Spartan Motors Appoints President of Quality Manufacturing Industry Veteran Steps into Leadership Role at Fire Truck Manufacturer

CHARLOTTE, Mich., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Quality Manufacturing, a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPAR) , today announced the appointment of seasoned manufacturing veteran Brian Bennett as president.

The Talladega, Ala.-based manufacturer of fire apparatus said that Bennett brings more than three decades of experience in manufacturing operations to the company. As president, Bennett will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, increasing market share for Quality's custom fire trucks and growing profitability for the company. Quality Manufacturing is one of the three subsidiaries that comprise Spartan Motors' Emergency Vehicle Team, or EVTeam.

Quality Manufacturing, which manufactures high-end fire and rescue apparatus, initiated a national search to find a replacement for former president Gene Hall, who will step down due to health reasons. Hall, who spent 17 years at Quality, will oversee the transition and continue to lead the sales initiatives.

"Brian brings a wealth of operations knowledge and experience to Quality, and we are pleased to welcome him to the Spartan team of companies," said John Sztykiel, president and chief operating officer of Spartan Motors. "Quality has enjoyed strong sales of its custom products, and we are confident that Brian will bring us the operations expertise needed to grow Quality's position in the industry."

Bennett brings international expertise in diverse manufacturing environments to his new post at Quality. He is focused on improving the results through better productivity, operating efficiencies and inventory management.

Most recently, Bennett served as managing director at United Dominion Industries in the Netherlands, where he improved revenue per employee by 30 percent, increased inventory turns and introduced Kaizen, the process of continuous improvement. He has also served in Tennessee and Canada as senior vice president of operations and logistics at International Comfort Products, which designs and manufactures air conditioners. Bennett has also spent several years as a consultant helping companies restructure and overhaul their manufacturing operations.

Quality Manufacturing (http://www.qualitymfg.com/ ) engineers, manufactures and markets custom emergency vehicles, including pumper and aerial fire apparatus that are marketed through a dealer network covering North America. Quality focuses its efforts on high-end fire truck customers who desire to extend the lifecycle of their emergency vehicles by purchasing premium products.

Spartan Motors, Inc. (http://www.spartanmotors.com/ ) is a leading developer and manufacturer of custom chassis for recreational vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances and other specialty vehicles. In addition to Quality, the Company also owns fire and rescue vehicle manufacturers Luverne Fire Apparatus and Road Rescue, Inc.

Source: Spartan Motors, Inc.

Contact: John Gaedert of Spartan Motors, Inc., 517-543-6400; Jeff
Lambert or Mary Ann Sabo of Lambert, Edwards & Associates, Inc., 616-233-0500,
mail@lambert-edwards.com , for Spartan Motors, Inc.

Website: http://www.qualitymfg.com/

Website: http://www.spartanmotors.com/