Early Days

Petroleum Pump & Tank Company (PP&T) was founded in 1956. Services included tank installation and contractor services along with sales/installation of air compressors and hydraulic lifts. The company operated within a 100-150 mile radius of Asheville, North Carolina.

The assets of PP&T were acquired by Don Lister in May 1985, and he incorporated the new operation as Lister Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Petroleum Pump & Tank Company.

In 1988, Congress passed significant legislation affecting underground storage tanks. The legislation required that they have secondary containment installed and gave businesses ten years to become compliant. For Superior, this presented an opportunity – so, Don initially focused business efforts on upgrading of underground tanks including tank lining, cathodic protection, and piping upgrades.

In the 1990’s, the market exploded as the EPA required all underground systems to be in compliance by 1998. In 1992, Don established the Superior Testing Services Division of Petroleum Pump and Tank. It’s purpose was to give recognition and identity to a growing tank testing segment of the business. Superior Testing Services was incorporated in 1994 to operate in conjunction with PP&T, providing full-scale tank compliance testing services. “With our vast experience in tanks and lines, testing became a natural niche for growth,” stated Don.

EPA 1998 deadline changes business mix

The business grew steadily through 1998, as companies complied with the mandate to upgrade their underground tanks to meet the UST regulations. In 1999 and 2000 the business mix shifted dramatically with the completion of those critical underground tank upgrades. As a result, Superior refocused itself toward two areas of expertise – precision testing of underground tanks and lines and cathodic protection testing/installation and repair.

In 2002, all operations were consolidated under the Superior Services name, serving a 500-600 mile radius of Hendersonville, NC.

Today

After 35 great years leading the company, Don decided to retire and so he sold the assets of Superior Testing Services Inc to ARWH Holdings Inc in February 2021. All other staff remained with the new firm, doing business as Superior Services. Amanda Hensley came onboard as our new president, from a background in IT and project management. She is swiftly learning the ropes in the petroleum industry and enjoys meeting customers and helping the team continue the excellent work which has earned Superior its strong reputation in this business.

Currently, Superior Services operates testing and cathodic protection services in a 500-600 mile radius of Hendersonville NC. Our tank repair crew travels further, from Texas to Massachusetts and all points in between, depending on the project at hand.