The Early Years
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 and named it Interstate Battery System. He based his business on high principles: offer the best-quality product, provide impeccable service and treat the customer with respect.

The Nationwide System
By the 80s, Interstate celebrated the milestone of having distributorships in every one of the 50 states and in Canada. Today you can even find our distributors in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Guam! Our product line also expanded to include commercial, marine/RV, motorcycle, snowmobile, golf car, wheelchair, lawn & garden and alarm batteries.

A Household Name
Retiring in 1978, John Searcy left the company under the leadership of President and Chairman Norm Miller. In the coming years, Interstate would seek to become a household name. Our first venture was 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, going “prime time” with national TV commercials and sponsoring champion fishermen Guido and Dion Hibdon. In 1990, Norm’s brother Tommy Miller became Interstate Batteries’ President and C.E.O., while Norm remained Chairman of the Board. The company’s presence took off in a new area — NASCAR, now America’s fastest-growing professional sport. Interstate became title sponsor of Coach Joe Gibbs’ new Winston Cup team in 1992 and steadily improved each year, winning the prestigious Winston Cup Championship in 2000.

End of an Era
John Marvin Searcy passed away on June 2, 2007, leaving behind the legacy of not only a darn good battery company, but more importantly, a history of compassion and honesty. John built a wonderful foundation for Interstate Batteries. He did his best to do the right thing in the business world and throughout his life. We treasured our time with him, and work to carry on John’s tremendous example of integrity and good character.