The Superior Express -

TJ Morris has been on quite a ride at Superior Industries. He was the first employee hired by Arlen Mikkelsen when he began the company 20 years ago. Morris is now the owner of the company which is located in the Kottmeyer Business Park in east Superior.

Morris was raised in Superior and is a 1997 Superior High School graduate, It was their he met Kendra, a 1996 graduate. The two have been married for 23 years . They are the parents of three boys. Trenton is a Tulane University graduate currently residing and working in New Orleans. Ezra is a Superior High School graduate and is employed at South Central Electric in Superior. Clayton is a junior at Superior High School. The family resides in Superior.

Morris attended North Central Kansas Tech in Beloit after graduating from Superior High School. He specialized in welding.

Morris and Mikkelsen began discussing the possibility of a sale more than five years ago. Things heated up this past summer, literally and figuratively, and the papers transferring ownership were signed last week.

Kendra is in charge of the office and oversees the parts department. Adam Cole is the lone full-time employee at this time. He studied welding in Tulsa, Okla. Clayton works at the shop part-time.

Superior Industries manufactures a wide range of sprayers and accessories for all-terrain (ATV) and utility task vehicles (UTV). ATV's are designed for single riders while UTV's are of a more ruggedly built nature and feature side by side seating.

The vehicles are popular in the agricultural field because of their ease of transportability and abilty to handle rugged terrain. They are used for a myriad of tasks on farms and ranches.

Keeping noxious plants under control is a vital segment of agriculture. Herbicides have replaced the hoe as a means of controlling invasive plants. Superior Industries offers a selection of spray tanks which can be used for this task. They range in size from 16 gallons up to 100 gallons. Spot sprayers, from 15 to 25 gallon capacity, are available for ATV's.

Sprayers are also available for commercial zero-turn lawn mowers.

Each class of sprayers, whether for an ATV or UTV, can be modified for individual requirements.

The company has also outfitted custom vehicles such as the Marsh Master, which was designed and outfitted to treat plants in an aquatic environment. Another custom build was for a vehicle which could travel down the middle of a river to dispense the herbicide. The company will work to customize their products to meet a specific need.

Skid sprayers, which fit in the back of a pick-up truck can be used for fire fighting as well as weed spraying. A multi-mix sprayer is set up for test plots.

Superior Industries offers a line of UTV beds. There are tool box and other options available for the bed.

The shop features a plasma table as well as a powder coating booth.

The tanks are produced by an outside manufacturer from a proprietary mold. The pumps are sourced from an outside builder. All the spray plumbing and other parts are manufactured on site.

Morris is looking to expand the company's distribution footprint. He currently has several distributors located primarily in Kansas and Nebraska. The firm has also been active in displaying and selling its product line at county and state fairs and agricultural expositions throughout the Midwest and West.

Morris is also looking to expand the business. They currently offer a full line of parts and service for their products.

TJ and Kendra have plans to expand into different product lines utilizing the equipment they have but don't use to full capacity.

Morris looks forward to a bright future for Superior Industries and Superior. He hopes to hire more employees as the business expands. For the Morris', Superior is home for work and play.