Duracell facts for kids
Logo since 2013
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| Subsidiary | |
| Founded | 1924 (as P.R. Mallory Company) |
| Founders | Samuel Ruben Philip Mallory |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, U.S., Bethel, Connecticut |
| Products | Batteries |
| Revenue | US$2 billion (2015) |
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Number of employees
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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 |
Duracell Inc. is an American company that makes alkaline batteries, special batteries, and rechargeable batteries. Since 2016, it has been fully owned by Berkshire Hathaway, a large company. Duracell's story began in the 1920s with the work of two people, Samuel Ruben and Philip Mallory, who started the P. R. Mallory Company.
Over the years, Duracell was bought by different companies. One of them was Procter & Gamble (P&G), a big company known for many household products. In 2014, P&G agreed to sell Duracell to Berkshire Hathaway. This deal meant that Berkshire Hathaway traded its shares in P&G to become the owner of the Duracell battery business.
Contents
Duracell's Journey: A History
How Duracell Started
Duracell began because of a partnership between a scientist named Samuel Ruben and a businessman named Philip Rogers Mallory. They first met in the 1920s. The P. R. Mallory Company, which was in Burlington, Massachusetts, moved its main office to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1924.
The company first made mercury batteries for military equipment. These batteries were better than the carbon-zinc batteries that were commonly used at the time. In the 1950s, a camera company called Kodak created cameras that used a flashbulb. This new design needed a different size of zinc-carbon battery, which led to the creation of the AAA size.
In 1964, the name "Duracell" was first used as a brand. The name comes from "durable cell," meaning a long-lasting battery. Until 1980, the batteries also had the Mallory brand name on them.
Growing and Changing
The P. R. Mallory company was bought by Dart Industries in 1978. Then, Dart Industries joined with Kraft in 1980. Later, in 1988, a company called Kohlberg Kravis Roberts bought Duracell and made it a public company in 1989. In 1996, The Gillette Company bought Duracell for $7 billion.
In 2005, Procter & Gamble bought Gillette, which included Duracell, for $57 billion.
In 2011, Duracell and Powermat Technologies Ltd. started a joint company called Duracell Powermat. Their goal was to make small wireless chargers for mobile phones and other small electronic devices.
In 2012, Duracell, along with Powermat Technologies, helped create the Power Matters Alliance (PMA). This group includes many important companies and organizations that work to make smart and eco-friendly wireless power technology better.
In 2013, Duracell released a new line of batteries called "Duracell Quantum." These were their best-performing alkaline batteries at the time.
New Ownership: Berkshire Hathaway
On October 24, 2014, Procter & Gamble announced that it would separate Duracell from its other businesses in 2015. On November 14, 2014, Berkshire Hathaway announced that it planned to buy Duracell. The deal was completed on February 29, 2016.
In September 2016, Duracell shared its plans to move its main team and 60 employees to Chicago.
In February 2022, Duracell announced a long-term partnership with Williams Racing, a Formula One racing team. As part of this deal, the racing car's air intake was designed to look like a Duracell battery. This design was first seen in the 2022 Miami Grand Prix and was also used for the Williams FW45 car in the 2023 racing season. Duracell also became the main sponsor for Williams Racing's eNASCAR team, which is now called Duracell Williams Esports eNASCAR.
Duracell Products
Duracell makes alkaline batteries in many common sizes. These include AAA, AA, C, D, and 9V batteries. They also make less common sizes like AAAA (used in pagers and penlights) and J size batteries (for hospital devices).
Duracell also produces "button cells" which are small, round batteries. These use different chemicals like zinc-air, silver-oxide, and lithium. Button cells are found in calculators, watches, hearing aids, and other small devices, especially medical ones.
In 2008, Duracell partnered with a company called Dane-Elec to make flash memory products. These included memory cards, hard drives, and USB flash drives that had the Duracell brand and its famous "copper top" color.
Duracell also makes special batteries, such as NiMH rechargeable batteries. They also create batteries for cameras, watches, and hearing aids. Their two main battery brands are "CopperTop (Plus)," which are advertised as lasting longer, and "Ultra," which are made for digital devices and other gadgets that need more power. Duracell also produces some lithium batteries and car batteries.
Duracell makes alkaline and lithium batteries in both prismatic (block-like) and cylindrical shapes. In 2006, Duracell introduced "Power Pix" batteries with NiOx technology. These batteries were designed to power digital cameras and other devices that use a lot of energy for up to twice as long as regular alkaline batteries.
Duracell's batteries for professional use are sold under the brand name "Procell" in the United States and Europe. There are two main types of Procell batteries: "Procell Alkaline" and "Procell Intense Power." "Procell Alkaline" batteries are for devices that use less power, like clocks. "Procell Intense Power" batteries are for devices that need more power.
In the 1980s, the company briefly had a line of flashlights called Durabeam. These flashlights were marketed as being much stronger and brighter than other flashlights available at the time.
See also
In Spanish: Duracell para niños
- Duracell Bunny
- The Puttermans
