[Milsurplus] Copper Top Battries

[Robert Nickels]

On 6/12/2015 7:59 PM, Peter Gottlieb wrote:
>
> Now, alkaline cells are a commodity and companies like Duracell are 
> riding on past reputation and advertising to carve out their share of 
> the market.  Every hundredth of a cent per cell is important to the 
> bottom line, and the entire purpose of the company now is the bottom 
> line. 

Exactly so.   I know a bit about Rayovac (Spectrum Brands) because it 
originally was called the French Battery Company of Madison, WI, where 
Dr. Charles F. Burgess consulted, and later founded his own battery 
company here in my city of Freeport, IL.   Until about 5 years ago, 
Rayovac manufactured at least some of it's alkaline batteries in the 
small community of Fennimore, WI but about 100 of the 275 employees lost 
their jobs as production moved to China. Even though alkaline battery 
manufacturing is highly automated with very low direct labor content, as 
a consumer product it's also about shelf space and meeting the demands 
of megabuyers like Wal-Mart. Once one competitor moves to a low-cost 
country, even the small cost savings add up quickly and others are 
forced to follow suit to avoid losing market share with their largest 
customers.

As a partial concession, the company's newest highest performance 
battery, the "Fusion" line, is being made in Fennimore - for now at 
least,  according to the company website:  "Made in Fennimore, 
Wisconsin,**Rayovac’s*FUSION *features an innovative new slim seal 
technology and optimized chemistry which increases battery performance."

73, Bob W9RAN

PS: On a historical note, after decades of producing zinc-carbon 
batteries in Freeport (including millions for military radios and 
flashlights),  the Burgess Battery site was demolished as part of an EPA 
environmental cleanup, and will be officially re-dedicated as a bike and 
water trailhead tomorrow morning, a project I've put many volunteer 
hours into ;-)