Ultralife Corporation offers products and services ranging from power solutions to communications and electronics systems to customers across the globe in the government, defense and commercial sectors.
With an emphasis on strong engineering and a collaborative approach to problem solving, the company designs and manufactures power and communications systems, including rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries, charging systems, communications and electronics systems and accessories, and cust...
Ultralife Corporation offers products and services ranging from power solutions to communications and electronics systems to customers across the globe in the government, defense and commercial sectors.
With an emphasis on strong engineering and a collaborative approach to problem solving, the company designs and manufactures power and communications systems, including rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries, charging systems, communications and electronics systems and accessories, and custom engineered systems related to those product lines. The company continually evaluates ways to grow, including the design, development and sale of new products, expansion of its sales force to penetrate new markets and territories, as well as seeking opportunities to expand through acquisitions.
The company sells its products worldwide through a variety of trade channels, including original equipment manufacturers (‘OEMs’), industrial and defense supply distributors, and directly to the U.S. and foreign defense departments. The company enjoys strong name recognition in its markets under the company’s Ultralife, Ultralife HiRate, Ultralife Thin Cell, Ultralife Batteries Inc., Lithium Power, McDowell Research, AMTI, ABLE, ACCUTRONICS, ACCUPRO, ENTELLION, SWE Southwest Electronic Energy Group, SWE SEASAFE, Excell Battery Group and Criterion Gauge brands, among others. The company has sales, operations and product development facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.
Segments
The company operates through Battery & Energy Products and Communications Systems.
The Battery & Energy Products segment includes Lithium 9-volt, cylindrical, thin cell and other non-rechargeable batteries, in addition to rechargeable batteries, uninterruptable power supplies, charging systems and accessories.
The Communications Systems segment includes RF amplifiers, power supplies, cable and connector assemblies, amplified speakers, equipment mounts, case equipment, man-portable systems, integrated communication systems for fixed or vehicle applications and communications and electronics systems design.
Battery & Energy Products
The company manufactures and/or market a family of Lithium Manganese Dioxide (Li-MnO2), Lithium Manganese Dioxide Carbon Monofluoride (Li-CFx/MnO2) hybrid and Lithium Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCl2) non-rechargeable batteries, including 9-volt, Ultralife HiRate cylindrical, Ultralife Thin Cell, and other form factors. Applications for the company’s 9-volt batteries include smoke alarms, wireless security systems and intensive care monitors, among many other devices. The company’s Ultralife HiRate and Ultralife Thin Cell Lithium non-rechargeable batteries are sold primarily to the military and to OEMs in industrial and medical markets for use in a variety of applications, including radios, emergency radio beacons, search and rescue transponders, pipeline inspection gauges, portable medical devices, wearable medical products, Bluetooth tracking devices and other specialty applications. Military applications for the company’s non-rechargeable Ultralife HiRate batteries include manpack and survival radios, night vision devices, targeting devices, chemical agent monitors and thermal imaging equipment. The company’s Lithium Thionyl Chloride batteries, sold under its Electrochem and Ultralife brands, as well as a private label brand, are used in a variety of applications, including utility meters, wireless security devices, electronic meters, automotive electronics, and downhole drilling, geothermal and pipeline inspection devices. The company’s non-rechargeable batteries also have relatively flat voltage profiles, which provide stable power. Conventional non-rechargeable batteries, such as alkaline batteries, have sloping voltage profiles that result in decreasing power output during discharge.
The company’s ability to design and produce lightweight, high-energy Lithium-ion and Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries and charging systems in a variety of custom sizes, shapes, and thicknesses offers substantial benefits to its customers. The company markets Lithium-ion and Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable batteries consists of cells manufactured by qualified cell manufacturers. The company’s rechargeable products can be used in a wide variety of applications including communications, medical and other portable electronic devices.
Within this segment, the company also seeks to fund the development of new products that it hopes will advance the company’s technologies through contracts with both government agencies and private sector third parties.
The company continues to be awarded development contracts with public and private customers resulting in intellectual property that will enhance the company’s efforts to commercialize new products that it develops.
Communications Systems
Under the company’s McDowell Research and AMTI brands, it designs and manufactures a line of communications systems and accessories to support military communications requirements and under the company’s Ultralife brand it provides system integration products and services.
