The world’s number one selling hearing aid battery manufacturer has officially been recognised by the Queen.
Rayovac, the world’s longest standing hearing aid battery manufacturer and only UK-based one, has been given the royal seal of approval and awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is one of the highest honours that can be bestowed on a UK based company and is awarded each year to those demonstrating outstanding achievement.
Rayovac, a division of Spectrum Brands UK Ltd, is one of a select band of top companies to win and has picked up the prize for Innovation 2011 for its commitment to product development.
In scooping the award, Rayovac has been rewarded for its success in pushing back the boundaries of battery technology since manufacturing its first zinc air battery in the UK in 1989. Most recently, with its new Mercury Free AVA (Added Voltage Agent) battery which has been engineered over a 7 year period and at a cost of more than £3m. The battery combines clean technology with high performance and has been developed over several years. It is the most powerful mercury free product on the market – lasting 30 per cent longer than competitor batteries.
It is one of many batteries developed in Washington – which employs over 160 staff – and is Rayovac’s global metal parts production headquarters. Hundreds of millions of batteries are manufactured each year here and exported to Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific.
Vince Armitage, divisional vice president at Rayovac, said: “This is great news for Rayovac. The Queen’s Award is one of the highest accolades a company can win and a real reward for the efforts we have made to innovate and enhance battery technology over several years. “The pace of change in battery technology is increasing all time as manufacturers of hearing aids continue to add new digital features to their devices which need more power. We’re working hard to anticipate these developments by constantly improving the power and reliability of batteries.”
Rayovac Mercury Free AVA is the latest in a long line of product innovations the company has introduced by working closely with hearing aid manufacturers and hard of hearing groups to improve the power, reliability and lifespan of batteries. It has responded to the increasing power demands of today’s hearing devices by boosting the capacity of the battery through new proprietary technology – changing the internal structure of the battery with new designs, thinner materials and new chemical formulations. This has resulted in a series of market leading products including Rayovac Advanced and Cochlear Plus, a specialist battery for those with cochlear implants.
Other innovations including a stainless steel shell casing and new air management system have significantly enhanced performance too.
Vince added: “The market is growing steadily due to a host of factors such as ageing populations, advances in technology and emerging markets in areas like Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. We’re in a strong position to meet this demand as it emerges and the Queen’s Award underlines our success.”
