Yuasa eyes jump in sales
Yuasa Battery expects sales of Bt1.9 billion this year, a 23-per-cent increase from the Bt1.55 billion achieved last year.
The company yesterday said it would focus more on the motorcycle-battery market, because the competition in the market for car batteries was growing fiercer.Yuasa director Subhavas Bandhuvadh said demand for motorcycle batteries was huge and that even though it was a niche market, Yuasa had been a prominent player. In the past few years, annual sales of motorcycle batteries have been about Bt10 million. Sales are expected to increase 10 per cent this year. To gain higher revenues, Subhavas said Yuasa also planned to approach foreign auto-parts and accessories dealers for licences to co-distribute their products. Yuasa posted a net loss of Bt187.12 million last year. Subhavas refrained from making a commitment that the company would return to profitability this year, saying it largely depended on lead prices. The sky-rocketing price of lead has also hurt other battery-makers, including GS Battery. Lead, the major part of the cost of making batteries, is now priced at US$2,000 (Bt69,700) per tonne. The Nation
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