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Our Story

Throughout the Gardner family’s ownership of Superior Trim, we have made, and continue to make, significant investments to ensure that Superior Trim has all of the appropriate technologies in-house and available to produce cost-competitive, high-quality interior and exterior trim products for medium/heavy duty trucks and other commercial vehicles that our customers expect.

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Utilizing our core values that have been passed down from the Gardner ownership family, Superior Trim has continued to safely grow not only in size but in relative market share. Superior Trim now operates 8 facilities, 

and employes over 700 employees. Superior Trim's primary focus is to not only build a stronger more impactful company, but to be a difference maker in our customer and employee's lives. 

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Michael J. Gardner acquired Superior Trim in 1997.  At that time, it was a small, one plant operation with approximately 40 employees and less than $10 million in annual revenues.  Over the past two decades, Michael's vision and business acumen allowed Superior Trim to grow into a multinational, six plant operation and 400 employees in 2015.  Michael instilled his beliefs in all of his employees, from management to production workers, and created a family-like culture resulting in a steady employment force dedicated to supplying products of the highest quality and delivering them on time for the commercial vehicle industry.  His acquisitions and new plants were, and remain, strategically located to key customers in order to help them minimize their logistics costs and allow Superior Trim local, hands-on support of those customers.

Michael's untimely passing in 2015 was a great loss not only to Superior Trim but to the Findlay community.  His spirit and beliefs are still with the family that remains the sole owner of Superior Trim, as well as with all of its employees.  The family and our employees are dedicated to carrying on his legacy for many years to come.

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Our Founder

Our Customers

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Our Team

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Tyler Johnson
President

Tyler’s career at Superior Trim began at the Molded Products Division, where he held the position of Materials Manager and then eventually taking over as Plant Manager.  Tyler later went to the Formed Products Division where he held the role of Plant Manager.  He then moved into the Director of Operations role, overseeing the six Superior Trim manufacturing plants before moving into the role of President.

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Chris Stewart
Director - Sales

Chris graduated with a BA from Michigan State University in 1991, and has been working in the heavy truck and bus industry ever since.  Chris has 25 years of experience with program management, account management, and sales of interior trim parts and assemblies.  His  hands-on understanding of the manufacturing process and communication skills make him an integral part of the Superior Trim team. 

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Trevor Cowell
Vice President – Sales

Trevor received his bachelor’s degree from Washington State University, where he graduated in 2008. Since that time he has worked in a variety of different industries in both the public and private sectors, where his acumen for business was developed. For the last 10 years he has specialized in AIAG level customers in the Truck, Automotive and Recreational Vehicle markets. Trevor was promoted from within in 2018 to the role of Director, where he manages the sales and marketing departments, and spearheads new business relationships development. His knowledge of the markets, production processes, and ability to cultivate success, makes him a key strategic member of the Superior Trim team.

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Herm Comer
Controller

Herm bridges the gap between Superior Trim and our customer’s accounting departments in addition to compiling and analyzing all the financial information from all six Superior Trim manufacturing factories.  Maintaining detailed records and offering accurate summary reports for management, Herm has a deep understanding of Superior Trim’s private structure. 

 

Working with the management team over the course of 17 years, Herm is key to keeping Superior Trim in financially sound condition.  

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Matt Poignon
Director - Supply Chain

Matt has spent the last 16 years at Superior Trim where he has worked his way from Materials Clerk to Materials Manager, and finally being promoted in early 2021 to the position of Director of Supply Chain. While working, Matt spent his free time studying Business Management. In his role as Director, Matts primary focuses are to coordinate spend throughout all 6 Superior Trim facilities, to manage and improve existing suppliers, as well as to introduce new suppliers to mitigate supply chain risk. With the introduction of this new Director level role, Matt has made dramatic improvements to Superior Trim’s materials flows. Matt’s experience and expertise in materials, coupled with his ability to build relationships with suppliers, is a valuable addition to Superior Trim’s executive team.

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Dave Voors
Director - Engineering

Dave has spent his entire career in the heavy truck industry in the positions of Trim Engineer, Process Engineer, Industrial Engineer, and Engineering Manager.  He brought his 20 plus years of engineering and costing experience to the Superior Trim Engineering Department in 2009 as a Cost Engineer for several of the Divisions, and the Process Engineer at the Molded Products Division.  He moved into the Director of Engineering role in 2019.

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Michael Powers
Director - Operations

Michael was named Director of Operations in July 2023, where he oversees all seven Superior Trim locations. He holds a degree in Business Management, has experience in Lean Manufacturing/Six Sigma and has knowledge of many manufacturing processes. Michael has been with Superior Trim since 2019 and has more than 19 years of experience in manufacturing, 13 of which have been in the Automotive/Heavy Truck Industry. Prior to his current role at Superior Trim, he served as Plant Manager at our Tennessee location and Production Manager at the Molded Products Division. Michael is a skilled leader that fosters productive working relationships with employees and colleagues. 

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