On January 10, 1899, American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company obtained U.S. Patent No. 617,592 (filed 12 March 1898) from David Misell, an inventor.  This “electric device” designed by Misell was powered by “D” batteries laid front-to-back in a paper tube with the light bulb and a rough brass reflector at the end.  Misell, the inventor of the tubular hand-held “electric device” (a.k.a. electric torch or flashlight), assigned his invention over to the American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company owned by Conrad Hubert.

In 1905, Hubert changed the name again to The American Ever Ready Company, selling flashlights and batteries under the trademark Ever Ready.

In 1914, The American Ever Ready Company became part of National Carbon Company. Hubert stayed on as the president. The trademark was shortened to Eveready.

In 1917, National Carbon Company merged with Union Carbide to form The Union Carbide and Carbon Company.

From 1917 until 1921, Eveready used the trademark “DAYLO” for their flashlights and on their batteries.

In 1959, employee Lewis Urry invented the long-lasting alkaline battery. The company did not aggressively market the invention, however, and instead continued to market the old Zinc-carbon battery. As a result, the company lost significant market share to Duracell.

Prior to 1980, the company’s alkaline battery had been called the Eveready Alkaline Power Cell. In 1980, it was rebadged under its current name, Energizer.

In 1986, Union Carbide sold its Battery Products Division to Ralston Purina Company for US$1.4 billion, becoming the Eveready Battery Company, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary. At that time, the Eveready and Energizer batteries held 52 percent market share. The company under Ralston lost market share to rival Duracell.

In 1992, it bought the British Ever Ready Electrical Company from Hanson Trust, the manufacturer of Gold Seal and Silver Seal batteries.

In 1999, Eveready sold its rechargeable battery division, although it still markets them for retail sale.

In 2000, Ralston spun off Eveready, and it was listed on the New York Stock Exchange as Energizer Holdings, Inc., its current name. Energizer continues to market value priced batteries under the Eveready brand name.

Energizer currently maintains production facilities in Asheboro, North Carolina; St. Albans, Vermont; Maryville, Missouri; Switzerland and Singapore. The current technology center is located in Westlake, Ohio.

In 2005, the Columbia dry cell battery developed by National Carbon Company (predecessor of Energizer) was designated an ACS National Historical Chemical Landmark in recognition of its “significant improvement over previous batteries, meeting consumer demand for a maintenance-free, durable, no-spill, inexpensive electrochemical power source”.

In 2006, Energizer merged its Playtex division.

In 2009, Energizer acquired its shaving division from S.C. Johnson & Son, including Edge and Skintimate.

Info gleaned from WIkipedia