Superior employees work their final day

January 8, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Austintown

Friday was the last day of work for some employees at the Superior Beverage Group facilities in the township.

The company announced in March that about 44 workers in the warehouse on Victoria Road would lose their jobs due to the consolidation of warehouse operations at a new facility in Cleveland, said Joe McHenry, executive vice president.

McHenry said that facility has been up and running since Oct. 1.

He said they ended up losing fewer people than originally anticipated, and of the 30 employees who were laid off, 10 took severance packages, and 10 found other employment.

McHenry wouldn’t disclose details of the severance package but said it was voted in favor 81-2. “We felt it was a very fair package,” he said.

McHenry said Superior will continue to work to help the remaining 10 people find new jobs.

“They know we’re committed to helping them find new employment,” he said, “They’re very appreciative of that.”

McHenry said about 55 drivers, salespeople and merchandisers will continue to work out of the Austintown warehouse.

Superior Beverage, with facilities in six Ohio municipalities, has increased its work force by more than 200 over the past five years and expects a similar rate of growth going forward, McHenry said.

The company now has about 600 employees and is one of the largest beverage distributors in Ohio, serving more than 12,000 retailers in 33 counties.