The military systems include RF amplifiers, power supplies, power cables, connector assemblies, amplified speakers, equipment mounts, case equipment, man-portable systems and integrated communication systems for fixed or vehicle applications, such as vehicle amplifier-adaptors (‘VAA’) for multiple programs. These programs include Vehicle Installed Power Enhanced Rifleman Applique (‘VIPER’) systems, the U.S. Army Leader Radio Program, the U.S. Army’s Security Force Assistance Brigades (‘SFABs’) and SATCOM systems. All systems are packaged to meet specific customer needs in rugged enclosures to allow for their use in extreme environments. The company markets these products to all branches of the U.S. military and to foreign defense organizations that it is permitted to sell the company’s products to, as well as to the U.S. and to international prime defense contractors.
Commercial products offered to date under the Ultralife brand integrate information technology equipment and power conversion capability into rugged cases, supporting use in various industries. The company markets these products to automotive, cellular carriers and manufacturing industries.
Acquisitions
On October 31, 2024, the company acquired Electrochem Solutions, Inc, a Massachusetts corporation (‘Electrochem’). Electrochem designs and manufactures primary lithium metal and ultracapacitor cells and battery packs serving energy, military and various environmental, industrial and utility end markets. Acquiring Electrochem advances the company’s strategy of more fully realizing the operating leverage of the company’s business model through scale and creates opportunities for gross margin expansion through the realization of manufacturing cost efficiencies, the U.S.-based vertical integration, supply chain and lean initiatives. Electrochem primarily services a blue-chip customer base with little or no overlap with Ultralife’s customers, has long-tenured technical resources which the company plans to utilize in progressing its global new product initiatives, and has a complimentary portfolio of highly engineered thionyl, sulfuryl and bromine chloride cells and packs which can be commercially cost prohibitive to substitute or replace. The company views this acquisition as an avenue to create highly attractive opportunities to drive revenue growth through heightened cross-selling platforms and extend its reach into underserved adjacent markets that demand uncompromised safety, service, reliability and quality. Furthermore, with Electrochem the company is increasing its value to its customers and significantly strengthening its competitive position in its end markets.
Products, Services and Technology
Battery & Energy Products
A non-rechargeable battery is used until discharged and then replaced. The principal competing non-rechargeable battery technologies are Carbon Zinc, Alkaline and Lithium. The company manufactures a range of non-rechargeable battery products based on Lithium Manganese Dioxide, Lithium Manganese Dioxide Carbon Monofluoride hybrid, and Lithium Thionyl Chloride technologies.
Non-Rechargeable Batteries
The chemistry of Lithium batteries provides significant advantages over other available non-rechargeable battery technologies, which include lighter weight, longer operating time, longer shelf life, and a wider operating temperature range. The company’s non-rechargeable batteries also have relatively flat voltage profiles, which provide more stable power. Conventional non-rechargeable batteries, such as Alkaline batteries, have sloping voltage profiles that result in decreasing power during discharge.
The company’s non-rechargeable products include the following product configurations:
9-Volt Lithium Battery: The company’s 9-volt Lithium battery delivers a unique combination of the highest-available energy density and stable voltage, which results in a longer operating life for the battery, and accordingly, fewer battery replacements.
The company markets its 9-volt Lithium batteries to OEM, distributor and retail markets, including industrial electronics, safety and security, and medical. Typical applications include smoke alarms, wireless alarm systems, bone growth stimulators, telemetry devices, blood analyzers, ambulatory infusion pumps and parking meters. A significant portion of the sales of the company’s 9-volt Lithium battery is to major smoke alarm OEMs for use in their long-life smoke alarms. The company also manufactures its 9-volt Lithium battery under private labels for a variety of companies. Additionally, the company sells its 9-volt Lithium battery to the broader consumer market through national and regional retail chains and online retailers.
The company’s 9-volt Lithium battery manufacturing capacity is adequate to meet forecasted customer demand over the next three years.
