Madison, Wis — Britain’s Rayovac Batteries, a subsidiary of Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc, has received the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise, an official recognition by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on a UK-based company. The Awards are made each year by the Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister, who is assisted by an Advisory Committee that includes representatives of government, industry and commerce, and the trade unions.

Rayovac’s hearing aide batteries are developed and produced at its Washington, UK, facility, as well as its companion plant in Portage, Wis, in the United States.

Rayovac received the Queen’s prize for Innovation 2011 for its history of breakthroughs in battery technology. The company manufactured its first zinc air battery in the UK in 1989 and most recently, its new Mercury Free AVA (Added Voltage Agent) hearing aid battery. Developed over 7 years, the AVA combines clean technology with high performance, and is reportedly the most powerful mercury free product on the market.

Vince Armitage, division vice president, Rayovac Hearing Aid Batteries for Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, said in the press announcement, “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.”

Armitage added that the pace of change in battery technology is increasing all the time as manufacturers of hearing aids continue to add new digital features to their devices, which need more power. He says that the company is working hard to anticipate new hearing aid developments by constantly improving the power and reliability of batteries.

SOURCE: Spectrum Brands and The Queen’s Award