VARTA batteries has been in business for 130+ years, leading the way at the heart of German innovation since the end of the 19th century.
VARTA is one of the leading names in the global battery industry, and the German firm has been in business since 1887. Here, we take a look at this battery giant and introduce some of the landmark products and achievements of VARTA throughout the years.
The early years
VARTA’s history can be traced back to 1887, the year of their founding by Adolf Muller. The company was initially formed as a subsidiary of Accumulatoren-Fabrik AFA, a leading German industrial company of the time.
It wasn’t long until VARTA was taken over by leading industrialist Gunther Quandt, who was in charge of the company throughout the First World War. Quandt is better known for his industrial empire that includes companies like BMW and Altana, and he was initially married to Magda Ritschel, who later became the wife of Nazi Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels.
After the Second World War, Gunther’s shares were passed to his son Herbert, who led the company in Germany’s post-war recovery years.
Moon landing & restructure
When Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon in 1969, VARTA batteries were used in the camera that recorded his famous first footsteps.
VARTA had enjoyed years of prosperity after the end of the Second World War, and Herbert Quandt decided to restructure the company in the 1970s.
In 1977, VARTA’s businesses were split, with the battery and plastics division on one side and the pharmaceutical and chemical business on the other. The latter were usurped into a new company – Altana – which the Quandt family is well known for in Europe.
The new century
Herbert Quandt followed in his father’s footsteps and passed his shares to his children, as VARTA enjoyed further success until the arrival of the new century. In 2002, Rayovac purchased the consumer battery activities of VARTA. And the automotive battery part of VARTA’s business was acquired by Johnson Controls.
The home energy storage arm of VARTA, which was gaining traction in the late nineties, was acquired by Montana Tech Components.
By 2006, the Quandts had sold all of their shares in VARTA and all of its operating divisions had been sold off to different buyers.
In 2017, VARTA AG was floated on the stock market and Energizer Holdings took control of VARTA’s consumer battery offering. However, VARTA AG came back to acquire this arm of the business back from Energizer, in a move that marked the renaissance of the company.
VARTA batteries today
VARTA consumer batteries is based in Ellwangen, Germany, and they are responsible for manufacturing a broad range of batteries, chargers, power banks, and lights.
Though the company has undergone various restructurings over the years, they are proud of their 130+ year history and they have long been at the forefront of German innovation.
At AceOn, we work with VARTA and recognise the excellent quality of their products. Their “Made in Germany” batteries have a strong presence on the global market and you can always be sure of the quality of their systems.
If you have any questions about the batteries that we deal with or would like to place an order, get in touch with one of our experts today.
