Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer of consumer and off-grid products integrated with flexible thin-film photovoltaic modules (CIGS), announced on July 11th, 2013, the company's new distribution partnership with West Coast Limited, one of the leading electronics distributors in the United Kingdom and Ireland represented by PowerIT-2-Channel Ltd.
Founded in 1984 West Coast has become one of the leading distributors recently eclipsing €1 billion in annual revenue. Over the past decade West Coast has come to be the largest UK distributor for companies such as Hewlett Packard, Samsung and Toshiba; further cementing its position as a premier electronics distributor. Ascent's relationship with West Coast will allow EnerPlex products to quickly reach every corner of the United Kingdom and Ireland and every consumer therein, utilizing West Coast's robust and mature distribution channels, establishing Ascent's EnerPlex brand throughout.
Nick Amer, Business Development Director at West Coast, announced, "Alternative power has become ever more popular, especially with the huge growth in portable devices like smartphones & tablets, but in the past many solutions have been very bulky and ineffective. Therefore we are very excited to be partnering with Ascent Solar to bring their superb products to the UK market, and helping to make depleted batteries a thing of the past."
John Maslanik, Ascent's Manager of Business Development, said, "This agreement enables Ascent to leverage West Coast's considerable distribution capabilities to reach nearly every consumer in the United Kingdom and Ireland via both e-commerce, retail and direct channels, bringing Ascent's EnerPlex products to market in force in an incredibly short period of time. Consumers in the UK and Ireland have shown great interest in renewable energy products, a trend which the EnerPlex series of products is perfectly situated to immediately benefit from. Furthermore, this agreement represents a blueprint for Ascent's expansion into new international markets, taking advantage of entrenched distribution channels and relationships which enable rapid deployment of EnerPlex products to an attractive target market."
The EnerPlex Product line has quickly changed the paradigm of solar-integrated consumer electronics, providing consumers with lightweight, powerful and extremely durable charging solutions for all their portable electronics. SurfrTM, a line of solar and battery integrated phone cases, allows users to charge their phone anywhere and in cases of emergency. KickrTM, a line of portable solar chargers, provides a charging solution for most USB enabled devices enabling power to be generated almost anywhere and in nearly every situation, perfect for emergency preparedness. With the addition of the JumprTM line of portable batteries, consumers now have a complete, integrated, solar charging and storage solution for life on the go.