Crimson Fire Aerials Relocate to Meet Growing Demand

Sept. 23, 2010
EPHRATA, Pennsylvania, September 15, 2010 – An industry leader in emergency response aerial products, Crimson Fire Aerials, Inc., a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAR), is relocating its manufacturing and service operations to nearby Ephrata, Penn. The facility, designed and constructed specifically to manufacture aerials, was formerly home to American LaFrance’s ladder production.

EPHRATA, Pennsylvania, September 15, 2010 – An industry leader in emergency response aerial products, Crimson Fire Aerials, Inc., a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAR), is relocating its manufacturing and service operations to nearby Ephrata, Penn. The facility, designed and constructed specifically to manufacture aerials, was formerly home to American LaFrance’s ladder production.

“Securing a long-term agreement for a building with tremendous infrastructure in the heart of ‘aerial country’ ensures that we are poised to meet the needs of customers now and into the future,” said Jim Salmi, president of Crimson Fire Aerials. “Everyone here is excited for the first customer inspection, service training or sales presentation to take place. Continuing to exceed our customers’ expectations was first and foremost in the decision to relocate.”

The new plant, which is just minutes away from Crimson Fire’s current facility in Lancaster, provides manufacturing space, as well as multiple bays for service and refurbishment work. The site also features the outdoor capacity to test aerial devices and fire pumps. The company has installed a 40,000-gallon in-ground water tank, slope test pad and tower to collect discharged water from units undergoing validation.

“As the height of buildings around the world continues upward, more departments need complex aerial equipment to keep their communities safe,” said John Sztykiel, president and CEO of Spartan Motors, Inc. “The investment in relocating this business to a purpose-built facility will enhance operational efficiencies and reduce production lead time. Whether a customer specifies a custom or a refurbished vehicle, Crimson has the capabilities to deliver a quality vehicle, on-time.”

Relocation activities are scheduled for completion by the end of October 2010.

For more information on the relocation of Crimson Fire Aerials and images of the new facility, please visit: http://www.crimson-fire.com/news/NewEphrataFacility.aspx.

About Crimson Fire
Crimson Fire is a leading manufacturer of custom aerial fire trucks. A subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAR), Crimson Fire is committed to quality, value and innovation. For more information, visit www.crimson-fire.com.

About Spartan Motors, Inc.
Spartan Motors, Inc. (www.spartanmotors.com) designs, engineers and manufactures specialty chassis, specialty vehicles and truck bodies and aftermarket parts for the Outdoor Recreation/RV, emergency-response, defense, government services, delivery and service markets. The Company's brand names - SpartanTM, Crimson FireTM, Crimson Fire AerialsTM, Road RescueTM and Utilimaster® - are known for quality, value, service and being the first to market with innovative products. The Company employs approximately 1,600 at facilities in Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Indiana and Texas. Spartan reported sales of $430 million in 2009 and is focused on becoming a global leader in the manufacture of specialty vehicles and chassis.

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