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Ib logo 2016

Location: Dallas, Texas, United States

Founded: 1952

Key People:

Lain Hancock (President and CEO)

Employees: 1,500

More About The Manufacturer:[]

In the spring of 1950, John Searcy began selling and delivering car batteries to wholesalers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area from the back of his red Studebaker pickup truck. After two years, Searcy founded his new company, naming it Interstate Battery System after the new interstate highway system being built across the U.S.

In 1978, John Searcy retired and left the company under the leadership of President and Chairman Norm Miller. Norm Miller continued the company’s expansion so that by the 1980s Interstate Battery had distributorships in all 50 states and Canada. During that time they also created the Interstate Batteries Great American Race, which for 13 years took vintage car owners and their vehicles on a two-week, cross-country rally. This opened the door to other marketing opportunities such as advertising on the Paul Harvey news radio show, running national TV commercials, and sponsoring champion fishermen Guido and Dion Hibdon.

In 1990, Norm's brother Tommy Miller became Interstate Battery's President and CEO while Norm remained Chairman of the Board. As a result, Interstate Battery became heavily involved in NASCAR, America's fastest-growing professional sport. Interstate Battery became title sponsor of coach Joe Gibbs' new Winston Cup team in 1992 which eventually won the prestigious Winston Cup Championship in 2000. In March 2004, Carlos Sepulveda became President & CEO and went on to lead the company for almost a decade until leaving in 2013 to join Triumph Bancorp Group.

Norm Miller's son Scott became president and CEO in 2013. In February 2023, the company announced Lain Hancock as the new CEO and Scott as Executive Chairman of the Board.

Interstate Batteries currently sponsors NASCAR driver Kyle Busch and the Joe Gibbs Racing team. Notable drivers that have run the company's sponsors have been Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett, Matt Kenseth and J. J. Yeley. In 2010, the company began sponsoring NHRA Pro Stock driver Mike Edwards.

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