitive research initiatives, lobbying strategies and industry awareness communications efforts.
The more women we have in battery manufacturing, the more it will attract the diverse workforce of the future. By supporting professional development for women in this sector today, we are leading the way to encourage the next generation of girls to pursue STEM education and careers in battery manufacturing.
Stryten Energy is committed to helping our employees in their career development, which is why Stryten sponsors the membership for any woman in the company that wants to become involved in WGBI.
Q: Are there things Stryten Energy does independently to support internal diversity and inclusion at your organization?
A: With locations spread across North America, Stryten Energy’s workforce reflects the diverse communities where we live and operate. A key to our company’s success is all employees are empowered to have a voice, no matter if they are building batteries on the factory floor, servicing our products in the field or working in the corporate office.
One of our core values is “Care” which means it is in our company DNA to care about each other and speak up for what is right. That diversity of thoughts, experience and opinions is what gives Stryten the energy to challenge the status quo and provide an environment where all employees can thrive.
Q: The battery industry is going through a period of innovation and change right now. What trends excite your organization, and what are the kinds of skills that that will be needed in the industry of the future?
A: It is an exciting time to work in the battery industry, and there is no doubt that energy storage is essential to achieving energy resilience and security in the U.S. I see three broad trends at play in this golden age of the battery: growth in domestic energy storage industrial base, adoption of new and next-generation battery technologies and the expansion of circular economy principles to all battery chemistries. While each of these trends encompasses a wide range of initiatives, all will require investments in workforce development and partnerships with academic institutions to provide the pool of capable workers possessing the necessary skills to support the battery industry.
For the established lead battery manufacturers, we will need to train and redeploy our existing workforce to produce multiple advanced battery technologies and incorporate automated processes, such as robotics and artificial intelligence, to increase capacity in our plants and meet evolving consumer demands for higher-performing batteries. We need technicians who can program and repair that sophisticated equipment. We need chemical and mechanical engineers with the imagination and innovation to design and build the next generation of energy storage systems. In addition to engineering, IT and other technical acumen, we need people with battery technology and industry expertise to effectively lead manufacturing companies through this era of energy storage growth and disruption.
There is a tremendous opportunity to successfully position U.S.-based energy storage companies at the forefront of global competition as we work towards greater efficiencies by incorporating new technologies and new processes. Stryten Energy is betting Americans are up for the challenge.