Cylindrical Batteries: Featuring high energy, wide temperature range, long shelf life and operating life, the company’s cylindrical cells and batteries, based on Lithium Manganese Dioxide, Lithium Manganese Dioxide Carbon Monofluoride hybrid and Lithium Thionyl Chloride technologies, represent some of the most advanced Lithium power sources available. The company markets a wide range of cylindrical non-rechargeable Lithium cells and batteries in various sizes under both the Ultralife HiRate and Electrochem brands. These include D, C, 5/4 C, 1/2 AA, 2/3 A, CR123A and other sizes, which are sold individually, as well as packaged into multi-cell battery packs, including the company’s leading BA-5390 military battery, an alternative to the competing Li-SO2 BA-5590 battery, a widely used battery type in the U.S. armed forces for portable applications. The company’s BA-5390 battery provides 50% to 100% more energy (mission time) than the BA-5590, and it is used in approximately 60 military applications. With the introduction of the company’s Lithium Carbon Monofluoride hybrid chemistry, it offers a D-cell that has 100% more energy than the competing Li-SO2 D-cell.
The company markets its line of Lithium cells and batteries to the OEM market for commercial, defense, medical, asset tracking and search and rescue applications, among others. Significant commercial applications include oil and gas, pipeline inspection equipment, automatic re-closers and oceanographic and subsea devices. Asset tracking applications include Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), cellular, and Bluetooth systems. Among the defense uses are manpack radios, night vision goggles, chemical agent monitors and thermal imaging equipment. Medical applications include Automated External Defibrillators, infusion pumps, wearable patient monitoring and telemetry systems. Search and rescue applications include Emergency Locator Transmitters for aircraft and Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons for ships. Oil and gas applications include battery packs for downhole and directional drilling applications such as Measurement While Drilling and Logging While Drilling and pipeline inspection and monitoring.
Thin Cell Batteries: The company manufactures a range of thin Lithium Manganese Dioxide batteries under the Ultralife Thin Cell brand. Thin Cell batteries are flat, lightweight batteries providing a unique combination of high energy, long shelf life, wide operating temperature range and very low profile. The company is marketing these batteries to OEMs for applications, such as displays, wearable medical devices, toll passes, theft detection systems, and RFID and Bluetooth tracking devices.
Rechargeable Batteries
In the rechargeable battery market, the principal competing technologies are Nickel Metal Hydride and Lithium-ion (including Lithium polymer) batteries. Rechargeable batteries are used in many applications, such as military radios, laptop computers, mobile telephones, portable medical devices, wearable devices and many other commercial, defense and consumer products. In contrast to non-rechargeable batteries, after a rechargeable battery is discharged, it can be recharged and reused many times. Generally, discharge and recharge cycles can be repeated hundreds or thousands of times in rechargeable batteries depending on the technology of the battery.
The company’s Lithium-ion batteries generally have high energy density and a long cycle life.
Lithium-ion Cells and Batteries: The company markets a variety of Lithium-ion cells and rechargeable batteries consists of cells manufactured by qualified cell manufacturers. These products are used in a wide variety of applications including communications, medical and other portable electronic devices.
Battery Charging Systems and Accessories: To provide the company’s customers with complete power system solutions, it offers a wide range of rugged military and commercial battery charging systems and accessories including smart chargers, multi-bay charging systems and a variety of cables.
Multi-Kilowatt Module: The company’s Multi-Kilowatt Module Lithium-ion battery system is a large format battery utilizable for energy storage, battery back-up, and remote power applications. This product is a direct replacement of 1.25 kWh and larger capacity lead acid batteries in 24V or 48V applications. It can be connected in multiples to obtain higher-voltages and is capable of over 3,000 cycles while maintaining 80% of its capacity.
Technology Contracts: The company’s technology contract activities involve the development of new products or the enhancement of existing products through contracts with both government agencies and private sector third parties.
Communications Systems
Under the company’s McDowell Research and AMTI brands, it designs and manufactures a line of communications systems and accessories to support military communications systems, including RF amplifiers, power supplies, power cables, connector assemblies, amplified speakers, equipment mounts, case equipment, man-portable systems and integrated communication systems for fixed or vehicle applications such as vehicle amplifier-adaptors. The company packages all systems to meet specific customer needs in rugged enclosures to allow their use in extreme environments and under its brand provide system integration products and services for commercial requirements.
