September 18, 2006 -- Superior Industries International Inc. is closing its manufacturing facility in Johnson City, TN, which employs about 500 workers. Superior president and CEO Steven Borick stated the shutdown “is the latest step in our program to rationalize our production capacity to more effectively balance plant utilization and costs against our customers' changing requirements for pricing, wheel size, design, scheduling, and volume."

Superior manufacturers cast-aluminum wheels and other aluminum automotive components to most of automakers, including Ford, GM, DaimlerChrysler, Audi, BMW, Isuzu, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda, MG Rover, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

Borick added that all of the Tennessee plant’s existing customer programs will be transferred to other Superior operations. He caution, however, that “sweeping production cuts” by the Big Three automakers, especially in the light truck and SUV platforms, have reduced Superior’s near-future delivery requirements.