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Spartan's Carpenter Industries Unit Expands Dealer Network

21 December 1999

Spartan's Carpenter Industries Unit Expands Dealer Network

    CHARLOTTE, Mich., Dec. 21 -- Carpenter Industries, Inc., the
school bus subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. , recently added
five new distributors as it continues to expand and redefine its dealer
network.
    Richmond, Ind.-based Carpenter recently added dealers in Pennsylvania, New
York, New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia to its nationwide network of 40-plus
distributors.  The new dealers include Carpenter's largest ever, Gross
Equipment Co. of Pennsylvania, which sold more than 400 school buses last
year.  Gross was previously a major Thomas Bus distributor.
    Spartan Motors said all the new dealers have experience in the school bus
market and offer complete repair, service and parts storage facilities.  The
dealers also meet Carpenter's new and more stringent dealer criteria program.
The following are new Carpenter dealers:

    *  Gross Equipment Co., based near Philadelphia, as the exclusive
Carpenter distributor in Pennsylvania.  Gross is a family-owned business with
46 years of experience.
    *  Chesapeake Bus & Equipment Co., located outside Washington, D.C., as
the exclusive Carpenter distributor for both Delaware and Virginia.
Chesapeake, which has been in business since 1983, also offers a complete
commercial body and paint center as well as a fleet maintenance facility.
    *  Kemp's Bus Service, Inc., as the exclusive Carpenter distributor for
Western New York.  Kemp's, located near Rochester, is a family-owned business
with 35 years of experience.
    *  Sheppard Bus Service, as the exclusive Carpenter distributor for New
Jersey.  Sheppard, based in Bridgeton, N.J., has nearly five decades of
experience as a school bus contractor.
    *  Southern New York Bus Sales, Inc., as the exclusive Carpenter
distributor for Eastern and Southern New York, including the Capital District,
Hudson Valley, Long Island and Metropolitan New York.  The New Rochelle dealer
also offers on-site Department of Transportation inspections.

    "We have been looking closely at our network of dealers, adding new ones
and replacing others, with the intent to strengthen the quality and service
our end-customers receive," said Tony Sommer, executive vice president of
Spartan.  "We are pleased to have major dealerships like Gross Equipment and
others join the Carpenter network, endorsing our re-emergence in the school
bus market."
    In November, Carpenter received excellent response to its new larger,
rear-engine transit style bus, the Chancellor RE, which was introduced at the
National Association for Pupil Transportation show this fall.  Carpenter will
begin manufacturing the new body products in the first quarter of 2000.
    Spartan Motors, Inc. (http://www.spartanmotors.com ) is a leading developer and
manufacturer of custom chassis for RVs, fire trucks, transit buses, school
buses and other specialty vehicles.  The Company also owns three fire and
rescue manufacturing companies.