The French Battery and Carbon Company was founded in 1906 by James Bowen Ramsey in Madison, Wisconsin. The company produced batteries for portable radios, ignition batteries, and batteries for flashlights as well as producing flashlights under the trade name “French Flasher.” In the 1930s the company changed its name to Ray-O-Vac (eventually shortened to Rayovac) based on their best-selling dry cell batteries chiefly used for vacuum tube radios.
Rayovac was responsible for several innovations including the first wearable vacuum tube hearing aid and the first “leak proof” dry cell battery. During the Great Depression Rayovac expanded their products to include waxes, polishes, shaving cream, and a “creme-freezer” for making frozen desserts. During World War II Rayovac supplied the United States Military with batteries to power gear such as radios, walkie-talkies, and mine detectors.
Rayovac brought lawsuits against several battery companies for patent infringement regarding their patent for “leak proof” batteries. While Rayovac was successful against the patent infringement suits, they did not win the trademark lawsuits for the use of the term “leak proof.”
Rayovac acquired and merged with several other battery companies during its long history including the Electric Storage Battery Company (ESB Incorporated). At the turn of the 21st century Rayovac decided to diversify and acquired many non-battery companies including Remington, United Pet Group, United Industries, and hardware companies such as Pfister and Stanley. In 2004 corporate headquarters were relocated from Madison to Atlanta, Georgia; however by 2014 the headquarters were moved back to Wisconsin. In 2009 Spectrum Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection emerging from bankruptcy later that same year.
| 1906 |
French Battery and Carbon Company, founded in Madison, Wisconsin
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| 1910 |
First sale of flashlight batteries
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| 1914 |
First sale of flashlights, under trade name “French Flasher”
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| 1920 |
Trademarks Ray-O-Spark for ignition batteries
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| 1921 |
Trademarks Ray-O-Lite for flashlights
Trademarks Ray-O-Vac for dry batteries, chiefly used for vacuum tube radios
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| 1928 |
Invention of the plug-in radio slows sales of radio batteries
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| 1933 |
Patent of first portable radio with high fidelity reception
Products added during Great Depression:waxes, polishes, shaving cream, and a ”creme-freezer” for making frozen desserts
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| 1934 |
French Battery Company renamed Ray-O-Vac (eventually shortened to Rayovac)
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| 1937 |
Patent for the first wearable vacuum tube hearing aid
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| 1939 |
Invention and patent for Leak Proof “sealed in steel” dry cell battery
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| 1941-1945 |
Supplies United States Military during World War II with batteries to power gear such as radios, walkie-talkies, mine detectors, etc.
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| 1949 |
Ray-O-Vac introduces crown cell alkaline batteries for hearing aids and the steel Sportsman flashlight
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| 1956 |
Ray-O-Vac lists stock on New York Stock Exchange
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| 1957 |
Ray-O-Vac merger with Electric Storage Battery Company (eventually shortened to ESB Incorporated)
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| 1964 |
Federal Trade Commission requires Ray-O-Vac to discontinue use of trademark “Leak Proof”
Introduction of “Factory Seal” to avoid accidental discharge and to keep used and unused batteries from being intermixed
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| 1971 |
Patent for silver oxide button cells
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| 1972 |
Introduction of all zinc chloride general-purpose battery with double the life
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| 1977 |
Patent for divalent silver oxide cell – more power in a thinner battery
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| 1988 |
Introduction of new computer clock battery for personal computers
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| 1993 |
Introduction of “Renewal,” a reusable, long-life alkaline battery
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| 1995 |
Michael Jordan becomes spokesperson for Renewable Reusable Alkaline Batteries and Power Station chargers
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| 1996 |
Thomas H. Lee Company acquires Rayovac
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| 2003 |
Rayovac acquires Remington Products Company
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| 2004 |
Relocates corporate headquarters from Madison, Wisconsin to Atlanta, Georgia (eventually moves corporate headquarters back to Middleton, Wisconsin)
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| 2005 |
Rayovac changes name to Spectrum Brands – with the battery and flashlight lines still under the Rayovac trademark
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