We just got back from The Battery Show in Novi, Michigan. What a whirlwind this year. Nonstop action at the booth from the opening right up until closing. Other than my worst day of travel in well over 10 years, the entire trip was a delight. The energy level in the exhibit hall was palpable and carried by nearly everyone present. With the impending changes to regulations helping accelerate the acceptance and viability of zero-emission vehicles, the engagement of everyone there was remarkable. At this show, and this year in particular, we get the most astute, thoughtful, and interesting questions of any show that we attend. Thank you to everyone who stopped by, you made this our best show ever.
For me travelling to Novi is a trip to the Midwest where I grew up. After all these years of living in New England, it still feels like going home when I return. For me, the best meal of the day is breakfast. I can go without lunch through a busy trade show without any issues, but a skimpy breakfast will leave me flat for the day. During the 2021 show, we discovered a perfect piece of Americana in a little breakfast restaurant there in Northville, called Rebeccas Family Restaurant. This place just makes me smile. With pictures and models of planes, trains, and busses, photos of the sports teams from Detroit, and a working model train that runs around the entire dining area, this place leaves me with the feeling that America is still good and strong. We had a chance to eat there twice on this trip. As busy as the show was, I was glad to have a hearty breakfast to keep me going. I will miss Rebecca’s next year when the show moves to Detroit.
This year’s show was interesting, with battery plants being planned for all over the US, there was a significant increase in the number of capital equipment suppliers at this year’s show. I expect much more of that next year as the venue gets bigger and the competition for providing the capital equipment for these factories increases. For our part, we were looking to engage with as many companies seeking compact and powerful cooling systems for batteries, electronics, and charging stations. Mission accomplished. With a continuous stream of engaging, interested, engineers and businesses our booth crew was kept occupied answering questions and queuing up meetings for the coming weeks.
Thank you to all who came to our booth. We are hoping to see you again in Detroit next year.
