WILSON GREATBATCH TECHNOLOGIES INC. Clarence, New York; Medical Battery Maker Seeks A Jump-Start.(THE NEW AMERICA)

Byline: KIRK SHINKLE

When you're the dominant player in your industry, it's a challenge not to grow complacent.

That doesn't seem to be a problem for the folks at Wilson Greatbatch Technologies Inc., however.

The Clarence, N.Y.-based firm is the top maker of batteries and other components used in medical devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators and implantable cardioverter defibrillators, or ICDs.

Its clients include two of the biggest names in the business: St. Jude Medical Inc. and Guidant Corp., which combine for two-thirds of overall sales. Greatbatch's components are found in nearly all pacemakers and defibrillators.

Still, execs aren't rocking back on their heels. Greatbatch continues to invest in new technology and manufacturing to stay a step ahead of the competition, watchers say.

The firm's next-generation battery -- formerly known as Quasar, but now called Symphony -- will be introduced this year. Symphony is designed to last longer and charge more quickly.