Eveready Battery Company

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Eveready Battery Company, Inc. is an American manufacturer of electric battery brands Eveready and Energizer, owned by Energizer Holdings. Its headquarters are located in St. Louis, Missouri.<ref>Eveready Battery Company, Inc. Privacy Policy Template:Webarchive, Retrieved 2010-10-30.</ref>

The predecessor company began in 1890 in New York and was renamed in 1905. Today, the company makes batteries in the United States and China and has production facilities around the world.

History

Template:Multiple image In 1896, Russian immigrant Conrad Hubert founded the American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company to market battery powered devices.<ref name=":0" /> On January 10, 1899, the company obtained U.S. Patent No. 617,592 (filed March 12, 1898) from David Misell, an inventor.<ref name="patent617592">Template:Cite web</ref> This "electric device" designed by Misell was powered by "D" batteries laid front-to-back in a paper tube with the light bulb and a rough brass reflector at the end.<ref name="electropedia">Template:Cite web</ref> Misell, the inventor of the tubular hand-held "electric device" (flashlight), assigned his invention over to the American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company owned by Conrad Hubert.<ref name="patent617592"/><ref name="flashlightmuseum">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1905, Hubert changed the name again to The American Ever Ready Company, selling flashlights and batteries under the trademark Ever Ready.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1906 the British Ever Ready Electrical Company (BEREC) was formed for export of batteries; it became independent in 1914.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1907, Ever Ready announced AA dry cell, and in 1911 it developed AAA dry cell.<ref name="eveready">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Third-party inline

In 1914, The American Ever Ready Company became part of National Carbon Company. Hubert stayed on as the president. The trademark was shortened to Eveready.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Under National Carbon, the company continued to market various tubular flashlights, flask-shaped pocket lights, fountainpen flashlights, lighted clocks, lanterns, electric candles, cap and lapel lights, search lights, pistol lights, gas and range lighters, and tungsten batteries.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1917, National Carbon Company merged with Union Carbide to form the Union Carbide and Carbon Company.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 1917 until 1921, Eveready used the trademark "DAYLO" for their flashlights and on their batteries. Into the 1930s, it sold "A," "B," and "C" radio batteries, Columbia Dry Batteries, and flashlight batteries.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> B batteries were sold under the Layerbilt name.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1937, a South African operation was established in Port Elizabeth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By 1949, BEREC acquired the concern.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1957, employees Lewis Urry, Paul Marsal, and Karl Kordesch invented a long-lasting alkaline battery using a zinc/manganese dioxide chemistry while working for Union Carbide's Cleveland plant.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The company did not aggressively market the invention, however, and instead continued to market the zinc–carbon battery. As a result, the company lost significant market share to Duracell.<ref name="fundinguniverse.com">Template:Cite web</ref>

Union Carbide Kenya Limited., based in Kenya, was established in 1967 to manufacturer and market Eveready batteries in Africa. It was renamed to Eveready Batteries Kenya Limited in 1986 and to Eveready East Africa Limited in 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Prior to March 1, 1980, the company's alkaline battery had been called the Eveready Alkaline Battery (1959–1968), Eveready Alkaline Energizer (1968–1974) and Eveready Alkaline Power Cell (1974–February 29, 1980). On March 1, 1980, it was rebadged under its current name, Energizer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1986, Union Carbide sold its Battery Products Division to Ralston Purina for $1.4 billion. After the transfer, the division was named Eveready Battery Company, Inc., becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Ralston Purina.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By the end of 1987, Eveready held 58-60% percent market share, but that number had fallen to 40-45% by 1989 thanks to competition from Duracell.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 1988, Eveready's European unit acquired Cofinea, a French company that made Wonder and Mazda batteries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Eveready announced its first lithium AA battery in 1988 and began selling it in December 1992.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The company introduced its first mercury-free Battery in 1990.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1992, it bought the British Ever Ready Electrical Company (manufacturer of Gold Seal and Silver Seal batteries) from Hanson Trust,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> bringing its former subsidiary back under common ownership. Hanson retained its South African division at the time but ultimately sold it to Duracell in 1996.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

By December 1998, Eveready's market share had fallen to 30% against Duracell's 50%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In June 1999, Ralston Purina announced it would spin off the Eveready business.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By September, it was announced that Eveready would sell its rechargeable battery division, though it retained a minority stake.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ralston completed its spin off Eveready in April 2000. The business unit was renamed Energizer Holdings, Inc., with Eveready Battery Company, Inc continuing as a subsidiary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Facilities

The company's initial factory opened in the 1890s and was located near Edgewater Park in Cleveland, Ohio.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> The manufacturing plant was closed in 1978 and all operations shut down in 1997.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The site was put up for sale in 1999<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and later turned into the Battery Park housing development.<ref name=":1" />

Eveready inherited its Fremont, Ohio plant when National Carbon Company acquired the company in 1914. The facility produced hearing aid batteries, aluminum-air batteries, C and D zinc-carbon batteries, and six-inch dry cell batteries at various times. It was closed in March 1998 following the decline in demand for zinc-carbon batteries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Eveready opened a plant in Bennington, Vermont in 1942 and a facility in St. Albans in 1947. The St. Albans plant closed in 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After nearly 80 years of operation, it was announced in October 2019 that the Bennington facility would close. Production operations moved to a new facility in Portage, Wisconsin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1967, Union Carbide opened an electrolytic manganese dioxide plant in Marietta, Ohio. Three ferromanganese-alloy furnace departments were sold in 1981. A fire in April 1987 kept the facility closed for over a year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1971, Eveready opened a facility in Maryville, Missouri. It was underwent five expansions from 1973 to 1997 before ultimately closing in 2013 due to a drop in demand of disposable batteries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The company also maintained facilities in Asheboro, North Carolina; Marietta, Ohio; and Westlake, Ohio.<ref>Where we work Template:Webarchive, Energizer website. Retrieved 2010-10-30.</ref> The majority of batteries are made in China. There are also numerous production facilities outside the US.

Advertising

Template:More citations needed In the 1920s, the company sponsored The Eveready Hour on radio.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1941, after the United States entered World War II, the slogan changed to "Change your batteries, get a nickel!" to encourage economic growth.

In the 1970s, actor Robert Conrad was the spokesman for Eveready Alkaline Power Cells, in which he compared his tough physique to the performance of the battery placed on his shoulder, and daring someone to knock it off.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the early 1980s, it utilized the slogan, "Energized, for life!", showing people using Energizers in everyday situations.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

In 1985, the company highlighted an advertising campaign best known for Mary Lou Retton averring: "It's supercharged!"<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

In the late 1980s, there was an Australian advertising campaign featuring Mark 'Jacko' Jackson and his pitch line "Energizer! It'll surprise you! Oi!".<ref name="imdb">Template:Cite web</ref>

Since 1988, the well-known Energizer Bunny has been featured in its television ads. The bunny was based on the similar Duracell Bunny. Initially, ads had the Energizer Bunny interrupting what seemed like other brands' commercials.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Later, the bunny would appear in competition with inferior rival battery Supervolt, which was based on Duracell. In 1991, it made the jump to print advertising.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Outside the United States and Canada, the company uses an anthropomorphic AA battery named Mr. Energizer as its mascot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Both the Eveready and Energizer marks are used under license by auto parts magnate Pep Boys for their in-house car batteries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

References

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