Douglas Battery

Why Douglas Battery?

Douglas Battery & AutoCare offers a variety of batteries and services available to our valued customers.

Douglas Battery & AutoCare provides a variety of services:

We service both domestic and foreign model models. Our technicians are skilled at the servicing of agricultural and commercial vehicles and fleets.

"Striving to provide excellent service and quality products while serving our valuable customers with pride"

A Boy & His Batteries...The Douglas Battery Story

Our story began with the wide-eyed curiosity of a boy born in 1901, who had an intense interest in and fascination with electricity. Much to the dismay of neighbors, it was not uncommon for the lights to flicker throughout his Spring Street neighborhood as he experimented with motors, starters and batteries in the garage behind his house.

At the age of 14, Wilson quit school and went to work for Duke Power Company where he learned more about kilowatts, alternating current, power generation and transmission.

A short time after that, Wilson learned of job openings with the railroad in Richmond, Virginia. So, as a young teenager, he set off for Virginia, but again, his curiosity intervened. As he passed an electrical generator repair shop, he stopped to peer through the window. The shop owner started talking with him and was impressed with how much Wilson knew about kilowatts, amps and generating power. He was asked to stay and work as an apprentice. Needless to say, Wilson never made it to the railroad employment office.

Wilson’s fascination with electricity continued to flourish and after two years as an apprentice in the small shop in Virginia, Wilson returned home to Winston-Salem.

In 1917, Wilson got the distributorship for Hartford Batteries and opened a small retail shop on Third Street. Soon thoughts turned towards manufacturing and more space was required. In 1921, moving to a new location on Trade Street, the first Douglas battery was manufactured, and Douglas Battery Manufacturing Company was founded.

Although this story has been the catalyst for the founding of one of the largest battery manufacturers in the world, Douglas Battery & AutoCare is one of the largest independent garages in this area. In January 2007, Douglas Battery & AutoCare was purchased by Jim Douglas (nephew of Wilson Douglas) and Joe Jarvis. Today we still operate with the integrity and values that Wilson Douglas Sr. built this company.