Superior Extrusion Inc. celebrates milestone
Superior Extrusion Inc.’s nine-inch, 2,500-ton Youngstown press installed in 2009 is shown. The company recently reached an extrusion milestone. (Photo courtesy of Brad Couture/Superior Extrusion Inc.)
Superior Extrusion Inc. employees are shown with a seven-inch, 2,000-ton Extral press installed in 2018. SEI celebrated a milestone of 400 million pounds of extrusions on Dec. 15, 22 years to the day of the company’s first extrusion on Dec. 15, 1998. (Photo courtesy of Brad Couture/Superior Extrusion Inc.)
Superior Extrusion Inc.’s nine-inch, 2,500-ton Youngstown press installed in 2009 is shown. The company recently reached an extrusion milestone. (Photo courtesy of Brad Couture/Superior Extrusion Inc.)
Superior Extrusion Inc. employees are shown with a seven-inch, 2,000-ton Extral press installed in 2018. SEI celebrated a milestone of 400 million pounds of extrusions on Dec. 15, 22 years to the day of the company’s first extrusion on Dec. 15, 1998. (Photo courtesy of Brad Couture/Superior Extrusion Inc.)
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MARQUETTE -- Superior Extrusion Inc. reached a major milestone in December.
After completing its first extrusion on Dec. 15, 1998 on its original 1650-ton, seven-inch Ferrell press, SEI surpassed the 400-million-pound mark exactly 22 years later.
The company was founded in August 1996 and has operated out of its K.I. Sawyer plant since its inception. SEI provides customers with solid, hollow and semi-hollow shapes in various lengths. It also offers other extrusion services such as deburring, miter cutting, drilling and has Computer Numerical Control capabilities.
SEI President and CEO Brad Couture said the 400-million-pound mark was reached due to increased supply and demand over the last two decades.
"In 2008 the supply and demand was there for us to expand," he said. "So we added a nine-inch, 2,500-ton Youngstown press in 2009. As business kept increasing, we kept having to expand. In 2018, we expanded our operations again with our third aluminum extrusion press, which is a seven-inch, 2,000-ton Extral press.
"And then on Dec. 15 of this year, we reached the milestone of extruding and shipping over 400 million pounds, exactly 22 years to the day we began operations."
Couture said the milestone is a testament to his hard-working employees, as well as the company's quality products, fast lead times and on-time orders.
SEI handles extrusions for a wide variety of markets, and the company's customer base reaches as far as Springdale, Arkansas.
"The markets we serve are automotive, commercial buildings, military, utility van racks, bicycle racks, ladders, trailers, handling equipment, food service equipment, decks, docks, the marine industry, stadium structures and more," he said. "We serve customers as far as Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. That's a general range of where most of our stuff is shipped."
Couture isn't quite sure what the next milestone is yet, but knows the company will continue to grow as years go by.
"Right now we're planning into the future of what our next adventure will be," he said.
Couture said the company has shipped close to 35 million pounds this year alone.
"The largest customer we ship to requires nearly 400 semi loads per year," he said.
SEI had just 20 employees when it made its first extrusion on Dec. 15, 1998.
22 years later, the company has expanded to 154 employees currently, and Couture said it wouldn't be possible without them.
"For all the success and milestones that we've made, we couldn't have done it without our hardworking, dedicated workforce."
Superior Extrusion Inc. is located at 118 Ave. G in Gwinn. For more information, visit www.superiorextrusion.com.
Ryan Spitza can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. His email address is rspitza@miningjournal.net.