Spartan Motors to Supply Ulti-Bay(TM) Custom Chassis To Winnebago Industries for Ultimate(R) Line
CHARLOTTE, Mich., June 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPAR)
announced today that it has been named the sole chassis supplier for Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE:WGO)
Ultimate(R) line of high-end, diesel-pusher motorhomes beginning with the 2002 model year.
The Forest City, Iowa-based manufacturer of recreation vehicles tapped Spartan Motors, a manufacturer of premium diesel platforms based in Charlotte, Mich., to supply platforms for the Ultimate Freedom and Ultimate Advantage. The initiative, which should translate into 300-400 platforms for Spartan in the upcoming model year, is an expansion of the Company's current supplier relationship with Winnebago Industries.
"We are pleased to provide Winnebago Industries with the foundation for its flagship product line," said John Sztykiel, president and chief operating officer of Spartan Motors. "Receiving this commitment is confirmation of the value of the Spartan brand. We look forward to working with Winnebago Industries to produce an exceptional quality motorhome."
The first Ultimate Advantage with a Spartan platform rolled off the production line in May and will be available in the 2002 lineup of Ultimate motorhomes. The Ultimate Freedom model has been manufactured on a Spartan chassis since the 2000 model year.
"The Ulti-Bay(TM) chassis featured on the Ultimate series of motorhomes is very unique in that both Winnebago Industries and Spartan participated in the platform design and build, resulting in an exceptional chassis for this RV application," said Bruce Hertzke, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Winnebago Industries. "We are pleased to work with the team at Spartan Motors to design, manufacture and service our Ulti-Bay chassis. This unique diesel-pusher chassis is custom designed to maximize handling characteristics and storage, resulting in a true top-of-the-line coach."
Winnebago Industries, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of motorhomes, self-contained recreation vehicles used primarily in leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. Other products manufactured by the Company consist principally of a variety of component products for other manufacturers. The Company builds quality products with state-of-the-art computer-aided design and manufacturing systems on automotive-styled assembly lines. Visit the Winnebago Industries web site at http://www.winnebagoind.com/ .
Spartan Motors, Inc. (http://www.spartanmotors.com/ ) is a leading developer and manufacturer of custom platforms for recreational vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances and other specialty vehicles. The Company also owns fire and rescue vehicle manufacturers Luverne Fire Apparatus, Quality Manufacturing and Road Rescue, Inc.
Source: Spartan Motors, Inc.
Contact: John Gaedert of Spartan Motors, 517-543-6400, or
jrgaeder@spartanmotors.com ; Jeff Lambert or Mary Ann Sabo of Lambert, Edwards
& Associates, Inc., 616-233-0500, or mail@lambert-edwards.com , for Spartan
Motors, Inc.
Website: http://www.spartanmotors.com/
Website: http://www.winnebagoind.com/