MK Battery powers sport

ANAHEIM, Calif. - When 10 national teams met in Kissimee, Fla., in July to compete for top honors in the Federation Internationale De Powerchair Football Association (FIPFA) World Cup, all of the wheelchairs were powered with batteries from MK Battery, but there was no doubting which team the company was rooting for: Team USA.

Team USA ended up taking second place in the event, in a final game that went down to the wire before France broke away in the final minutes.

“I can only imagine how the parents of a disabled athlete must feel watching their child representing their nation in an international competition,” said Wayne Merdinger, executive vice president and general manager of MK Battery.

Anaheim, Calif.-based MK Battery has been the primary sponsor and “Official Battery” of the United States Power Soccer Association (USPSA) and Team USA since 2013.

MK Battery initially got involved in the sport by accident, Merdinger says.

“Somebody sent me a link to a Power Soccer event,” he recounted. “I had never heard of the sport and was immediately enamored.  I contacted the president of the USPSA and the marriage was born. As one of the leading suppliers of batteries used in power mobility equipment, especially with our strong focus in the CRT arena, there couldn't have been a more perfect fit for us.”

MK Battery has since become involved with the USPSA on multiple levels. With events throughout the country and, in fact, across the globe, company management and employees have participated as volunteers in various locations, lending local support and gaining exposure for the sport.

“Our entire management team has gotten involved at tournaments, as well as at our exhibitions at Medtrade,” Merdinger said. “Power soccer truly changes lives. For those who depend on power wheelchairs, the opportunity of participating in a competitive sport is usually not even on their radar until they discover power soccer.”

And that impact redounds to the company, as well, Merdinger says.

“MK's investment of time and resources provides immense satisfaction that transcends our entire organization,” he said.