Cover Story - Superior Manufacturing: Setting Superior Standards
More durability. Stronger roofs. Better manufacturing. Employees with true passion and integrity. These are just a few of the qualities that form the foundation of Superior Manufacturing. They are evident from the top down, both in the bins and the people who make them. Our owner, Claire Rauser, set the tone from the get-go.
Rauser got his start in the industry in 1977, and by the time he founded Superior Manufacturing in 2008 he had seen more than his share of bin damage. He witnessed the wrath of Dakota winds and snow and decided to put a stop to it with a better bin. When he founded Superior, it marked the beginning of something above the standard. Something Superior.
Superior Takes on the Elements
As the name suggests, Superior uses the highest quality materials and incorporates the latest innovations to build the most durable, reliable grain bins available. With capacities ranging from 1850 bushels to more than 790,000, our bins are strong and have proven their ability to protect crops from the harshest elements.
In addition to the highest quality bins, something else sets Superior apart—our constant focus on improving designs and fabrication processes, discovering and using stronger parts, manufacturing more efficiently, and assembling faster and with more precision, all to provide more value on the farm. Features that set our bins apart include roofs, anchors, floor supports, stairs, and platforms.
A strong roof is an essential part of the grain bin structure. In fact, the roof is where 85 percent of damage to bins occurs. Your roof needs to withstand high winds, and excessive snow loads. More than that, it’s crucial to maintaining the entire structure. Our roofs can handle 8000-pound loads and withstand wind gusts up to 90 mph. Even with the strongest of winds and the heaviest blankets of snow, no Superior roof has ever failed.
Deeper roof ribs, continuous connections on wind rings, improved peak, ring and eave angles are just some of the things that make a Superior roof…superior. In fact, we’re so confident in the quality of our roofs that Superior is the only manufacturer in the industry to offer a lifetime roof warranty.
Our 44-inch base-anchor stiffeners attach to the entire bottom ring to anchor the bin and add extra strength to the bottom ring. The bottom ring is often a weaker point on bins, so extra strength there is a huge advantage. Superior backs this portion of the bin with a lifetime warranty, as well.
The floor is also a major factor in a bin’s overall strength. That’s why we produce the Herculock floors in our bins without removing any steel. They have a 12 percent opening, which exceeds the eight percent needed to allow enough airflow. In addition, the Herculock floors reduce the chance of fines getting through the floor and restricting airflow. With our .050 and .093 perforated floors, we remove steel from the floor planks to achieve the perforation. In addition, our interlocking floor design on all floor styles features a locking tab that ensures they stay in place when the floor planks are snapped together. Further, we’ve engineered our floor supports for easy installation. A Z-support features deep rib supports with more breaks in the steel for added strength. Finally, the floor locks in place on those breaks to increase strength and reduce floor failures.
Our 11-inch U-trough and power sweep provide producers with capacity, strength, reliability and ease of operation. The U-trough allows for the free flow of grain, which preserves your kernel condition, and releases up to 6000 bushels per hour. The power sweep propels the sweep into the grain mass and provides for faster and easier unloads. In addition, our zero-entry unload system provides complete control over loading and unloading, and the operator stays safe because he doesn’t need to enter the bin.
Superior’s stairway provides a safe and easy alternative to ladders for accessing a bin’s eave. It’s galvanized to stand up to the elements and remain safe for as long as the bin stands. The stairways adjustable steps allow for an easy installation. The platform at the top of the stairs, which measures 34- by 60-inches, is the largest, in the industry. It covers both the roof ladder and the manhole, so workers don’t have to worry about missing the platform or trying to stretch to step onto it.
Values Lead to Value
In addition to the structural integrity of a Superior grain bin, our people strive to provide the best customer service and support. Rural character and work ethic go into everything, from the initial order to installation to follow-up support. Our team members rally around six core values.
It starts with dedication. Superior people are dedicated to satisfying customer needs, honoring commitments, and strengthening the company.
Passion comes next. Without it, we would lack the necessary fuel for success. We believe the enthusiasm, perseverance, and pride that come with passion make us excel, and the results are better bins.
Attitude of excellence is our next core value. Attitude is everything. Strive to be outstanding and believe great things can be achieved, and the quality of work will elevate. Integrity is big for us. Strong morals back every interaction and transaction.
We do our best to be “others” oriented. Serving others, lending a hand, and providing support not only to customers, but to team members as well, is what keeps our team well oiled and unified.
Finally, a can-do attitude is crucial. There is no limit. As our customer, we want you to get what you want. We want you to be successful, and we’ll do anything in our power to make that happen. In addition, Superior has teamed with industry-leading accessory companies to make sure we have everything a producer might want, so no challenge is too big.
These core values, along with our experience in the field and standout products, make it easy for the Superior team to continually stand behind our products and offer some of the best service our customers will ever experience. Collectively, the Superior team has more than 100 years of experience, and we’re all proud to be part of our extremely knowledgeable team.
Dealers: Building On the Integrity Foundation
Superior employees and dealers share common desires: to help producers feed the world and to make a difference in the businesses and lives of others. As we expand our dealer network, we continually work to develop new relationships with dedicated people who want to make a difference.
We’re always looking for dealers who embrace our core values to promote, sell, and install Superior equipment across the U.S. and who will work from a foundation of integrity to always serve others. And, finally, we want to work with dealers who are ambitious and provide the best products and services possible to their customers.
Patience – And Storage – Pays
We continually remind farmers of the importance of on-farm storage. When you have options to store your grain, you can enter the market when it makes the most sense, with the best price, for you. Mill companies and elevators often offer a significant payout increase to producers who agree to hold the grain at the time of sale and instead deliver it in the spring.
Finally, on-farm bins provide time and space to be sure the grain is in optimal condition so you can minimize dockage and cash in at the highest dollar value possible when you take it to the elevator. As you know, you can gain a considerable amount of profit by selling better conditioned, less damaged grain with a higher test weight. Today, grain bins aren’t just storage units; they’re conditioning units that also help control temperature, moisture, and fans (when and how often they run). With this kind of technology on your side, storing grain in farm bins puts you ahead of the game. Plus, you’ll save time by skipping the long line at the local elevator.
In addition, Superior bins help eliminate any loss you might have if the elevators are full. We’ve seen grain sitting on the ground, deteriorating, sprouting, or getting moldy. For the farmers who own that grain, that’s a big loss that could have been avoided if they had on-farm storage.
It is busy on the farm from sun up to sun down each and every day and it’s a major reason we want to continue to grow our dealer network. With more dealers, we’ll be able to help more producers throughout the U.S.
At Superior, we do everything we can to make it better and easier for dealers to sell. We listen to the feedback we receive from them and use it as a springboard for improving products and making necessary changes. Further, we design our bins so they are easier and faster to assemble. In an industry where time is money, that’s important. And, in addition to the products and engineering, our customer service and warranty offerings make Superior an attractive partner for dealers.
Warranties. Superior customer service. People with integrity. This is what we’re about. It’s what makes us an excellent company to work with, a great employer, and a strong partner. It’s what makes us…Superior.
For more information on becoming a dealer, selecting a grain bin or becoming a part of the Superior team, visit www.superiorbins.com or call 888-725-1926.
About the Author
Trever Meier is the director of sales and marketing at Superior Manufacturing. He grew up in southwestern North Dakota and worked on the family farm until he was 25. Meier has been in sales and manufacturing industries for 12 years.
