Superior Industries, the world’s number one OEM aluminum auto wheels manufacturer found something in Crocsa that it had never encountered before in a construction company, and a Mexican one at that, which constructively questioned the design, systems and construction techniques of its existing plants in the United States and Europe.

The Plant 9 project consisted of a 462,117 sq ft (43,025 m2) factory for heavy industrial smelting, casting, machining and painting processes for aluminum wheels. As design/builder Crocsa did an extensive engineering study to find ways to improve the building´s overall performance. Due to high steel prices at the time we proposed pouring prefabricated perimeter concrete columns for walls up to 55 ft (18 m) high in the foundry area, and also, instead of the sheet metal walls that Superior had used in its other plants, using concrete walls to lower costs, extend the walls' lifespan and reduce maintenance. Other proposals included polycarbonate skylights as well as perimeter windows in production areas allowing natural light in, making a better working environment and providing energy savings. Additionally, utilizing a custom-made structural design around the production equipment made it more operationally efficient. This value-engineering brought tangible benefits to Superior, including low initial investment, high operational efficiency and lower long-term mainatenance.