LaGrange Duracell plant powers devices for more than four decades

LAGRANGE, Ga. (WTVM) - Electronics, clocks and medical devices are some of the items we use every day powered by batteries.

Every AA and AAA battery sold in the US is assembled in LaGrange at the Duracell battery plant.

“It’s a small city, but this is a big brand and a big name,“ Anthony Shealey, a Controls Engineers said.

He said it takes an intricate four-step process to keep the company’s reputation.

First, the chemistry and blend of the materials is where the power of the battery is developed.

“We’ve evolved and innovation has been implemented,” Shealey said.

Next comes the sub-assembly.

“Those stages are critical, because from the beginning of the blending, we start rigorous testing,” Shealey explained

The third phase involves more detailed assembly.

“We are family here and people here take pride in assembling, assembling those batteries,” Shealey said.

A high volume of batteries comes off the machine every minute, but technicians check for any hiccups along the way.

“They constantly test the battery as it goes through this process to ensure that we’re making a good quality product when it comes off the assembly line.“

The last phase at this plant is perhaps the most important, with even more rigorous testing.

“We now take the battery from the assembly line over to our final test and finish stage. When you turn that flashlight on that hasn’t been turned on in a year or two, you want it to work,” Shealey explained.

Before Duracell batteries end up on store shelves and in your home, they get sent 50 miles away to the Fairburn facility for packaging.

“The shelf life is greater than 10 years, and that’s the trust, that’s the reliability that Duracell puts into that battery.”

More than 400 employees work at Duracell in LaGrange. C and D batteries are assembled at the Cleveland, Tennessee site.