DENVER, August 11, 2005—Spartan Chassis, a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR), today announced it has received a record number of custom fire rescue chassis orders during the first two quarters this year, an all-time high in the 30-year history of the Company.
Spartan Chassis’ order intake for fire truck chassis hit 409 for the first half of 2005, a 40 percent increase over the first and second quarters in 2004. The increase in orders can be attributed to a number of factors working in conjunction.
“The major factors driving our increase in orders were our strategic partnerships with dealers and apparatus builders enabling us to respond to the custom needs of fire departments,” reports Richard Schalter, president of Spartan Chassis. “Growing firefighter demand for our products has led to a strong position for Spartan Chassis as a leader in the custom fire rescue vehicle market.”
According to the July 2005 FAMA/FEMSA Congressional Fire Watch, $23 million goes up in smoke each day due to fire related property damage and this number is escalating 5.7 percent annually, yet the total number of firefighters in the U.S. has remained stationary for over a decade. In addition, 54 percent of our nation’s fire trucks are over 15 years old. These factors point to the need for high-quality fire and rescue equipment and effective firefighter training programs to be implemented. Spartan Chassis and its fire apparatus partners are responding by providing fire departments with vehicles designed specifically for their crew, resulting in optimal firefighter performance.
Additionally, Spartan’s presence and support of many fire industry events including this week’s Fire Rescue International show demonstrate Spartan’s dedication to the fire and rescue industry. These events also give Spartan associates the opportunity to listen to the needs and ideas of customers on a large scale.
About Spartan Chassis:
Spartan Chassis, Inc. (www.spartanchassis.com) operates under Spartan Motors, Inc. and is a leading developer and manufacturer of custom chassis for recreational vehicles and fire trucks. The company has a reputation for high quality, value, service and being the first to market with innovative products.
Spartan Motors is publicly traded in the NASDAQ Stock Market under the ticker symbol SPAR.
This release contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements concerning our business, future plans and objectives and the performance of our products. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties ultimately may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications may arise that could prevent the prompt implementation of the plans outlined above. The company cautions that these forward-looking statements are further qualified by other factors including, but not limited to, those set forth in the company's Form 10-KSB filing and other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (http://www.sec.gov). Government contracts and subcontracts typically involve long payment and purchase cycles, competitive bidding, qualification requirements, delays or changes in funding, extensive specification development and changes, price negotiations and milestone requirements. Government agencies also often retain some portion of fees payable upon completion of a project and collection of contract fees may be delayed for long periods, which can negatively impact both prime contractors and subcontractors. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
CONTACT:
Elena M. Younger, Marketing/Public Relations
Spartan Chassis, Inc.
(517) 543-6400 x111
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