SPAR Spartan Motors Inc

Event to Mark Three Years of Combat Operations without a Reported Fatality CHARLOTTE, Mich., June 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPAR) and Force Protection, Inc. (OTC:FRPT) (BULLETIN BOARD: FRPT) will display a Cougar and a Buffalo military vehicle in front of the St. Regis Hotel in New York City on June 28 from 10 a.m. ET to 3 p.m. Both companies' management teams will also present the same day to a group of professional investors at a special analyst lunch event. "Both of these vehicles are deployed today in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan and are saving the lives of our military men and women," said John Sztykiel, president and CEO of Spartan Motors. "Our aim in bringing these vehicles to New York City is to make the people aware of the new technology our military is using to defeat the deadly threat of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). "At the same time, it's an opportunity for Spartan Motors and Force Protection to inform the investment community of our technical expertise in manufacturing these unique specialty vehicles and the impact of recent significant orders on our business." The Cougar is a medium-sized, blast-protected vehicle produced in both four- and six-wheel configurations which can be customized for multiple tasks including urban patrol, route clearance support, troop transport, mine and explosive ordnance disposal, command and control, reconnaissance and as a lead convoy vehicle. The Buffalo is an anti-mine/IED vehicle that uses a 30-foot robotic arm and iron claw with a specialized camera and sensing equipment to allow soldiers to examine and disarm potential threats without leaving the safety of the armored hull. Both vehicles utilize a unique V-shaped hull designed to deflect the force of explosions away from passengers inside the armored hull. To date, not a single fatality has been reported in either a Cougar or Buffalo despite over 1,000 mine detonations. About Spartan Motors Spartan Motors, Inc. (http://www.spartanmotors.com/ ) designs, engineers and manufactures custom chassis and vehicles for the recreational vehicle, fire truck, ambulance, emergency-rescue and specialty vehicle markets. The Company's brand names -- Spartan(TM), Crimson Fire(TM), Crimson Fire Aerials(TM), and Road Rescue(TM) -- are known in their market niches for quality, value, service and being the first to market with innovative products. The Company employs approximately 900 at facilities in Michigan, Alabama, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and South Dakota. Spartan reported sales of $343.0 million in 2005 and is focused on becoming the premier manufacturer of specialty vehicles and chassis in North America. About Force Protection Headquartered near Charleston, South Carolina, Force Protection, Inc. (OTC:FRPT) (BULLETIN BOARD: FRPT) manufactures ballistic and mine protected vehicles through its subsidiary. These specialty vehicles are designed to offer significant protection against landmines, hostile fire and IEDs. For more information about Force Protection, visit http://www.forceprotectioninc.com/ . The statements contained in this news release include certain predictions and projections that may be considered "forward-looking statements" under the securities laws. These forward-looking statements are identifiable by words or phrases indicating that the Company or management "expects," "believes" or is "confident" that a particular result "may" or "should" occur, that a particular item "bodes well," that the Company "looks forward" to a particular result, or similar statements. These statements involve many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors affecting the Company's operations, markets, products, services and prices. Accounting estimates are inherently forward-looking. Additional information about these and other factors that may adversely affect these forward-looking statements are contained in the Company's reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect developments or information obtained after the date of this news release. DATASOURCE: Spartan Motors, Inc. CONTACT: John Sztykiel, CEO, or Jim Knapp, CFO, of Spartan Motors, Inc., +1-517-543-6400; Ryan McGrath, , or Jeff Lambert of Lambert, Edwards & Associates, Inc., +1-616-233-0500 Web site: http://www.spartanmotors.com/ http://www.forceprotectioninc.com/

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