VARTA AG
Company typeAktiengesellschaft
FWBVAR1
IndustryElectrical equipment
Founded27 December 1887; 136 years ago (1887-12-27)
FounderAdolf Müller
HeadquartersEllwangen, Germany
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Germany Markus Hackstein (spokesman of the board)
ProductsElectrical batteries
ParentEnergizer Holdings, Inc.
Websitewww.varta-ag.com/de/
Aerial picture of the Varta Microbattery factory in Ellwangen

VARTA AG (pronounced [ˈvaʁta]; German: Vertrieb, Aufladung, Reparatur transportabler Akkumulatorenlit.'distribution, recharging and repair of portable accumulators') is a German company manufacturing batteries for global automotive, industrial, and consumer markets.

History

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Early history

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VARTA was founded by Adolf Müller in 1887, and established in 1904 as a subsidiary of Accumulatoren-Fabrik AFA.[1]

World War II

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In 1923, VARTA together with AFA was acquired by German industrialist Günther Quandt and industrialist and VARTA CEO Dr. Carl Hermann Roderbourg.[2].Quandt was a large donor to the National Socialist Party of Germany, and (...).[3]

(forced labor from 1938)

(nuremberg trials)

[4]

Post-War activities

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After World War II, most of the VARTA shares passed from Günther Quandt to his son, Herbert Quandt. The subsidiary in East Berlin was later occupied by the Soviet Union, and was named BAE Batterien.

In 1977, VARTA AG's businesses were split up by Herbert Quandt; battery and plastics operations were retained in VARTA AG, but the pharmaceuticals and specialty chemical businesses were transferred to a new company called Altana, and the electrical business was spun off into a company called CEAG. Herbert Quandt left the company's shares to his children.

In 2002, the consumer battery activities (excluding button cells) were sold to Rayovac. The automotive battery business was acquired by Johnson Controls. The button cell and home energy storage businesses were acquired by Montana Tech Components.

By 2006, VARTA AG had sold all its operating divisions, and the Quandts had sold their shares. VARTA AG then liquidated its remaining assets, contracts, liabilities and shareholdings, in particular the manufacture and sale of VARTA batteries, while continuing its company businesses.

On 19 October 2017 shares of the VARTA AG started flotation on the stock market (Prime Standard). With an emission price[clarification needed] of 17.50 euro the company had a value of 668.5 million euro.[5][6] On 2 January 2019, American company Energizer Holdings, Inc. took control over VARTA's consumer battery segment.[7][8] On 29 May 2019, VARTA AG signed an agreement to acquire the VARTA Consumer Batteries business for the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions (including the manufacturing and distribution facilities in Germany) from Energizer Holdings, which was completed on 2 January 2020.[9][10]

(https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-batteries-varta/varta-hikes-production-on-demand-boom-considers-capital-increase-idUSKCN1T60XS)

Products

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References

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  1. ^ "VARTA History". VARTA.
  2. ^ "VARTA Founder Villa Roderbourg history". Villa Roderbourg.
  3. ^ https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/varta-battery-factories
  4. ^ Jungbluth, Rüdiger (19 August 2002). Die Quandts: Ihr leiser Aufstieg zur mächtigsten Wirtschaftsdynastie Deutschlands. Frankfurt am Main: Campus Verlag. ISBN 3593369400.
  5. ^ Varta AG − Angaben zum Unternehmen, stock exchange Frankfurt (Germany)
  6. ^ VARTA AG beendet Angebotszeitraum vorzeitig und legt Emissionspreis bei 17,50 Euro je Aktie fest, Presse release Varta AG at dgap.de, 18 October 2017 (written in German language)
  7. ^ Manager-Magazin.de: Energizer übernimmt Varta-Batterien
  8. ^ "Energizer Holdings, Inc. Announces the Closing of the Spectrum Brands' Battery and Portable Lighting Business Acquisition". 2 January 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  9. ^ "VARTA AG acquires VARTA Consumer Batteries business from Energizer". 29 May 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  10. ^ "VARTA AG successfully completes acquisition of VARTA Consumer Batteries business from Energizer". 2 January 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
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