 Logo since 2013 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1924; 101 years ago (1924) (asP.R. Mallory Company) |
| Founders | Philip Mallory |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, U.S.,[1]Bethel, Connecticut |
| Products | Batteries |
| Revenue | US$2 billion(2015) |
Number of employees | 2,700 |
| Parent | Dart Industries (1978–1980) Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (1988–1989) The Gillette Company (1996–2005) Procter & Gamble (2005–2016) Berkshire Hathaway (2016–present) |
| Subsidiaries | Duracell (UK) Limited Duracell China Limited Duracell Batteries BV Duracell Batteries Limited[2] |
| Website | www www |
Duracell Inc. is an American manufacturer ofalkaline batteries, specialty cells, andrechargeables; it is a wholly owned subsidiary ofBerkshire Hathaway since 2016. The company has its origins in the 1920s, through the work ofSamuel Ruben andPhilip Mallory, and the formation of theP. R. Mallory Company.
Through a number of corporate mergers and acquisitions, Duracell came to be owned by the consumer products conglomerateProcter & Gamble (P&G). In November 2014, P&G reached an agreement to sell the company to the international conglomeration Berkshire Hathaway through a transfer of shares. Under the deal, Berkshire Hathaway exchanged the shares it held in P&G for ownership of the Duracell business.[3]
Duracell originated via the partnership of scientist Samuel Ruben and businessman Philip Rogers Mallory, who met during the 1920s. The P. R. Mallory Company ofBurlington, Massachusetts, United States, relocated its headquarters toIndianapolis, Indiana, in 1924. The company producedmercury batteries for military equipment,[4] trumping thecarbon-zinc batteries used then in virtually all applications. In 1956, P. R. Mallory & Co. acquired General Dry Batteries, Inc. (GDB) with headquarters inCleveland, Ohio. GDB was then the third-largest U. S. manufacturer of zinc-carbon batteries and had made mercury batteries under license from P. R. Mallory during and post World War II until its acquisition in 1956.[5] During the 1950s,Kodak introduced cameras with abulb flash. The design required a new zinc-carbon cell size;AAA was introduced.[4]
In 1964,[citation needed] the term "Duracell" was introduced as a brand, from "durable cell".[6]Until 1980, the batteries also bore the Mallory brand.[citation needed]
P. R. Mallory was acquired byDart Industries in 1978, which in turn, merged withKraft in 1980.Kohlberg Kravis Roberts bought Duracell in 1988 and took the company public in 1989. It was acquired for $7 billion byThe Gillette Company in 1996.[7]
In 2005, Procter & Gamble acquired Duracell's parent Gillette for $57 billion.[8]
In September 2011, Duracell andPowermat Technologies Ltd. started a joint venture, called Duracell Powermat, to make small wireless chargers formobile phones and small electronics, with P&G owning 55% of the joint venture shares and Powermat 45%.[9]
In March 2012, along with Powermat Technologies, Duracell, under the Procter & Gamble corporate umbrella, founded thePower Matters Alliance (PMA), an alliance of leading industry and governmental organizations that is dedicated to advancing smart and environmentally sound wireless power.[10]AT&T andStarbucks joined the board later that year.[11]
In 2013, the company released a "Duracell Quantum" line as their top-performing alkaline batteries.[12]
On October 24, 2014, Procter & Gamble announced it would spin off Duracell in 2015 as part of a wider restructuring scheme.[13] On November 14, 2014,Berkshire Hathaway declared its intent to acquire Duracell in an all-stock deal, consisting of $4.7 billion worth of P&G stock then owned by Berkshire Hathaway.[14] The acquisition received regulatory approval from theEuropean Commission in July 2015.[15]
The transfer was completed on February 29, 2016, with P&G investing $1.8 billion in cash into Duracell, and Berkshire Hathaway giving P&G back 52 million shares.[3]
In September 2016, Duracell announced plans to move its executive team and 60 employees toChicago.[16]
In February 2022, Duracell announced a long-term partnership deal withWilliams Racing.[17] The deal culminated with the vertical air intake of the car designed like a Duracell battery, which was first introduced in the2022 Miami Grand Prix.[18] The design was later implemented on theWilliams FW45 for the2023 season.[19] Duracell also became the title sponsor of William Racing'seNASCAR team as Duracell Williams Esports eNASCAR.[20]
Duracell manufacturesalkaline batteries inmany common sizes, such asAAA,AA,C,D, and9V. Lesser-used sizes such asAAAA (primarily forpagers,penlights, andbloodglucose meters) and J size batteries (for hospital devices and photographic strobe flash units) are also manufactured and a range of "button cells" using zinc-air, silver-oxide, and lithium chemistries, used incalculators,watches,hearing aids, and other small (mostly medical-related) devices. Duracell entered into abrand licensing agreement withflash memory manufacturerDane-Elec in 2008 for a line of products includingmemory cards,hard drives andUSB flash drives with the Duracell brand mark and in the brand's trademark "copper top" coloring.[21]
Duracell also manufactures specialty batteries, includingNiMH rechargeable batteries and batteries for cameras, watches, hearing aids, etc. Their two main battery brands are "CopperTop (Plus)," marketed as longer-lasting, and "Ultra," directed mainly at users of digital devices and devices that need more power. Duracell also makes somelithium batteries[22] and car batteries.[23]
Duracell manufactures alkaline and lithium batteries inprismatic as well ascylindrical shape. In 2006, Duracell introduced "Power Pix" batteries withNiOx technology, designed to power digital cameras and other high-drain devices for up to twice as long as alkaline batteries.
Duracell's professional batteries have been sold in the United States and Europe under the brand name "Procell" (previously "Industrial by Duracell" and "Duracell Procell"). Two main product lines are currently sold under the Procell brand, "Procell Alkaline" and "Procell Intense Power",[24] intended to provide longer endurance by tailoring the power profile of the batteries to the requirements of the device. "Procell Alkaline" are designed for use in low-drain applications such as clocks, and Procell Intense Power is designed for higher-drain devices.[25][26]
In the 1980s, the company briefly had a line of flashlights called Durabeam, marketed as being much stronger and brighter than other flashlights.
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