Superior Industries, Inc. is an Americanmanufacturing company headquartered in Morris, Minnesota. The company's multiple divisions engineer, manufacture, service and sell dry bulk processing and handling equipment, fuel delivery and storage equipment and precast concrete products. Superior traces its roots back to 1917 when Henry Schmidgall began manufacturing concrete products in Hancock, Minnesota. Later, Henry's grandson, Neil Schmidgall, formed Superior Industries, which repaired and manufactured the processing and handling equipment in the quarries that supplied Hancock Concrete. Today, Superior Industries is the largest employer in Stevens County, Minnesota, and one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States. While more than half of its 1,600 person workforce is employed at one of three campuses in Stevens County, Minnesota, the other half are spread throughout 25 other manufacturing, engineering or repair center facilities in the United States, Canada and Brazil.
History
1917: Henry Schmidgall moves to Hancock, Minnesota to purchase small concrete drain tile manufacturer.
1940: Henry's son forms Schmidgall Sand and Gravel from aggregate division of Hancock Concrete.
1972: Henry's grandson, Neil Schmidgall, founds Superior Machinery Company after building conveyors and plants for Schmidgall Sand and Gravel.
1972: Bob and Larry Kleespie establish Kleespie Tank and Petroleum Equipment.
1974: Hancock manufactures state of Minnesota's first ever precast box culvert.
1974: Superior begins manufacturing conveyor idlers after acquiring presses and tooling from Ersham Manufacturing of Enterprise, Kansas.
1997: Superior applies for and is granted first ever technology patent.
Superior manufactures portable and stationary processing and handling equipment for dry bulk material industries including construction aggregates, mining, concrete, asphalt and recycle industries. The company markets its equipment globally through a network of dealers or direct sales in regions not served by a dealer. Products include crushing, screening, washing, feeding and conveying equipment. Equipment manufacturing locations include the home plant in Morris, Minnesota and satellite plants in Columbus, Nebraska; Prescott Valley, Arizona; Loganville, Georgia; Pekin, Illinois; Calgary, Canada; and Miramichi, New Brunswick.
Components Division
Like its equipment, Superior's conveying components serve a variety of industries like construction aggregates and mining. Components are sold through a large, global distribution network. Outside of distributor territories, the company sells its product direct to customers. Products include idlers, pulleys, belt cleaners and conveyor related accessories. Conveyor components are manufactured in Morris, Prescott Valley and Loganville.
Westmor Division
On May 1, 2008, Superior announced its acquisition of Westmor Industries, a manufacturer and distributor of petroleum and liquid-handling equipment. Westmor's corporate headquarters are located in Morris, Minnesota, the same Minnesota community as Superior's corporate offices. Since the acquisition, additional manufacturing and service locations have been added in Columbus, Minnesota, Shawnee, Kansas and Portage, Wisconsin. From the point of distribution at the fuel refinery to delivery, Westmor manufactures and distributes a diverse group of products used in fuel production, storage, delivery and dispensing. Products piping and dispensing equipment for terminal applications; bulk, high capacity tanks for fuel storage; transport trailers, bobtails, refined fuel trucks and aviation refuelers for delivery; and a series of equipment and solutions for the point of dispension including infrastructure, equipment and parts for the convenience store market.
Trans-Tech Division
The acquisition of Brewer, Maine-based Trans-Tech Industries was announced on September 30, 2011. Like Westmor, Trans-Tech manufactures cargo storage tanks, but this division focuses on the petroleum and wood pellet delivery industries. The aluminum tank builder was founded in 1984.
Hancock Division
On December 10, 2010, Superior announced it acquired Hancock, Minnesota based Hancock Concrete Products. Founded in 1917, the company manufactures pre-cast concrete pipe, culverts, boxes, manholes and arches. Superior's past is closely connected to Hancock Concrete. Before establishing itself in 1972, Superior’s founder and the grandson of Hancock's founder, Neil Schmidgall, began manufacturing custom built conveyors, gravel washing plants, crushing plants for Schmidgall Sand and Gravel, which supplied aggregates for Hancock.
Growth
In 2007 and again in 2008, Superior was named to Inc. magazine's first ever list of 5000 fastest growing private companies in the United States. In the spring of 2008, The Private Company Index listed Superior one of ten "Top Growth Companies" in the U.S. The company reports an annual growth rate of more than 15% and currently employs more than 1,600 people.
