Crimson Fire Showcases New Aerial Product at 2004 FDIC

Fire-Truck Maker Applies Research, Customer Feedback in Developing Next Generation Process and Product

BRANDON, S.D., April 28 -- Crimson Fire has taken the production and performance of aerials to new heights, showcasing a streamlined manufacturing process and its first-ever product at this year's Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Ind., April 29 - May 1.

Last June, Brandon, S.D.-based Crimson Fire, a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. , began a bold initiative aimed at engineering and producing a premier line of Crimson Fire Aerials. The result includes three patent-pending innovations and numerous other "firsts" that make Crimson's aerial product state of the art. Aerials make up the second-largest market segment in the industry and represent a critical addition to Crimson's overall product line.

Crimson Fire Aerials hired industry veteran and engineer Jim Salmi to oversee operations. The Company also utilized detailed research from customers and other aerial experts, and opened a new 36,000-square-foot facility in Lancaster, Penn., dedicated to streamlining and improving the quality of the product and the production process. The result of these efforts is a vastly improved aerial unit that applies over 100 years of industry experience, performs with less maintenance and improves functionality in critical areas of rescue and firefighting operations.

"We have made a fundamental commitment to building a team of industry leaders and listening to our customer's needs. That commitment has helped Crimson Fire re-define the way aerial units are assembled and produced," said Jeff Lautt, president of Crimson Fire. "In both process and product, we've taken 21st century technology and used it to eliminate 20th century limitations. The result is a better performing aerial for our customers, and a better performing company to serve them."

Until now, Crimson has relied on other suppliers to build its aerial orders. With Crimson Fire Aerials, the Company is now a full-line designer and manufacturer of fire trucks, ranging from pumpers and rescue units to quick-attack vehicles, off-road wildfire units and other custom-built vehicles.

Crimson Fire Aerials intends to build on the Company's heritage in the fire apparatus business with a full line of durable and dependable aerials that meet or exceed NFPA 1901 standards. Designed to be safe, easy to operate and easy to maintain, the new Crimson Fire Aerials will be mounted on a custom Spartan Chassis and include exclusive Crimson body features, such as:

-- Crimson's Vibra-Torq(TM) suspension system, designed to reduce body vibration and torsion, allowing for a smoother ride and decreased maintenance costs.

-- Exclusive Tri-Max(TM) body frame, a triangular-shaped structural member delivering maximum torsional strength and durability.

-- Smart Access pump panels to make routine maintenance fast and simple.

The Crimson Fire aerial incorporates three patent-pending features, including:

-- X-Style Outrigger Leveling System that allows the truck to be leveled more quickly and efficiently before aerial operation. This decrease in "set- up" speeds response time and allows firefighters to more quickly address a rescue situation. Additionally, the Crimson Outrigger system allows the apparatus to level on slopes up to 15 degrees.

-- Roller-assisted Slide Mechanism that eliminates virtually all routine maintenance from the aerial ladder's extension system because of a decrease in ladder friction. The Nylatron polymer-type rollers take the place of traditional lubricated components and provide smoother performance with less maintenance.

-- Ladder Lift Cradle that is designed to improve the lifting performance of the aerial and increase the overall stiffness of the ladder. The cylinder arrangement provides efficient lifting power, increases the egress space when the ladder is fully lowered, and makes adding equipment to the ladder easier for firefighters. The re-designed cradle also improves stability and produces a much smoother "ride" for the ladder, while reducing the loads on the lift cylinders. Also, the Crimson aerial ladder can operate 10 degrees below horizontal for river rescues or other previously impossible low-angle conditions.

In addition to improving performance, Crimson Fire also re-vamped and modernized the production process in their new aerial facility. Historically, welding for aerial units was a highly manual process that produced inconsistencies and distortion problems in the ladder sections, reducing the overall performance of the unit. Crimson addressed these problems by applying innovative engineering solutions that have improved overall quality and performance, including:

-- Simultaneous engineering of the product and the fixtures used in the welding process, improving weld consistency, straightness and producing tighter tolerances on each unit.

-- Custom designing 40-ft. welding tables that can support 8,000 lbs. on a rotating axis, allowing welders to stay in the preferred flat position instead of constantly adjusting to multiple weld positions. This reduces labor hours and improves quality.

These changes have resulted in a significant reduction in labor hours on aerial units produced within the Crimson Fire facility, while improving quality and trimming costs.

The 100-foot aerial ladder, built on a Spartan Gladiator chassis and featured at FDIC, will be the first of Crimson Fire's new line of custom aerials.

"This product was designed from feedback we received from aerial operators, firefighters and dealers -- it's truly a product built by firefighters for firefighters -- and we're excited to unveil it to the industry," Jim Salmi, vice president of aerial operations, said. "Our aerial initiative produced not just a great product, but also allows us to attract more dealers who want to offer a complete line of fire trucks from a single manufacturer -- Crimson Fire."

About Crimson Fire

Crimson Fire(TM), a Spartan Motors(TM) company, is a leading manufacturer of custom fire trucks and other rescue vehicles, representing quality, value and innovation. Crimson Fire was established in 2003, when Spartan Motors, Inc. merged its two fire apparatus subsidiaries, Quality Manufacturing and Luverne Fire Apparatus. The Company now draws on more than 130 years of excellence in fire truck manufacturing. Crimson Fire manufactures pumpers, rescues, aerials, quick-attack vehicles and other fire and rescue trucks from facilities in Alabama, Pennsylvania and South Dakota. For more information on Crimson Fire, visit www.crimson-fire.com .

About Spartan Motors

Spartan Motors, Inc. (www.spartanmotors.com ) designs, engineers and manufactures custom chassis and vehicles for the recreational vehicle, fire truck, ambulance and emergency-rescue markets. The company's brand names -- Spartan(TM), Crimson Fire(TM), Crimson Fire Aerials(TM), and Road Rescue(TM) -- are known in their market niches for quality, value, service and being the first to market with innovative products. Spartan Motors employs approximately 700 at facilities in Michigan, Alabama, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and South Dakota and is publicly traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol SPAR.

The statements contained in this news release include certain predictions and projections that may be considered "forward-looking statements" by the securities laws. These forward-looking statements are identifiable by words or phrases indicating that the Company or management "expects" or "believes" that a particular result may occur, or similar statement. These statements involve many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors affecting the Company's operations, markets, products, services and prices. Additional information about these and other factors that may adversely affect these forward-looking statements are contained in the Company's reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect developments or information obtained after the date of this news release.