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Energizer Holdings, Inc.

BatteriesFounded 1886
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded Energizer?

Washington H. Lawrence · Founded 1886 · HQ today: Town and Country, Missouri

Who founded Energizer?

Energizer was founded by Washington H. Lawrence in 1886. It is now led by Mark S. LaVigne.

Founders
Washington H. Lawrence
Founded
1886
Headquarters
Town and Country, Missouri
Number of founders
1
Current CEO
Mark S. LaVigne (since 2021)
Where was Energizer founded?
Energizer was founded in St. Louis, Missouri in 1886.
When was Energizer founded?
Energizer was founded in 1886.
Who started Energizer?
Energizer was founded by Washington H. Lawrence.
How old is Energizer?
Energizer is 140 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

Energizer's roots go back to the National Carbon Company, organized in Cleveland in 1886, which sold the Columbia dry cell in 1896, and to the American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company, whose Eveready brand popularized the flashlight. Union Carbide later owned the battery business, and Ralston Purina bought Eveready in 1986. The Energizer brand launched in 1980, and the drumming Energizer Bunny first appeared in 1989 in an ad that parodied Duracell's bunny commercials. Ralston spun off Energizer in 2000, and the 2015 split with Edgewell created today's battery-and-auto-care company.

Washington H. Lawrence

Background

Washington H. Lawrence was a Cleveland industrialist who organized the National Carbon Company in 1886 to make carbon products for the electrical industry, including electrodes for arc lighting.

Role at Energizer Holdings, Inc.

Lawrence led the National Carbon Company, the corporate ancestor of Energizer's battery business. Under his leadership the company moved from carbon electrodes into dry cell batteries and sold the Columbia dry cell in 1896, one of the first batteries made for consumers. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).

Energizer Holdings, Inc.: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Mark S. LaVigne

President and Chief Executive Officer

2021 – Present

Under LaVigne, FY2025 net earnings rose to $239.0 million and adjusted EPS to $3.52 while sales held near $3 billion.

Alan R. Hoskins

Former Chief Executive Officer

2015 – 2020

Turned Energizer from a battery and lighting company into a two-segment battery and auto-care business.

Ward M. Klein

Chief Executive Officer

2005 – 2015

He led the 2015 split that created Edgewell Personal Care and the new Energizer Holdings.

J. Patrick Mulcahy

Chief Executive Officer

2000 – 2005

He bought Schick-Wilkinson Sword in 2003. Ward Klein succeeded him in 2005.

Keep researching Energizer

Who Founded Energizer? FAQ

Who founded Energizer?

Energizer traces its origins to the National Carbon Company, organized in Cleveland in 1886 by Washington H. Lawrence. National Carbon sold the Columbia dry cell in 1896, one of the first consumer batteries.

Who was Conrad Hubert?

Conrad Hubert, a Russian-born inventor, ran the American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company in New York, which sold early portable electric flashlights under the Eveready name. The business later joined National Carbon.

Who was Lewis Urry and how did he invent the modern alkaline battery in 1959?

In 1959, Canadian chemical engineer Lewis Urry, working for Eveready (Union Carbide) in Cleveland, Ohio, invented the long-lasting alkaline-manganese dioxide battery. Urry's major chemistry lasted up to eight times longer than zinc-carbon batteries, creating the modern consumer battery industry.

What was Union Carbide's historical ownership of Eveready and Energizer?

Union Carbide acquired National Carbon Company and Eveready in 1917, operating the battery giant for nearly 70 years until selling the battery division to consumer conglomerate Ralston Purina in 1986 for $1.4 billion.

How did the Energizer Bunny start?

The Energizer Bunny debuted in 1989 in a U.S. ad parodying Duracell's bunny commercials. The drum-beating pink bunny that keeps "going and going" became one of the best-known U.S. ad mascots.

How did Ralston Purina spin off Energizer Holdings as an independent public company in 2000?

In April 2000, cereal and pet food giant Ralston Purina completed a 100% tax-free spinoff of its battery business, establishing Energizer Holdings, Inc. as an independent publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange.

Why did Energizer separate into two independent companies (Energizer and Edgewell) in 2015?

On July 1, 2015, Energizer Holdings completed a corporate separation: spinning off its personal care division (Schick, Banana Boat) into Edgewell Personal Care, while the household battery and lighting business continued as the new Energizer Holdings.

What is the legacy of Energizer's founders?

National Carbon and Eveready helped make portable power common, from early flashlights and radios to today's remotes, smoke detectors and smart-home sensors.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.