Superior Industries International Business Report FY2007 (FY ended Dec. 2007)

Business Highlights

Financial Overview

(in million USD) FY2007 FY2006 Rate of change Factors

Net Sales

956.9 789.9 21.1% See note 1) below

Gross Profit

32.5 8.7 373.5% See note 2) below

Factors
1) Consolidated net sales increased 167.0 million USD or 21.1% in 2007 from 789.9 million USD in 2006. Wheel program development revenues decreased to 12.4 million USD, while aluminum wheel sales increased 174.4 million USD to 945.5 million USD, a 23% increase in unit shipments. The average selling price of its wheels increased approximately 12%, due principally to the continued shift in sales mix to larger, higher-priced wheels.
- Unit shipments to Ford and GM totaled 68% of total OEM unit shipments in 2007 compared to 69% a year ago. Unit shipments to Chrysler decreased to 13% from 16%, while shipments to its international customers totaled 19% compared to 15% in 2006.

2) During 2007, consolidated gross profit increased to 32.5 million USD, or 3.4% of net sales, which included 10.1 million USD of preproduction start-up costs of its new wheel plant in Mexico. Due to a higher level of new wheel programs and additional take-over business, gross profit included an additional $4.5 million of wheel program development costs compared to a year ago. These additional costs were more than offset by the 10 percent increase in unit shipments and the increased plant productivity. Operational performance improved in its plants in 2007, and the newest wheel plant in Chihuahua, Mexico steadily increased production of larger diameter aluminum wheels.

R&D

R&D Expenditure

(in million USD) FY2007 FY2006 FY2005 FY2004

Total

6.3 6.8 9.6 12.9

R&D Structure

-Two fully staffed engineering centers, located in Van Nuys, California, and Fayetteville, Arkansas, support its research and development manufacturing needs. The Company also has a technical center in Detroit, Michigan, that maintains a team of engineering staff located near the largest customers' headquarters, engineering, and purchasing offices.