Saft has a presence in 19 countries, with 31 sales offices and 16 manufacturing sites. But its batteries and systems are used by customers from across the globe thanks to, in part, an extensive network of partners.

By working in partnership with this network Saft can better meet the needs of a growing customer base, coupling their expertise and products with the local knowledge and talent of in-country distributors.

We caught up with two of Saft’s long-standing European partners, Elfa and AMOPACK, to discover how the relationship with Saft came to be – and why they think the partnership provides great benefit to their customers.

Elfa

Elfa, in the Netherlands, is a family business with a rich history.

It was founded over a century ago as a factory for producing element batteries, carbon batteries and flashlights.

Daan Schutte, Sales Director at Elfa, explains how the Second World War led to a change in the nature of the business. “My great grandfather was running Elfa Elementenfabriek B.V. as an independent factory in Amsterdam. But the factories were destroyed by fire and after the war, in 1947, Elfa had to start anew from, in effect, two small garage units. We became a wholesale business for batteries and flashlights, importing and distributing various systems – but we retained the family commitment to providing quality and reliability to our customers. That’s still the basis of our business today.”

Daan’s father, Pieter, took over as CEO some 35 years ago and has overseen steady growth. In 1995, Elfa reached a key milestone and opened its own assembly facilities once more – making it possible to provide custom work for clients.

(credit: https://www.elfa.nl/en/history/)

“So many of our clients have been with us for decades. We work in aviation, defence, public services, and more. I think the key to those enduring relationships is our absolute commitment to providing the best possible products and being passionate about finding the right solution for them,” says Mr Schutte.

The quality of their products is very much a priority, and why they consider Saft to be such an important part of their portfolio. This emphasis on the highest possible standards is integral to the business, with Elfa being ISO9001 certified (since 2004) and ISO14001 certified (since 2016)..

“We’re fortunate to work so closely with the Saft team, but it’s not just because their products are so reliable and high-quality,” says Mr Schutte. “A lot of our clients are in sectors that require being at the cutting-edge of technology and so we cannot rely on ‘off the shelf’ solutions. Combining our expertise with the Saft engineers means we can develop bespoke solutions no matter what the challenge is. It’s of great benefit to the customer but also solving problems and coming up with new approaches is why we’re in this business.”

The Netherlands has become known as something of a hotbed of innovation, and a country that embraces new technology in its cities. An estimated 60 Dutch municipalities are currently working on projects and initiatives broadly grouped as ‘smart city’ concepts.

Mr Schutte agrees with this perception. “We’ve always been at the forefront of innovation, you can see it now in our research institutions and start-up industries, and in our early adoption of IoT-enabled smart sensors. It’s partly why we are so optimistic about the future. These technologies need power, and at Elfa we need to continue evolving and growing our service to make sure that those power sources are reliable, quality and fit-for-purpose.”

Daan’s father, Pieter, is now CEO. While the mission and vision for the company might have remained a constant, there are new areas of focus for Elfa.

“Something we’re really proud of,” continues Mr Schutte, “is that we’re now 100% energy and carbon-dioxide neutral. Of course, we still have some carbon footprint and so we partnered with Trees for All, a Dutch company that plants trees to offset carbon emissions.”

It’s another example of Elfa’s deep-rooted desire to build partnerships and embed values that endure for generations.

AMOPACK

Some 1,200km south, another family business is thriving in Spain.

AMOPACK is a second-generation family business in Vitoria (near Bilbao), providing solutions to more than 400 customers a year.

Its history is deeply entwined with that of Saft. Saft established its presence in Spain in 1972 with Saft Ibérica, a joint venture between Saft and Cegasa. In the same year, Antonio Moreno (the future founder of AMOPACK), joined Saft as a chemical engineer to manage the formation of the active masses of industrial batteries (Ni-Cd).

Fernando Moreno, Sales Manager at AMOPACK, describes how a decision by Cegasa in 1995 sparked the formation of the new company. “In 1995, Cegasa decided to sell its shareholding to Saft, sparking a change of direction. That led Saft to reach an agreement with my father Antonio, who at that time was Saft Ibérica Quality Manager, and the inception of AMOPACK in 1998.”

Since then, AMOPACK has operated in the design and manufacture of batteries based on nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, lithium-ion and primary lithium technologies - but it also supports Saft’s continued presence in Spain.

“Especially in primary lithium technology, AMOPACK clearly relies on SAFT’s knowledge of its product to advise customers with detailed information or life expectancy studies,” says Mr Moreno. “When required, we visit customers together to help them find the best possible solution in terms of product definition, quality, price and delivery terms.”

In recent years, AMOPACK has worked with Saft on the design and supply of batteries for the IoT market, with customers including Urbiotica, Worldsensing and AGBAR.

“In the last 25 years we have expanded our facilities and capabilities and now operate in a number of sectors including industrial, defence and security, IoT, telecoms, medical systems and electric mobility,” explains Mr Moreno. “We’re ambitious and expecting even further growth in the years to come.”

AMOPACK develops bespoke solutions within each of these sectors and adapts its products to the needs of each project or customer – drawing on the highest standards of professional guidance and a top tier product range.

Like Elfa, AMOPACK is ISO9001 and ISO14001 certified. And as with Elfa, Mr Moreno believes that this commitment to quality underpins their relationship with Saft.

“We are a company with a long tradition in the design and manufacture of batteries,” says Mr Moreno. “Our experienced team make up a reliable, agile company with an absolute commitment to its customers and so it’s important to us that our partners we can trust. In Saft, we know precisely that.”

(credit AMOPACK)