Rayovac (formerly known as Ray-O-Vac until 1988) is a bran of batteries made by Spectrum Brands of Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States. Rayovac was founded in 1906 as the French Battery Co. in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Rayovac changed its name to Spectrum Brands in 2005 after it acquired non-battery related businesses including Remington Products and United Pet Group. Rayovac also bought other battery companies including Varta, Ningbo Baowang, and Microlite S.A.. The Microlite acquision included the rights to the Rayovac name in Brazil giving the company world wide rights to the Rayovac name. Notable consumer battery products include the "Renewal" rechargeable alkaline series, and several types of NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) batteries with recharge times as low as 15 minutes.