Business View Magazine | August 2020

243 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020 According to Russell County Judge/Executive, Gary D. Robertson, Russell County is also home to a thriving manufacturing sector. “We’ve got seven different manufacturing industries here in the County,” he notes, “with 1,700 jobs.” Bennie Garland, Executive Director of the Russell County Industrial Development Authority (RCIDA) adds, “We’ve got two automotive manufacturing plants: Bruss North America and Dr. Schneider Automotive Systems, which are German companies. We have Superior Battery, which manufactures batteries and distributes them to 26 countries around the world. And we’ve got the largest manufacturer of fencing in the United States, Stephens Pipe & Steel. So, we’re diversified in our economy, which is a tremendous thing because several years ago, the textile industry in our region was the dominant sector and we lost 10,000 textile jobs over a period of five years. Russell County lost 3,000 jobs, alone. So, Russell County now, is not putting all its eggs in one basket.” RUSSELL COUNTY , KENTUCKY Stephens Pipe & Steel Superior Battery