The company offers a wide range of military communications systems and accessories designed to enhance and extend the operation of communications equipment such as vehicle-mounted, manpack and handheld transceivers. The company’s communications products include the following product configurations:
RF Amplifiers: These amplifiers are used to extend the range of manpack and handheld tactical transceivers, and the company’s RF amplifiers include both mounted and dismounted versions and many related accessories and kits which can be used on mobile or fixed site applications.
Integrated Systems: The company’s integrated systems include vehicle mounted systems; SATCOM systems; rugged, deployable case systems; and multiband transceiver kits. These systems provide enhanced capabilities which enable communications operators to provide links to support Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.
Power Systems: The company’s power systems include AC/DC power supplies with battery backup for tactical manpack radios and power adaptors and chargers. The company can provide power supplies for virtually all tactical communications devices.
The company’s commercial products integrate information technology capability into rugged cases, supporting use of high computing capability in various configurations. The company markets these products to automotive, cellular carriers and manufacturing industries.
Communications and Electronics: The company’s communications and electronics services include the design, integration, and deployment of portable, mobile and fixed-site communications systems.
Sales and Marketing
The company employs a staff of sales and marketing personnel in North America, Europe and Asia. The company sells its products and services directly to commercial customers, including OEMs, as well as government and defense agencies in the U.S. and abroad; and has contractual arrangements with sales agents who market the company’s products on a commission basis in defined territories.
The company also distributes some of its products through domestic and foreign distributors and retailers. Sales of these products are generated primarily from purchase orders issued by these customers. The company has several long-term contracts with the U.S. government and other customers.
A significant portion of the company’s business comes from sales of products and services to the U.S. and foreign governments through various contracts. These contracts are subject to procurement laws and regulations that specify policies and procedures for acquiring goods and services.
The company has one major customer, L3Harris Technologies, a large global defense primary contractor, which consists of 23% of its total revenues in 2024.
Battery & Energy Products
The company targets sales of its non-rechargeable products to manufacturers of security and safety equipment, medical devices, search and rescue equipment, specialty instruments, oil and gas downhole drilling and pipe inspection equipment, point of sale equipment and metering applications, as well as users of military equipment. The company’s strategy is to develop sales and marketing alliances with OEMs and governmental agencies that utilize its batteries in their products, commit to cooperative research and development or marketing programs, and recommend the company’s products for design-in or replacement use in their products. The company is addressing these markets through direct contact by its sales and technical personnel, use of sales agents and stocking distributors, manufacturing under private labels, and promotional activities.
The company seeks to capture a significant market share for its products within the company’s targeted OEM markets, which it believes, if successful, will result in increased product awareness and sales at the end-user or consumer level. The company is also selling its 9-volt battery to the consumer market through retail distribution channels. Additionally, the company is typically required to successfully meet contractual specifications and to pass various qualifications testing for the products under contract by the military.
The company targets sales of its Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries and charging systems to OEM customers, as well as distributors and resellers focused on the company’s target markets. The company responds to Requests for Proposals to design products for OEMs, and its design capabilities, product characteristics and solution integration will encourage OEMs to incorporate its batteries into their product offerings, resulting in revenue growth opportunities for the company.
The company continues to expand its marketing activities as part of the company’s strategic plan, a comprehensive forward-looking document which sets forth its strategic growth plans, tactical actions and financial projections over a rolling three-year period, to increase sales of the company’s battery and energy products for commercial, standby, defense and communications applications, as well as hand-held devices, wearable devices and other portable electronic equipment. A key part of this expansion includes increasing the company’s design and assembly capabilities, as well as building its international network of distributors and value-added distributors.
Communications Systems
The company’s target sales of its communications systems, which include power solutions and accessories to support communications systems, such as RF amplifiers, power supplies, power cables, connector assemblies, amplified speakers, equipment mounts, case equipment and integrated communication systems, to military OEMs and the U.S. and allied foreign militaries. The company sells its products directly and through authorized distributors to OEMs and directly to defense contractors and U.S. and foreign militaries. The company markets its products to defense organizations and OEMs in the U.S. and internationally.
