Interstate Batteries' latest initiative involves entry into the retail marketplace with stores selling batteries not only for the automotive market but also for toys, flashlights and other home uses. Currently, the company has 16 Interstate All Battery Centers, most of them in the Midwest. They originated with a 1999 purchase of a company in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1991, he turned those duties over to younger brother Tom, now the president and chief executive. A recovering alcoholic and evangelical Christian, he's also working on making movies with uplifting themes.
Norm is the kind of guy who never rests.
At the same time, the sport has grown by leaps and bounds, making sponsorships more valuable, especially for winning teams that command attention. According to Mr. Miller, the original agreement with Mr. Gibbs, while a business proposition, included a commitment to winning. Interstate Batteries, he said, probably would have dropped the sponsorship if the namesake Pontiac ran near the back of the pack week after week. Instead, Mr. Miller signed up this summer with Joe Gibbs Racing for another three years. Mr. Miller just says he'll keep an eye on the Winston Cup standings and the return that Interstate Batteries gets on its investment.