Superior Battery Manufacturing Company, Inc. has quickly and quietly created ripples in the battery industry. One of the few independent battery manufacturing companies left, Superior has experienced exceptional growth since it began in 1983. The company, which manufacturers automotive, commercial, marine, lawn and garden batteries, was founded and is still owned and operated by Randolph Hart.

A few years after Superior was established, capital was needed to expand and increase operations. Hart was unable to obtain the needed capital until a guarantee was secured from the U.S. Small Business Administration through Mutual Federal Savings and Loan (now Area Bank) in Somerset, Kentucky. The company then started a magnificent growth trend until a fire completely destroyed the plant in 1992.

It took over a year to refinance and rebuild the plant, and, once again, the SBA played an important role. Working through First and Farmers Bank of Kentucky (now Union Planters), the SBA guaranteed a loan to finance new state-of-the-art pollution control equipment. And again in 2004 the SBA guaranteed a loan through Community Trust to finance equipment for the plant’s Form and Finish department.

Superior Battery has continued to grow and now employs over 120 people. The company is a major employer in the rural community of Russell Springs. Because of the company’s investment in training and the high-tech production system, employees are well trained and highly skilled.

In 2003, without the owner’s knowledge, the employees of Superior Battery nominated their boss, Randy Hart, for the U.S. Small Business Administration Small Business Owner of The Year Award, and he won. Profits, good working relationships, good products and services, and benefits to the local community are all what Superior Battery is about.