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Quality Manufacturing Wins $15 Million Fire Truck Contract From City of Atlanta

14 April 2000

Quality Manufacturing Wins $15 Million Fire Truck Contract From City of Atlanta

    TALLADEGA, Ala., April 13 Fire truck manufacturer Quality
Manufacturing announced it has signed a contract worth approximately $15
million to supply fire trucks to the City of Atlanta, Ga.
    The Talladega, Ala.-based company, a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc.
(Nasdaq: SPAR), said it will build and deliver 43 fire trucks to the Atlanta
Fire Department beginning October this year.  The contract, signed in late
March, is the City's largest single order ever for fire trucks and one of
Quality's largest single orders to date.  All of the vehicles will be built on
Spartan Motors' custom chassis.
    "We are pleased that the City of Atlanta has decided to award this
significant contract to Quality Manufacturing," said Gene Hall, Quality
Manufacturing president.  "This bid award underscores our reputation for
excellent products, outstanding customer service, and competitive pricing.  We
are looking forward to continuing a strong relationship with the City and
building on our decade-long partnership."
    Quality Manufacturing executives have begun working with Atlanta Fire
Department personnel to design and customize the fire trucks which will
replace the entire frontline fleet of the Atlanta Fire Department.  The order
will include thirty 1,500 G.P.M pumpers, nine 105-foot tractor-drawn aerials,
two 105-foot mid-mount aerials, and two 100-foot platform units.  The order
will be delivered over a 30-month period.
    Quality Manufacturing, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets custom and
commercial fire pumpers, aerials and rescue apparatus.  Quality focuses its
efforts on fire truck customers located in the Southern and Eastern United
States, as well as other high-end markets.
    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.