CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Next Meeting

ASM-Lehigh Valley Chapter Meeting
Tour of Deka Batteries

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

Tour of Deka Batteries - East Penn Manufacturing
Lyon Station, PA (directions below)

TOUR IS LIMITED TO FIRST 50 TO REGISTER!!!

SCHEDULE:
5:45 - Meet at A2 Training Room (directions below)
6:00 - Tour will start promptly with Presentation
7:30 - Dinner at the Kutztown Tavern

Make a reservation through the web site or by calling Keith Hill at 610-208-2929. Please note that reservations should be made no later than Monday, October 11th, 2010. If you sign up and cannot attend please call Darwin Evangelista at 610-562-6673 no later than one day before the event. LVASM gets charged the cost of the meal for all no shows.

LOCATION:
Deka Road
Lyon Station, PA 19536

MENU:
Buffet
Salad Bar
Seafood Bisque
Broiled Salmon with Old Bay Butter
Prime Rib
Vegetarian Lasagna
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Vegetable of the Day
Focaccia Bread
Homemade Cheesecake with Assorted Toppings

COST:
$25 for members and their guests
$20 for students & retired members

TOUR DETAILS:

  • We will meet in the A2 Training Room. Presentation will start at 6:00 P.M.
  • Please enter East Penn at Gate 1 and stop at the guardhouse (across from the Corporate Office)
  • Mention to the guard that you are here for the ASM Tour of plant A2 and give your name.
  • Ask for directions and a map to the A2 office.
  • You can park in any available spots at the side of the building and in the gravel lot on the right at the end of the macadam lot.
  • You will use the side door and take the elevator to the 2nd floor.
  • A guide will meet you at the office and direct you to the A2 Training Room for a brief video to begin at 6:00 p.m. and then continue with the tour.
  • Please bring safety glasses if you have them. If not, some will be provided.

SOME INFO ON DEKA
In 1946, DeLight Breidegam Jr., a young Air Force veteran, started a battery business with his father. DeLight Sr. was a seasoned battery professional, having worked for Bowers Battery Company and Price Battery Company over the years. The war made materials for new batteries scarce, but there was a great demand for rebuilt batteries to allow the returning GIs to get all those mothballed cars and trucks started. DeLight and his dad filled that need collecting old batteries and rebuilding them into new. Having little money to start, they rented a tiny vacant creamery building in the village of Bowers, PA. DeLight Jr. had to use the grocery store across the street to weigh battery plates and the phone at the hotel to conduct business. The company began to build new batteries as materials became available, and a new plant was built in Lyons Station, PA. By 1971 the company had grown to 350 employees, a number that would double in the next five years. Large investments in new manufacturing and battery technology led to expansive growth throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The company is now the largest manufacturing employer in Berks County and has been recognized with many awards. Currently, East Penn has a 490+ acre plant site, the largest in its industry, and over two million square feet under roof.

DIRECTIONS:
From Allentown to Lyon Station, PA

  • West on I-78 to Exit 49A (Rte 100 South, Trexlertown)
  • South on Rte 100, 0.5 mile to second traffic light (Reading exit)
  • Bear right onto Schantz Road, under Reading directional sign, approx. 3 miles to first stop sign.
  • Bear right onto Rte 222 South, towards Reading & Kutztown
  • After first traffic light (Arby's and Burger King), continue straight on Rte 222 South for 1.1 miles to Kutztown exit
  • Take Kutztown exit onto Main Street
  • Go approx. 1.5 miles on Main Street to 4th traffic light
  • Turn left onto Noble Street traveling approx. 3 miles into Lyon Station
  • Turn right at stop sign (after railroad tracks)
  • To visit East Penn's Personnel Office take the second gate on the left.
  • Our Personnel Office is at the top of the hill.
  • To visit East Penn's Main Building, turn right directly across from main gate.

From Reading to Lyon Station, PA

  • Rte 222 North to Rte 662
  • At light, turn right onto Rte 662 South into Fleetwood
  • At light, turn left and follow road for approx. 3.5 miles.
  • To visit East Penn's Personnel Office, take the first hard right just past the railroad overpass.
  • Our Personnel Office is at the top of the hill
  • To visit East Penn's Main Building, continue straight past the railroad overpass and our office is on the left.

 

 

RESERVATIONS

Make a reservation through the website or by calling Keith Hill at 610-208-2929. Please note that reservations should be made no later than one day before the event date. If you make a reservation and cannot make the meeting, please call or email Darwin Evangelista at 610-562-6673 or darwin_evangelista@brushwellman.com before the meeting. LVASM gets charged for the cost of the meal for all no shows.