I updated my post w/ a better back story...
It took me five years to finally have it sink in and lose my loyalty for Optima. My buddy who hassled me for sticking with them said it coincided with Johnson Control purchasing Optima and then moving them to Mexico.
The research I could get my hands on pointed to JC using materials that were of lesser purity and that short life’d their spiral cell batteries. JC was no longer honoring warranty claims over the counter. They had their resellers collect the ailing battery and put it on an Optima made battery charger to recover it.
At that point I spent $2h on the Optima charger and didn’t step foot in the local auto part store the optima was purchased from. I sidestepped the flat, unrecoverable battery scenarios a few more times with the Optima charger.
I had another one (of the four) optima battery I owned fail after a DVD player was left on. No replacement Optima were in stock for warranty so I got a Bosch AGM (now labeled Champion). It’s a flat plate design unlike the Optima’s spiral, but it rebounds flawlessly from a full run flat. With a four year, hassle free, over the counter warranty from PepBoys this one’s a winner.
https://www.pepboys.com/champion-agm-battery-group-size-h6/product/2071686
To answer the next question, Johnson Control manufacturers Champion and Interstate. Here’s the ultimate low down on manufacturing of batteries:
http://www.jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm
