Spartan Motors Further Strengthens Its Commitment to the Emergency Vehicle Market
October 08 2009 - 8:39AM
PR Newswire (US)
MARION, S.C., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a move to
strengthen its operations and performance, Road Rescue has received
additional capital investment and leadership support from its
parent company, Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPAR). As part of a
strategic initiative announced six months ago, Spartan Motors has
made capital investments in facilities and equipment to strengthen
the Marion, S.C. manufacturer of premium ambulance and rescue
vehicles. Spartan Motors is also investing in the development of
new Road Rescue products that will be introduced in the coming
quarters. Enhancements at the Marion facility include: --
Construction of a new customer inspection facility that is climate
controlled and is illuminated by high intensity lighting --
Addition of equipment that streamlines the engineering and
manufacturing processes, reducing order-to-delivery time --
Lighting upgrades throughout the facility to improve the
manufacturing environment while supporting energy conservation --
Focus on continuous improvement, with an emphasis on refining work
flow, reducing inventory and increasing speed David L. Reid, a vice
president at Spartan Motors, will now lead the day-to-day
operations of Road Rescue. Reid, who brings more than 30 years of
leadership experience to this role, will have profit/loss
responsibility for Road Rescue, as well as its sister company, fire
apparatus manufacturer Crimson Fire, Inc. Prior to joining SMI,
Reid spent more than 20 years with publicly traded global furniture
maker Herman Miller, Inc. While at Herman Miller, he served as
senior vice president and general manager of Milcare, Inc., a
subsidiary of Herman Miller specializing in healthcare furniture
and equipment. He successfully returned Milcare to profitability by
developing and expanding the dealer distribution network,
establishing a strong government sales unit, expanding into
international markets and making operational improvements. "Road
Rescue builds the best, safest and strongest ambulances in the
industry, and Spartan Motors remains deeply committed its success,"
said Tom Gorman, chief operating officer of SMI. "Dave Reid has
been a recognized and effective change agent since joining us in
2007. He and his team have the full support - and resources - of
SMI to supplement the talent in Marion. "Our team is focused on
accelerating the progress at Road Rescue by sharing best practices
from all the Spartan Motors family of companies with South Carolina
to maximize the value we deliver to shareholders, dealers and end
users. We are committed to having the right people in place to make
this business successful in Marion." The announcement comes at the
conclusion of a successful dealer meeting in Marion. More than 40
participants from 16 leading dealers spent two days at the facility
reviewing new products and programs being developed for 2010
introductions. Dealers like Bob Reilly of North Eastern Rescue have
already begun to see the changes. "North Eastern Rescue is proud to
partner with Road Rescue and SMI," said Reilly, partner in North
Eastern. "In these uncertain times the financial backing and
support of SMI for Road Rescue is comforting. It has allowed the
people at Road Rescue to continue to focus on the quality and
innovation that has made them a market leader." Reid looks forward
to working with Reilly and other Road Rescue dealers, as well as
the team in Marion, end users and other key stakeholder groups.
"Spartan has a reputation of excellence in engineering and custom
manufacturing in every industry where it operates," Reid said. "We
are flexible, nimble and committed to meeting deadlines. The shared
services team now operating at Road Rescue brings that philosophy
to Marion. "Road Rescue, its dealers and end users will benefit
from the financial investment and leadership support of the Spartan
Motors team. I look forward to working with the associates in South
Carolina to bring our best corporate practices to Road Rescue."
About Road Rescue Established in 1976, Road Rescue, Inc.
(http://www.roadrescue.com/) designs and manufactures a complete
line of premium custom ambulances and emergency-rescue vehicles. An
innovative market leader, Road Rescue pioneers new features that
allow technicians to provide effective patient care in a safe,
secure environment. The Road Rescue(TM) brand name signifies
quality, innovation, strength and reliability to emergency
personnel throughout North America. Road Rescue is a subsidiary of
Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPAR). DATASOURCE: Spartan Motors,
Inc. CONTACT: David L. Reid of Road Rescue, +1-517-667-9943, or
Mary Ann Sabo of Sabo Public Relations, +1-616-485-1432 Web Site:
http://www.roadrescue.com/
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