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Quality Manufacturing Wins $4 Million Fire Truck Order

10 August 1999

Quality Manufacturing Wins $4 Million Fire Truck Order From City of Birmingham, AL

    TALLADEGA, Ala., Aug. 9 -- Fire truck and emergency vehicle
maker Quality Manufacturing announced it will supply 15 pumper trucks to the
City of Birmingham, Alabama.
    Talladega, Ala.-based Quality Manufacturing, a subsidiary of Spartan
Motors, Inc. , said it was awarded the bid to supply its
"Americana" aluminum body pumpers truck to the Birmingham Fire Department.
All 15 pumpers will feature Spartan Motors' custom-built Gladiator chassis.
    "This order is another confirmation of Quality Manufacturing's continued
leadership in the custom pumper business and illustrates the cost and quality
benefits of our alliance with Spartan Motors," said Gene Hall, Quality
Manufacturing president.  "We are pleased to extend our long-standing
relationship with the City of Birmingham and believe this order is a testament
to the integrity of our products and our customer service focus."
    "We are very happy with the Quality Manufacturing/Spartan pumpers we
currently have in service and their ability to stand up to the rugged use that
they endure.  We look forward to adding these new vehicles and upgrading our
fleet," said Fire Chief Raymond Brooks of the Birmingham Fire Department.
Quality Manufacturing has been supplying fire trucks to the City of Birmingham
for more than 17 years.
    The new Quality pumper trucks will feature a Spartan Gladiator chassis
with a 430 horsepower Detroit Diesel engine and an Allison HD-4060P
transmission.  Other specifications include 18,000 lb. front axles, 24,000 lb.
rear axles, waterous pumps, fiberglass water tanks, Akron ball valves and
custom-built Quality aluminum bodies.
    Quality Manufacturing, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets custom and
commercial fire pumpers, aerials and rescue apparatus.  Quality focuses its
efforts on high-end fire truck customers located primarily in the Southern and
Eastern U.S.
    Spartan Motors, Inc. (http://www.spartanmotors.com ) is a leading engineer and
manufacturer of diesel-powered, custom-built chassis for fire trucks,
recreational vehicles, transit buses, school buses and other specialty
vehicles.  Spartan also owns three companies that manufacture emergency
vehicles -- Luverne Fire Apparatus, Quality Manufacturing and Road Rescue --
and a majority stake in school bus manufacturer Carpenter Industries, Inc.