Spartan Motors Selects FISHER/UNITECH and SolidWorks Software
TROY, Mich.--Aug. 22, 2001--FISHER/UNITECH announced today that Spartan Motors, Inc. , a leading developer and manufacturer of custom platforms for recreational vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, and other specialty vehicles, has purchased 35 seats of SolidWorks(R) three dimensional computer aided-design (3D CAD) software.
FISHER/UNITECH, an engineering services company and reseller of CAD/CAM/CAE/CAID software serving the Midwest, will assist Spartan Motors in its software implementation process and provide onsite training to its mechanical engineering group.
Spartan Motors had been evaluating 3D CAD systems for nearly five years, but ultimately selected SolidWorks because of its powerful functionality, ease of use, affordability, and integration with the company's materials resource planning (MRP) system. Spartan's goal is to streamline its engineering and manufacturing processes by eliminating paperwork and moving to a completely electronic system. SolidWorks software facilitates this by automatically producing a list of components needed to build an assembly, making it electronically available to the Company's purchasing department for planning and procurement purposes. Implementing SolidWorks will increase efficiency and eliminate duplication of efforts between departments.
FISHER/UNITECH's involvement with Spartan Motors included an extensive evaluation process of SolidWorks software versus the competition, coupled with a detailed business impact analysis. FISHER/UNITECH worked closely with Spartan Motors' management committee in developing a return on investment forecast to help the company realize the benefits of information technology.
"We hope to obtain substantial cost savings by implementing SolidWorks software," said Bryan Harris, chief engineer at Spartan Motors. "FISHER/UNITECH was invaluable in its technical leadership throughout our entire evaluation."
"We are very pleased that Spartan Motors has selected both SolidWorks and FISHER/UNITECH as partners for its new engineering technology. The various support and consulting processes we utilized with Spartan were instrumental in identifying the correct I/T solution," said Charles C. Hess, president, FISHER/UNITECH.
"Spartan Motors is another example of a company recognizing the benefits of SolidWorks' ease-of-use and robust solid modeling capabilities," said John McEleney, chief operating officer for SolidWorks Corporation. "Every day, hundreds of companies are making the migration from 2D to 3D because they realize that 3D solid modeling can save time, money, and overall frustration. Spartan's business is growing significantly and SolidWorks software has the powerful features and technology to help the company continue on its path of success."
Company Background
Spartan Motors, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of custom platforms for recreational vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances and other specialty vehicles. The Company also owns fire and rescue vehicle manufacturers Luverne Fire Apparatus, Quality Manufacturing and Road Rescue, Inc. The Company is headquartered in Charlotte, Mich.
Founded in 1993, FISHER/UNITECH (www.funtech.com) is headquartered in Troy, Michigan, and has offices located strategically throughout the Great Lakes Area. The Company is a leading reseller of CAD/CAM/CAE/CAID software, and offers a broad range of comprehensive engineering services including conceptual design, styling, engineering, product release, and rapid prototyping. FISHER/UNITECH is a Ford Motor Company Certified Data Service Provider. The Company also offers complete system administrative and networking support services.