Spartan Motors Form 8-K - 10/25/07


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  October 25, 2007

SPARTAN MOTORS, INC
(Exact name of registrant as
specified in its charter)

 

Michigan
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)

0-13611
(Commission
File Number)

38-2078923
(IRS Employer
Identification no.)

 



1165 Reynolds Road
Charlotte, Michigan

(Address of principal executive offices)

 


48813
(Zip Code)

 

Registrant's telephone number,
including area code:  (517) 543-6400

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))






Item 2.02

Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

          On October 25, 2007, Spartan Motors, Inc. issued a press release concerning its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2007. The press release is attached to this Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.1 and is here incorporated by reference. This Report and the Exhibit are furnished to, and not filed with, the Commission.


Item 8.01

Other Events.


          On October 25, 2007, Spartan Motors, Inc. issued a press release announcing that the board of directors has declared a special dividend of $0.03 per share of common stock. As announced in May 2007, Spartan will also pay its second regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share, for total dividend payments of $0.13 per share in 2007 (including adjustments for the Company's 3-for-2 stock splits in June 2007 and December 2006). The press release is attached to this Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.2 and is here incorporated by reference. This Report and the Exhibits are furnished to, and not filed with, the Commission.


Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

 

 

(d)

Exhibits:

 

 

 

 

 

99.1

Spartan Motors, Inc. Press Release dated October 25, 2007. This Exhibit is furnished to, and not filed with, the Commission.

 

 

 

 

 

99.2

Spartan Motors, Inc. Press Release dated October 25, 2007. This Exhibit is furnished to, and not filed with, the Commission.







2


SIGNATURES

                    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


 

SPARTAN MOTORS, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date:  October 25, 2007

By  /s/ James W. Knapp


 

     James W. Knapp
     Chief Financial Officer









3


EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number

 

                     Document

 

 

 

99.1

 

Spartan Motors, Inc. Press Release dated October 25, 2007.

 

 

 

99.2

 

Spartan Motors, Inc. Press Release dated October 25, 2007.












4

Spartan Motors Exhibit 99.1 to Form 8-K - 10/25/07

EXHIBIT 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Spartan Motors Reports Third Quarter Marked by Sales Growth,
Record Backlog and Production Ramp Up Costs

CHARLOTTE, Michigan, Oct. 25, 2007 - Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR) reported a 36.8 percent year-over-year increase in net sales, a 66.0 percent year-over-year increase in backlog, and a substantial increase in production capacity for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2007.

Spartan, a leading manufacturer of custom vehicle chassis and emergency-rescue vehicles, reported net earnings of $2.6 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, on net sales of $148.9 million in the third quarter of 2007, compared with net earnings of $4.1 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, on net sales of $108.9 million in the third quarter of 2006. All financial information includes adjustments for the Company's 3-for-2 stock splits in June 2007 and Dec. 2006.

Spartan reported gross margin of 11.8 percent in the third quarter of 2007, compared with 15.8 percent for the same period in 2006, reflecting the ramp up of capacity, production inefficiencies, shift in product mix and competitive pricing on specialty vehicle chassis at Spartan Chassis, as well as lower margins at the EVTeam.

"Based upon the urgent need and future opportunity, the decision was made to accelerate the process of increasing production capacity for our military and specialty vehicle business in the third quarter," said John Sztykiel, president and CEO of Spartan Motors. "This objective was achieved, as our production capacity is now at 40 military units per day, a more than 300 percent increase over where we were just six months ago. Short term, this did affect our earnings in the third quarter.

"However, our backlog has grown 32 percent over the second quarter of 2007 and 66 percent compared to last year's third quarter. Just as important, these efforts have improved Spartan's ability to support future growth. It is realistic that our backlog will exceed the total revenue for 2006 by the end of Nov. 2007, with these units being built by the end of the second quarter of 2008.

"As we look forward, the third quarter should be an anomaly in our 2007 results, and we are anticipating the fourth quarter will be more in line with our results in the first two quarters of the year. We made significant progress and remain bullish about our potential based on our current momentum and the build up we anticipate through the end of 2007 and into 2008. We are resolving the production challenges, are in a good position to execute using our expanded production capacity, and see higher run rates to absorb our increased overhead and orders."

Through the first nine months of 2007, Spartan's sales increased 38.1 percent compared with the same period of last year, while earnings increased 20.3 percent compared to the same nine-month period in 2006. The Company reported net earnings of $16.3 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, for the first nine months of 2007, compared with net earnings of $13.5 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, in the same period of 2006.

"During the third quarter, we received orders from three OEMs for specialty vehicle chassis related to the U.S. military's Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle program," Sztykiel said. "We opened

-more-




Spartan Motors / Page 2 of 7


two new factories focused on MRAP production, and acquired two more buildings to expand our production capacity for specialty vehicle and RV chassis."

Spartan Motors' consolidated backlog increased 66.0 percent over the same quarter of last year to approximately $383.1 million as of Sept. 30, 2007. This marks the largest backlog in Company history and a $92.8 million increase from the second quarter 2007. Spartan Motors anticipates filling its current backlog orders by July 2008.

On a consolidated basis, Spartan posted a return on invested capital (ROIC) of 8.5 percent in the third quarter of 2007, compared to ROIC of 16.2 percent for the same quarter in 2006. (Spartan defines return on invested capital as operating income less taxes, on an annualized basis, divided by total shareholders' equity.)

The Company ended the quarter with $44.9 million in long-term debt, which includes financing for Spartan Chassis' recently opened facilities and growth in working capital to support its increased orders. Spartan reported $3.6 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the third quarter of 2007.

