Italian Battery Component Maker Expands Iredell County Operations To Meet Domestic Demand
By Cooper Metts – Staff Writer, Charlotte Business Journal
A manufacturer of energy storage components is expanding its production capabilities in Iredell County to better meet domestic demand.
Accuma Corp. is investing $3.3 million into its Statesville facility at 133 Fanjoy Road to establish lead bushing manufacturing. Lead bushings serve as battery terminals.
The Italy-based company is family owned and has operated in Iredell County for 41 years. Its products are commonly used in cars, forklifts and telecom stations, Accuma sales manager Chris Totherow said.
Accuma specializes in manufacturing plastic injection molding products for the battery industry. Those are the only products Accuma makes at its Statesville facility; it currently imports lead bushings from Italy to serve U.S. customers, Totherow said.
Accuma is gearing up to produce lead bushings in the U.S. in response to the Trump administration’s domestic manufacturing push and to better serve customers in America.
It’s now installing equipment to manufacture lead bushings and estimates initial production to begin in the second quarter of 2027. The project is anticipated to be complete in December 2027.
The expansion is being supported by up to $33,466 in incentives from Iredell County. That equals roughly half of the property taxes generated by the new machinery and equipment. It pursued incentives under the codename Project Lead.
Accuma also considered its Nebraska facility for the expansion. Totherow credited Iredell County Economic Development Corp.’s outreach with persuading the company to choose Statesville.
The expansion positions Accuma for further growth in Iredell County. The company could build a new facility on land it already owns in the county if it sees enough demand.
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