While Others Offshore, Superior Builds Home-Field Advantage

The portable plant market is ripe for the taking.

While some manufacturers recently enacted measures to offshore their portable plant production, Superior is actively taking steps to bolster its manufacturing domestically, with a long-term goal of producing up to 200 portables each year.

Superior’s Devon McKinney admits the goal is lofty, but says the company is already on a clear path to reach it.

“A year ago, we added capacity for 40 more units a year out of Arizona,” says McKinney, who brought his experience from Fab Tec, Inc. to Superior earlier this year. “Then, with the acquisition of the former CEMCO in New Mexico, there’s another 100 we can produce there once we're ramped up."

The new crusher facility in Minnesota frees up additional space for portables in the existing equipment facility, while plants in Nebraska and New Brunswick also contribute to production capacity.

Still, the opportunity to seize more of the portable plants market hinges on how Superior adapts its newest manufacturing facility in New Mexico, which spans 140,000 square feet.

“It’s our largest manufacturing facility under one roof, covering more than three acres inside," McKinney says.

Locations equipped for portable plant manufacturing, offering nearly half a million square feet of production space.

Building Capacity, Preserving Culture

The transition in New Mexico has been underway since the acquisition closed in late 2023.  At the time, the operation employed about 30 people and had limitations that restricted efficient manufacturing of portable plants.

"Since then, the facility has experienced several changes that favor portables," says McKinney. “We’ve invested millions in new machinery and the size of the team has grown by 50%.”

Significantly expanding that workforce is also part of Superior’s strategic approach to increasing portable plant production in New Mexico.

"To protect our culture, which is paramount here, we can’t just hire 150 people at once and expect things to work,” McKinney says. “Growing too fast makes it tough to build the right team dynamics, and we also don’t want employees feeling like they’re drinking from a fire hose."

So, Superior will gradually ramp up in New Mexico to achieve its desired capacity.

According to McKinney, another part of the strategy is to manufacture portable plants where it makes the most sense for both the company, the dealer, and the end user.

“Ideally, we want to build plants as close as possible to their final destination,” he says. “It’s a more efficient model that reduces freight costs and benefits dealers.”

As Superior intensifies its effort around portable plants, McKinney stresses that the company will not sacrifice quality for quantity.

“We’re taking extra steps to ensure quality on our portable plants and to test them extensively before they leave,” he says. “Even though we are ramping up production, we've got a significant focus on quality.”