Morgan Stanley Recharges Yuasa –

Morgan Stanely Dean Witter Capital Partners, the private equity division of the investment bank, last month backed the management of Yuasa Inc.‘s motive power and stationary power business in a buyout from its parent company, the Yuasa Corp. of Japan.

Yuasa Inc., which provides stored energy solutions, such as utilities, uninterruptible power supplies and material handling, will be renamed EnerSys Inc. as of January 1. The company is based in Reading, Pa. with production facilities in the U.S., Argentina, Mexico and Canada.

The buyout will allow the company to take advantage of the booming Internet and telecom industries. “The market for energy/power systems and products in these industries is projected to grow at a rate of more than 20% per year over the next five years,” said John Craig, the company’s president and chief executive, in a statement. “Our existing capabilities, coupled with the financial strength of our partners, MSDW Capital Partners, will help us achieve our ambitious yet very realistic business goals of being closely tied to that growth.”

Joining Craig in the management team are Charles McManus, executive vice president of the stationary power business; Michael Philion, chief financial officer and executive vice president of finance; John Shea, executive vice president of the motive power business; and Richard Zuidema, executive vice president of administration and international.

Yuasa’s sports utility business unit, which remains under the ownership of Yuasa Corp., will be renamed Yuasa Battery, led by P. Michael Ehrlerman.

Officials at Morgan Stanley did not return calls by press time.