Spartan Motors Introduces New Rescue Vehicle, Fire Truck Cab

CHARLOTTE, Mich., Aug. 22 Spartan Motors, Inc.and its subsidiaries will introduce a new rescue vehicle and fire truck cab, and display some of their latest emergency vehicle innovations during the Fire-Rescue International (FRI) Conference and Exhibition, which begins tomorrow in Kansas City, Mo.

The Charlotte, Mich.-based manufacturer of custom rescue vehicles and heavy-duty chassis plans to unveil its new Homeland series of heavy rescue vehicles, as well as a new "classic" look for its custom fire truck cabs, to more than 15,000 fire service professionals from across the country during the three-day show. Spartan Motors, which has reported strong orders and backlog of its custom fire trucks, ambulances and chassis throughout 2002, will also display their best-selling new technology and vehicles during FRI, which is sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

"As communities around the United States continue to heighten their emergency preparedness, we continue to see growing demand for all our products," said John Sztykiel, chief executive officer of Spartan Motors. "Our chassis subsidiary, for example, has reported double-digit increases in both orders and backlog.

"We are pleased to introduce two new products during the FRI show, as well as display products which debuted earlier this year at the FDIC show in Indianapolis. The emergency rescue category represents strong growth potential for Spartan Motors as favorable demographics and increased community support drive stronger sales. We remain committed to bringing innovative new ideas to the markets we serve -- and those markets are responding with strong order interest."

Chief among these new products is the Homeland series, a line of heavy rescue vehicles built by Quality Manufacturing, Inc. The Homeland series, which is the industry's first affordable line of custom heavy-rescue products, features:

A fully customized, walk-around extruded aluminum body on Quality's exclusive longitudinal isomounts A Spartan Motors Big Easy custom cab and chassis, with a 10-inch raised roof A Cummins ISC-330 hp engine -- A 30 kw hydraulic generator to power all necessary emergency equipment

A four-bottle cascade system -- More than 900 cubic feet of usable storage space "We developed the Homeland series in response to customer requests for a well-built, yet affordable custom rescue truck," said Brian Bennett, president of Quality Manufacturing. "Our intent was to maximize storage space while remaining fully functional -- and fully customizable. We plan to offer the Homeland series in whatever length a department wants, as well as with a wide variety of options."

Quality, which plans to introduce a walk-in command-center rescue vehicle during the first quarter of 2003, will begin taking orders for the new Homeland series during the FRI show. The Company expects to deliver the first vehicle within 180 days of order.

Spartan Motors Chassis (SMC) will also unveil a second style for its new Gladiator cab, which was introduced during the 2002 Fire Department Instructors Conference in April. The Classic look joins the Evolution as one of two front-end options for the Gladiator. The Classic modifies the molded composite front end of the Gladiator while maintaining the features that made the new custom chassis and cab a success at FDIC, including easier serviceability and improved engine performance.

"We wanted to give fire departments a greater range of looks and choices when it came to the Gladiator, which has been one of our best-received new product introductions ever," said Rich Schalter, president of SMC. "The Gladiator is 30-40 percent easier to maintain than other chassis currently on the market because our engineers have designed in easier access to key engine features, which reduces vehicle downtime."

SMC reported that orders for its custom fire truck chassis and cabs for the first seven months of 2002 are running nearly 62 percent higher than for the same period in 2001.

Road Rescue, Inc., which also reports strong orders and solid backlog of its custom ambulances, plans to display a custom ambulance with its new Smart Display electrical system. The Smart Display, which was introduced during FDIC, combines advanced software with state-of-the-art electronics to provide improved vehicle performance. A single board computer controls the most advanced driver displays in the industry, delivering continuous self- diagnostics to the driver and alerting him of real-time vehicle status.

"Nearly 20 percent of our ambulance backlog is for vehicles featuring the new Smart Display," said Chuck Drake, president of Road Rescue. "I knew we had hit a home run with this new technology, and we are pleased that the industry has embraced it so quickly."

Road Rescue plans its own new product roll-out with a Type II ambulance slated to be introduced during the American Ambulance Association show in October in Indianapolis.

Luverne Fire Apparatus will display several vehicles, including its new Quick Attack line of brush vehicles. The Quick Attack, which debuted during FDIC, is an off-road vehicle designed to fight brush and wildland fires while providing emergency rescue capabilities that are inaccessible to standard trucks. The new truck sits on a Ford Motor Co. 'F' series chassis and carries a 300 gallons-per-minute (gpm) diesel pump and a 300-gallon poly-water tank.

"We have seen tremendous interest in the Quick Attack, which is a great addition to our current line of vehicles," said Jeff Lautt, president of Luverne. "Our dealer network has been preparing proposals and providing quotes for this new product, and we are ready to begin production."

Spartan Motors, Inc. (www.spartanmotors.com ) is a leading developer and manufacturer of custom chassis for recreational vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances and other specialty vehicles. The Company also owns fire and rescue vehicle manufacturers Quality Manufacturing, Inc., Luverne Fire Apparatus and Road Rescue, Inc.