Sales targets for commercial products include integrated systems for information technology equipment to support fixed, mobile and deployable locations. The company sells its products directly to commercial businesses in the U.S.
Patents, Trade Secrets and Trademarks
The company holds fifty-two patents issued in the U.S., six patents issued in the European Union member states, seven patents issued in the European Union, eight patents issued in the United Kingdom, five patents issued in Japan, four patents issued in India, four patents issued in South Korea, four patents issued in Canada, three patents issued in China, three patents issued in Taiwan, two patents issued in Norway, one patent issued in Australia, one patent issued in Hong Kong, one patent issued in Iceland, one patent issued in Mexico and one patent issued by the World Intellectual Property Organization.
The company sells its products under a number of trademarks, that the company owns. The company’s trademarks include the following: Ultralife, Ultralife Thin Cell, Ultralife HiRate, Ultralife & design, LithiumPower, LithiumPower & Design, SMART CIRCUIT, SMARTCIRCUIT, SMART CIRCUIT & design, SODIUMPOWER, SODIUMPOWER (design), WE. ARE. POWER, AMTI, ABLE, ACCUTRONICS, ACCUPRO, ENTELLION, McDowell Research, SWE DRILL-DATA, SWE SEASAFE (& DESIGN), SWE SEASAFE DIRECT, SWE SOUTHWEST ELECTRONIC ENERGY CORP, SWE Southwest Electronic Energy Group, Excell Battery Group and Criterion Gauge, POW-R BMS, POW-R-BMS, POW-R TOTE.
Battery & Energy Products
The company continues to internally develop its rechargeable product portfolio, including batteries, battery management systems, cables and charging systems, as the company’s customers’ needs for portable power continue to grow and new technologies become available.
Communications Systems
The company continues to internally develop a variety of communications accessories and systems for the global defense and commercial markets to meet the ever-changing demands of its customers.
Corporate
To comply with the Dodd-Frank Act, as implemented by SEC rules, the company is required to perform due diligence inquiries of its suppliers to determine whether the company’s products contain such minerals and from which countries and source (smelter) the minerals were obtained.
Research and Development
During 2024, the company spent $9,549 on research and development, including $1,281 on customer sponsored research and development activities.
Safety; Regulatory Matters; Environmental Considerations
The company’s batteries are subject to the regulations include
The transportation of non-rechargeable and rechargeable Lithium batteries is regulated in the U.S. by the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (‘PHMSA’), and internationally by the International Civil Aviation Organization (‘ICAO’) and corresponding International Air Transport Association (‘IATA’), Dangerous Goods Regulations and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (‘IMDG’), and other country specific regulations. These regulations are based on the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods Model Regulations and the United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria. The company ships its products pursuant to PHMSA, ICAO, IATA, IMDG and other country specific hazardous goods regulations. These regulations require companies to meet certain testing, packaging, labeling, marking and shipping paper specifications for safety reasons.
The European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (the ‘EU RoHS Directive’) places restrictions on the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. The company’s commercial chargers are in material compliance with the EU RoHS Directive.
The European Union’s Battery Directive ‘on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators’ (the ‘EU Battery Directive’) is intended to cover all types of batteries regardless of their shape, volume, weight, material composition or use. The company ships its products pursuant to the requirements of the EU Battery Directive.
China’s ‘Management Methods for Restricted Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products’ (‘China RoHS 2’) provides a regulatory framework including hazardous substance restrictions similar to those imposed by the EU RoHS Directive. China RoHS 2 applies to methods for the control and reduction of pollution and other public hazards to the environment caused during the production, sale, and import of electrical and electronic products (‘EEP’) in China. The regulatory framework of China RoHS 2 also references the updated marking and labeling requirements under Standard SJ/T 11364-2014. The methods under China RoHS 2 only apply to EEP placed in the marketplace in China. The company’s compliance system is sufficient to meet its requirements under China RoHS 2.
In addition to the environmental regulations previously described, the company’s products are subject to U.S. and international laws and regulations governing international trade and exports including but not limited to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (‘ITAR’), the Export Administration Regulations (‘EAR’) and trade sanctions against embargoed countries.
History
Ultralife Corporation was founded in 1990. The company was incorporated in 1990.
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