Madison, WI, November 6, 2012 – Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPB), a diversified and global consumer products company with market-leading brands, announced today that the hearing aid battery unit of its Rayovac® global battery division has received top honors in two categories of the 2012 In Business Sustainability Awards program.
The world’s number-one selling hearing aid battery producer with the longest-lasting, mercury-free products, Rayovac earned both the Eco-Product of the Year award for its mercury-free hearing aid batteries and the Eco-Efficiency Initiative of the Year award for projects carried out at its Portage, Wisconsin hearing aid battery plant. Rayovac has developed and manufactured hearing aid batteries for nearly 50 years at its Portage facility which, together with its 30-year-old companion facility in Washington, UK, serves growing world markets with batteries recognized for their industry leadership in technology, performance, reliability and sustainability.
“Our hearing aid battery team is extremely proud and honored to receive these two important awards from the In Business Sustainability Awards program,” said Randy Raymond, Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing, Rayovac Hearing Aid Batteries. “We remain committed to expanding the boundaries of battery technology, as we have for more than several decades, to meet the increasing needs of hearing professionals and consumers worldwide and ensure our leadership position, while doing the right thing for our environment.”
Rayovac remains at the forefront of the drive to develop mercury-free batteries, responding to growing demand for environmentally friendly technology to replace mercury (a heavy metal) with cleaner materials and components. It introduced its first mercury-free battery in 2009 and has continued to innovate to improve battery performance with each subsequent generation.
Rayovac’s leadership in this regard has been recognized with a number of awards for its efforts, winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation in the U.K. for the past two consecutive years, Export award from the U.K.’s Insider, as well as two honors in the International Business Awards (Stevies) in the U.S.
Rayovac is a member of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Mercury Partnership as part of its commitment to reducing mercury usage and protecting the environment.
“We have made significant investments in time and capital to advance the state of the art in mercury-free hearing aid batteries,” said Raymond. “Our efforts have been recognized in the market through the growth and expansion of our global distribution base, requiring further investment in our manufacturing capacity to meet the rapid growth in demand. This is an ongoing process at Rayovac®, and we continuously work with hearing aid manufacturers, hearing aid professionals and hearing aid users so that we can power not only today’s highly advanced hearing aids, but also those of the future.”
About Spectrum Brands’ Global Battery Business
Spectrum Brands Holdings’ worldwide battery business, a leader in battery power and innovation, spans the globe, from North America to Europe and Latin America where the Company is among the top one, two or three suppliers in each region. In Central Europe, the premium-positioned VARTA® is the second-largest alkaline battery brand. In North America, Rayovac® is the number-three brand with a well-defined value proposition and growing share, and in Latin America, the Rayovac® brand dominates the battery market. The Company also is the leading global supplier of hearing aid batteries. Backed by a long history of bringing the latest innovations to the marketplace, our portfolio features a wide variety of consumer batteries, including alkaline, zinc carbon, hearing aid, rechargeable batteries and chargers. Rayovac® and VARTA® also market portable lighting products. Our state-of-the-art products offer more power for the money. For more information, visit https://www.rayovac.com/, https://www.varta-consumer.com/, and the Rayovac Expo Page on AudiologyOnline.
About Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.
Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc., a member of the Russell 2000 Index, is a global and diversified consumer products company and a leading supplier of batteries, shaving and grooming products, personal care products, small household appliances, specialty pet supplies, lawn & garden and home pest control products, personal insect repellents and portable lighting. Helping to meet the needs of consumers worldwide, the Company offers a broad portfolio of market-leading, well-known and widely trusted brands including Rayovac®, Remington®, VARTA®, George Foreman®, Black & Decker®, Toastmaster®, Farberware®, Tetra®, Marineland®, Nature’s Miracle®, Dingo®, 8-in-1®, FURminator®, Littermaid®, Spectracide®, Cutter®, Repel®, Hot Shot® and Black Flag®. Spectrum Brands Holdings' products are sold by the world's top 25 retailers and are available in more than one million stores in approximately 140 countries. Spectrum Brands Holdings generated net sales of approximately $3.25 billion in fiscal 2012. For more information, visit https://www.spectrumbrands.com/.
