®
Incorporated in Wisconsin as the French
Battery Company on January 17, 1906. The first products (6-inch
cells mostly used to operate telephones and for engine ignition)
were made in a Chicago attic. James B. Ramsay (the organizer, pictured
on right), Alfred Landau and P.W. Strong were the original Board
of Directors. Manufacturing moved to a rented Madison Wisconsin
building in March.
First sale of flashlights
under the trade name
"French Flasher"
"Sales Winner" battery display
cabinet is first point-of-sale display
at Rayovac.
First time the name Ray-O-Vac is used. Ray-O-Vac
trademarked for dry batteries used chiefly for vacuum tube radios.
Lindbergh solos across the Atlantic on May 20
in the "Spirit of St. Louis," carrying two Ray-O-Lite
flashlights as part of his emergency equipment.
Arthur Wengel, chief electronics engineer,
patented the first portable radio with high fidelity reception.
Patent offered to industry manufacturers free of charge, to promote
battery usage.
Ray-O-Vac officially
adopted as company name.
Arthur Wengel
patented the first wearable vacuum tube hearing aid. This patent
was also offered to the industry to promote battery sales.
World War II. Rayovac establishes
seven new plants, boosts employment by 1,000%, wins eight Army-Navy "E" awards
for major contribution to victory by supplying the military with
nearly half a billion batteries.
Rayovac introduces
Crown Cell alkaline batteries for hearing aids, and the highly
acclaimed Sportsman™ flashlight.
The Rayovac Hearing Aid Battery plant opens in Portage, Wisconsin.
Rayovac becomes
the first U.S. firm to introduce heavy duty all zinc chloride battery,
with double the life of zinc carbon batteries then on
the market.
Rayovac introduces
the Air 2000 hearing aid button cell.
Rayovac introduces the Workhorse® premium flashlight with
its
lifetime warranty.
Golfing legend Arnold Palmer uses and becomes the spokesperson for Rayovac Hearing
Aid Batteries.
Basketball superstar Michael Jordan becomes the spokesperson
for
Rayovac.
establishing them as a global
brand with markets worldwide.
Rayovac acquires European-based battery maker VARTA’s consumer
battery business.
Dixon, Illinois becomes becomes the new home of Rayovac’s
packaging plant.
Rayovac acquires Remington® Products Company, LLC.
Rayovac relocates corporate headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia.
Rayovac acquires 85% share in Ningbo Baowang, a Chinese battery
manufacturing facility.
Rayovac acquires Microlite S.A., a Brazilian battery company.
Rayovac acquires United Industries Corporation, including the brands:
Schultz®, Cutter®, Dingo®, Repel®, etc.
Rayovac acquires Tetra® Holding GmbH, a privately-held
supplier of fish and aquatics supplies headquartered in Melle,
Germany, and the leading global brand in foods, equipment and care
products for fish and reptiles, as well as accessories for home
aquariums and ponds.
Rayovac changes name to Spectrum Brands and will trade on
NYSE
as 'SPC'
Football MVP Brett Favre Becomes the spokesperson for Rayovac.
Rayovac announces development of revolutionary new Hybrid™ rechargeable
technology. “The Best of Both World’s” battery is NiMH and
holds a charge like Alkaline, unlike other rechargeable systems.
Rayovac introduces the Ultra Pro line of alkaline batteries
that continue to last as long as Duracell® Coppertop™ & Energizer® Max™.
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