Battery maker Alexander Technologies says it is looking at a strong pipeline of projects despite a recent fall in turnover and profits. The Peterlee-based manufacturer, which was founded in the US in the 1980s, says it has continued investing in its South West Industrial Estate factory, including expertise and capabilities of laser welder equipment. Its engineers have also developed batteries for the drone market.
Financial Results and Transition
The update is part of newly published 2025 accounts which show turnover fell from £18.5m to £9.6m and operating profit slumped from £3.5m to £546,000. Directors said the results were explained by the completion of a long-standing supply deal with a customer who has moved its battery making in-house, and time needed for development projects to progress to full production.
New Development Models
Alexander specialises in the building of custom lithium-ion battery packs for customers across a range of markets including robotics, medical and industrial power tools, among others. In the recent accounts, the firm said it had introduced new methods intended to speed up the transition between product development and production. The idea covers four models including "build to print", where customers provide a completed design for Alexander to build in its factory; "core" and "core+" where an existing design is chosen from the company's library and adapted to the customer needs; and "total custom", where the battery pack is created entirely for the customer.
Historically, development for fully bespoke battery packs ranged from between a year to 18 months before production was started. The firm's new models are said to have improved those timings already, since being introduced in the latter part of last year. Alexander said it has significant available capacity for increased production volumes as such development projects progress to the manufacturing phase.
Leadership Comments
Claire Brymer, Alexander Technologies' chief financial officer, said: "2025 was a transitional year following the conclusion of a long-standing supply arrangement with a customer who moved to internal battery manufacturing capability - a change we supported and planned for. Our balance sheet remains strong, with net assets and cash both up year on year. We've invested in automation, launched a new service platform, and expanded into new markets including drone applications. There is a strong pipeline of development projects converting to production, and we're confident in the outlook for the business."
Market and Workforce Details
The majority of Alexander's turnover comes from EU customers, making up £7.3m, followed by US buyers at £1.6m and the UK at £658,000. Employee numbers also dipped in 2025, from 94 to 72, driven by fewer production staff. Despite the reduction, the company remains optimistic about future growth as development projects move into production.
