Superior Tire and Rubber Tech Center

Superior Tire & Rubber Corp. celebrates 60 years

Posted on Sep 10, 2024 in Shifting Gears

Superior Tire & Rubber Corp. celebrates its 60th anniversary, commemorating six decades of dedication, innovation, and leadership in the polyurethane and rubber industry. Founded on September 15, 1964, as an automotive retailer and tire recapping business in Warren, Pennsylvania, Superior Tire has evolved into a major player in the polyurethane and rubber markets.

Superior Tire’s products (still manufactured in Warren, PA) have a global reach in five focused business areas that help drive material handling solutions, build roads and buildings, plant and harvest the food we eat, and keep a variety of specialized industrial equipment up and running in a 24/7 world.

During its growth, Superior Tire has never forgotten its roots and, as a result, has become a respected local enterprise known for its commitment to community, quality, and industry advancements.

Hank LeMeur Jr

“This is a proud moment for Superior Tire,” said Hank LeMeur Jr., President and CEO. “We have faced many challenges and exciting wins over the years, and I have no doubt we’re set up to execute strongly in the next 60 years.”

A Legacy of Innovation

Superior Tire’s vision is to be the vendor of choice by offering its customers a technical advantage, providing those customers with a significant lead in their market. This bold vision could not be achieved without a first-class Engineering department delivering innovative products that stand the test of time.

Joseph Peterson PhD

Led today by Joseph Peterson, PhD, VP of Engineering & Quality, his team is staffed with ten passionate engineers who hold nine granted patents with an additional four patents pending. “Our team of experienced individuals is focused on improving design and advancing solutions in the markets we serve,” said Joe. “As we continue to grow, we will need additional talent to join our team to continue creating the technical advantage that our customers expect.”

While focusing on new product developments, the Superior Engineering team emphasizes quality and continuous improvement within the manufacturing process and has a talented team of in-house mold designers.

Manufacturing Philosophy – The Superior Way

Today, Superior Tire has over 375 employees (300 in production) who produce nearly 1.3 million parts annually at its three manufacturing plants in Warren, PA. As the company has grown, it needs to adapt to new manufacturing philosophies, first-class safety standards, and sustainable processes (ISO-9001) to ensure the highest quality possible.

In 2018, Superior Tire adopted the Superior Production System, which mimics the Toyota Production System. This system helped bring a shared vision and language to the production floor as demand and growth soared. In addition to process and production systems, Superior Tire has implemented four Universal robot cobots, three Fuji robotic machining centers, four high-speed rotary molding lines, and six auto-feed trimming machines over the last five years. “Innovation in manufacturing processes is fundamental to sustaining our continued growth,” said Beau Kibby, VP of Manufacturing & Warehousing. “Each day, we challenge ourselves to develop new processes that improve our output while sustaining our quality standards.”

Safety is core to everything at Superior Tire, and they celebrate safety by recognizing employees who achieve 1,000,000 minutes of work safety. Over the years, Superior Tire has recognized 54 teammates who have achieved and exceeded this safety milestone and one teammate who achieved the coveted 5,000,000 minutes, equating to 40+ years of work safety!

Celebrating the Superior Family

Over the last 60 years, many employees and teammates have helped make Superior Tire & Rubber Corp. what it is today. Although there are too many to mention in this article, we want to take a moment to thank each employee (past and present) for their dedication, effort, perseverance, vision, and teamwork!

As a small tribute of our appreciation to our employees and the community, Superior Tire is hosting an open house at 1818 Pennsylvania Ave in Warren, PA, on Saturday, September 14 (10:00 AM to 1:00 PM) for employees and their families to participate in celebrating our 60th anniversary. The public is welcome to join our celebration!

Calynne Neff

Calynne Neff, HR Manager for Superior Tire, added, “We are proud of all our current and past teammates and look forward to a fun day together. Superior continues to add to our workforce, and we hold open interviews each Wednesday at our plant on Penn Ave. If you’re looking for a new career challenge with a path to grow, come and talk to us!”

Looking Ahead

Jared Steier

Superior Tire is deeply rooted in its history and is spreading its wings as it looks excitedly to the next 60 years. “In my view, we are just getting warmed up!” said Jared Steier, VP of Sales and Marketing for Superior Tire. “There are so many exciting partnerships and products that will sustain our market share and growth in the years to come. By offering innovative, performance-delivering products in the material handling, construction, agricultural, and industrial markets, we have nowhere to go but up! We are investing in the right markets, manufacturing strategies, and engineering excellence to ensure we can meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s partners.” He concluded, “It truly is an exciting moment in our 60-year history.”