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About Us
Corporate Background
 The story of Duracell begins in the early 1920's with an inventive scientist named Samuel
Ruben and an eager manufacturer of tungsten filament wire named Philip Rogers Mallory.
Ruben came to the P.R. Mallory Company seeking a piece of equipment he needed for
an experiment. Ruben and Mallory saw an opportunity: uniting Ruben’s inventive genius
with the company’s manufacturing muscle. Their partnership, which would last until 1975
with Mallory's death, was the bedrock of Duracell International.

Samuel Ruben's inventions revolutionised battery technology. Amidst World War II, for
instance, Ruben devised the mercury cell, which packed more capacity in less space and
was durable enough for the harsh climates of wartime theatres like North Africa and the
South Pacific — places where ordinary zinc carbon batteries used in flashlights, mine
detectors, and walkie-talkies couldn't hold up. P.R. Mallory manufactured millions of
mercury cells for the war effort. The Mallory Battery Company was formed shortly
thereafter.

In the 1950's, Samuel Ruben went on to improve the alkaline manganese battery, making
it more compact, durable, and longer lasting than anything before it. At about the same
time, Eastman Kodak introduced cameras with a built-in flash unit that required more
power than zinc carbon cells could provide. The cameras needed alkaline manganese
cells but in a new size, the AAA. Mallory made them, and also licensed the technology to
others because the company, at that time, had no consumer distribution.

The photographic demand for power put alkaline cells on the map — and the DURACELL
brand was introduced in 1964. Soon, the consumer market for DURACELL batteries
rocketed and supplies had to be rationed in the 1970's as manufacturing capacity caught
up.

Today, as part of The Procter & Gamble , Duracell is the world's leading manufacturer and
marketer of high-performance alkaline batteries. The tradition of innovation started by
Ruben and Mallory is still evident in new DURACELL batteries such as DURACELL ULTRA
with M3 Technology®. Duracell also markets primary lithium, silver oxide and zinc air
batteries. The company operates 6 battery-manufacturing facilities worldwide. With
headquarters in Bethel, Connecticut, USA. Duracell sells its batteries throughout the
world, primarily under the DURACELL® trademark.

For more information about our consumer products, visit www.duracell.com

For more information about P&G , visit www.pg.com

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