Firefly Energy Inc., (www.fireflyenergy.com) the Peoria, Illinois-based company developing innovative battery technologies for commercial and military applications, today announced that Frank Yankello has joined the company as vice president of manufacturing. Mr. Yankello has over 20 years experience in engineering and manufacturing leadership.
“Frank Yankello’s consistent record in achieving goals pertaining to revenue support, cost reduction, production enhancement and on-time delivery of high quality products for the worldwide electronic and industrial sectors makes him our exceptionally strong choice to lead Firefly Energy’s ramp-up and expansion of manufacturing and production operations,” says Edward F. Williams, chief executive officer.
“I am eager to be joining the Firefly Energy team, as 2008 will be the most significant year in the company’s history,” Yankello says. “With the upcoming ”Oasis” truck battery as the first commercial production based on our award-winning Microcell™ lead acid battery technology, I believe that Firefly Energy has the ideal combination of people, partnerships, and products to deliver solutions to help satisfy our energy and environmentally-challenged world. I look forward to making a solid contribution.”
Yankello has had broad experience in leading highly skilled and cross-functional teams in developing, launching and scaling new and continuing products. Most recently, he was director of North American operations at Cooper Bussmann, where he was responsible for three plants employing 2,400 workers in the U.S. and Mexico.
Additionally, he spent more than 18 years with Tyco Electronics in various operations, engineering and manufacturing leadership positions. While with Tyco, Yankello was responsible for three plants in the U.S. and Asia for a $350 million division, where he helped introduce a steady stream of new technology products.
Yankello graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a B. S. degree in chemical engineering.
About Firefly Energy (www.fireflyenergy.com)
Firefly Energy Inc. (“Firefly”) is a Peoria, Illinois-based battery technology company developing a portfolio of next generation lead acid battery technologies, enhancing lead acid battery performance for major portions of the $30 billion worldwide battery marketplace. Firefly’s first innovation, the carbon-graphite foam-based battery technology, can deliver a unique combination of high performance, extremely low weight and low cost, all in a battery which utilizes the best aspects of lead acid chemistry while overcoming the corrosive drawbacks of this same chemistry. This product technology delivers to battery markets a performance associated with advanced battery chemistries (Nickel Metal Hydride and Lithium) but for one-fifth the cost, and can be both manufactured as well as recycled within the existing lead acid battery industry’s vast infrastructure. The company is backed by multi-billion dollar product companies such as Caterpillar (www.cat.com) NYSE: CAT), BAE Systems (www.baesystems.com) (London Stock Exchange over the counter symbol: BAESY), and Husqvarna (www.husqvarna.com Other OTC: HSQVY.PK). Additional investors include Chicago-area Venture Capital firm KB Partners (www.kbpartners.com) and the State of Illinois’ Illinois Finance Authority.
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