Aluminum extrusion is the process by which molten aluminum is made into different shapes for various commercial uses.

“It’s like a play-dough machine, except we use hot aluminum, and we use hydraulics to press out different shapes,” said George LaBlonde, president and chairman of the board for Superior Extrusion. “We have over 4,000 different shapes that we make.”

The aluminum shapes are then used as structural framing in buildings, automotive parts, boat and trailer parts and more.

Superior Extrusion serves clients all over the midwest and as far away as California and production occurs 24 hours a day, five days a week.

Pieces of extruded aluminum are seen inside the Superior Extrusion facility at Sawyer. (Journal file photo)

“We produce, right now on average, 180,000 pounds (of extruded aluminum) a week,” said LaBlonde. “Back in December of 2017, we passed the 300 million pound mark. That was about 20 years in business. On Jan. 19 of this year, we doubled that, in only nine additional years.”

Superior Extrusion has been able to significantly increase their output and reach the 600 million pound milestone due to the investments they have made in new presses; adding a third press in 2018 and a fourth in 2023. Through these investments they have also been able to increase their employees from approximately 140 to 213.

“It’s a milestone in the industry,” said Randy DeBolt, founding father of Superior Extrusion and current vice president and board member. “We’ll have a get together of all of our employees and invite some dignitaries (to celebrate), but that’s yet to be scheduled. We’re waiting for better weather.”

This milestone is a major indication that Superior Extrusion is on the right track. Started in 1998 by Randy DeBolt and his brother, Myron DeBolt, Superior Extrusion has grown to be a major local employer.

“We’re fortunate to have done that, and our clients enable us to do that,” said DeBolt. “It’s been a wonderful experience. We’ve continued to grow and plan to be here for quite a while yet.”

“We have quality employees, and we care about taking care of our employees,” said LaBlonde.

It is partly due to this dedication to their employees and to their community that Superior Extrusion has become such a successful local business.

“What’s kind of nice about the Marquette area is that the community really supports all kinds of different activities,” said LaBlonde. “We support different events whether it’s the school graduations, fishing clubs, veterans organizations … We’re members of the Lake Superior Community Partnership, we’ve contributed some to the developments that are going on with the trail system out at KI Sawyer. We’ve been out here since the start.”

Superior Extrusion is a continually growing company and a major source of employment in the area.

“Part of what the original shareholders wanted was to create jobs to keep employees here, in the Marquette area,” said LaBlonde. “They wanted to provide quality jobs for our employees. A lot of kids leave; they graduate from high school, and they go to college Downstate, and then they want to go somewhere else. So for those who want to stay, we wanted to create quality jobs for those people. It’s been good. We’ve provided a lot of jobs over the last 28 years.”

“A lot of people have learned a lot of skills here and have gone on to other things as well,” said LaBlonde. “We can’t do it without our employees, so we try to take care of them.”

Annie Lippert can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is alippert@miningjournal.net.