Spartan Chassis
Sales at Spartan Chassis, the Company's largest operating unit, increased 48.6 percent to $138.9 million, or 93.3 percent of Spartan Motors' total sales. Net earnings at Spartan Chassis improved 3.3 percent in the 2007 third quarter compared to the same quarter of last year, and the unit's backlog as of Sept. 30, 2007 increased 94.6 percent year-over-year.

Spartan's RV chassis sales increased 10.8 percent in the 2007 third quarter, outpacing the 3.6 percent year-to-date increase in industry wholesale shipments for Class A motorhomes as of Aug. 2007, which is the latest industry data available from the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). The RVIA is forecasting a 5.8 percent increase in Class A motorhome shipments for 2007. Backlog for RV chassis slightly decreased year-over-year to $26.1 million as of Sept. 30, 2007.

Sales of fire truck chassis declined 10.5 percent in the third quarter of 2007 compared to the same period last year. The slowdown in sales for fire truck chassis is primarily due to a shortage of components and a reduction in the production schedule due to the lower backlog. Backlog for fire truck chassis at the end of the third quarter was $67.1 million, an 18.1 percent decrease compared with last year, reflecting decreased demand due to increased backlogs among Spartan's OEM customers, and a slowdown in the market due to pre-buying of vehicles in 2006 due to the emissions change in 2007.

Other product sales, including specialty vehicle chassis, parts and Spartan's subcontracts for military vehicle customers, increased 236.3 percent in the third quarter of 2007. Backlog for other products increased 307.3 percent to $228.8 million as of Sept. 30, 2007. As reported in Aug. 2007, Spartan Chassis received subcontract orders from Force Protection, BAE Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems totaling $163 million in the third quarter of 2007.

"We are ramping up production at our new facilities and remain on track for an excellent year for Spartan Chassis," Sztykiel said. "Spartan Chassis accomplished a major challenge by increasing the production capacity for MRAP vehicles threefold in the quarter to support our troops in Iraq. Scheduling changes and parts shortages compounded the production inefficiencies due to the ramp up in capacity. This caused a significant decline in third quarter gross margins for specialty vehicles.

"We remain in great position for future contracts related to our current MRAP products, and we expect margins to improve. In addition, we have opportunity from the MRAP-2 program in 2008. Further, we have already seen improvement in margins for fire truck chassis as of September."




Spartan Motors / Page 3 of 7


Emergency Vehicle Team (EVTeam)
Spartan's EVTeam operating unit, consisting of its Crimson Fire, Crimson Fire Aerials and Road Rescue subsidiaries, reported a sales decrease of 8.0 percent in the 2007 third quarter compared with the prior year period. The EVTeam reported backlog of $61.2 million at the end of the quarter, a 6.4 percent decrease compared to the unit's backlog in the third quarter of 2006.

"While we saw some improvements within Road Rescue, production inefficiencies and lower year-over-year sales led to an increased loss in the quarter at Crimson Fire and Crimson Fire Aerials," Sztykiel said. "Crimson Fire experienced temporary missteps in execution in the third quarter and we are expecting significant improvement in the fourth quarter. We had measurable success at Road Rescue in the third quarter, with the new operating management implementing significant production and cultural changes, resulting in better execution and improved sales."

Conference Call, Webcast and Presentation
Spartan Motors will host a conference call for analysts and portfolio managers at 10 a.m. ET today to discuss these results and current business trends. To listen to a live webcast of the call, please visit http://www.spartanmotors.com/webcasts.asp.

About Spartan Motors
Spartan Motors, Inc. (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 - SpartanTM, Crimson FireTM, Crimson Fire AerialsTM, and Road RescueTM - are known for quality, value, service and being the first to market with innovative products. The Company employs approximately 1,300 at facilities in Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and South Dakota. Spartan reported sales of $445 million in 2006 and is focused on becoming the premier manufacturer of specialty vehicles and chassis in North America.

This release contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements concerning our business, future plans and objectives and the performance of our products. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that ultimately may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications may arise that could prevent the prompt implementation of the plans outlined above. The company cautions that these forward-looking statements are further qualified by other factors including, but not limited to, those set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filing and other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (available at http://www.sec.gov.). Government contracts and subcontracts typically involve long payment and purchase cycles, competitive bidding, qualification requirements, delays or changes in funding, extensive specification dev elopment and changes, price negotiations and milestone requirements. An announced award of a governmental contract is not equivalent to a finalized executed contract and does not assure that orders will be issued and filled. Government agencies also often retain some portion of fees payable upon completion of a project and collection of contract fees may be delayed for long periods, which can negatively impact both prime contractors and subcontractors. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

###


CONTACT:

 

 

 

John Sztykiel, CEO, or Jim Knapp, CFO
Spartan Motors, Inc.
(517) 543-6400

Jeff Lambert or Ryan McGrath
Lambert, Edwards & Associates, Inc.
(616) 233-0500 / rmcgrath@lambert-edwards.com




Spartan Motors / Page 4 of 7

Spartan Motors, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
 
 
 

 


 

September 30, 2007

 

December 31, 2006

 

 

$-000


 


$-000


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Cash and cash equivalents

$

3,550

 

$

13,835

 

     Accounts receivable, net

 

84,415

 

 

62,620

 

     Inventories

 

90,940

 

 

64,173

 

     Deferred income tax assets

 

4,371

 

 

4,567

 

     Deposits on engines

 

2,117

 

 

10,900

 

     Taxes receivable

 

5,918

 

 

 

 

     Other current assets

 


454


 


 


1,882


 

          Total current assets

 

191,765

 

 

157,977

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

51,479

 

 

29,659

 

Goodwill

 

2,457

 

 

2,457

 

Other assets

 


524


 


 


555


 

Total assets

$


246,225


 


$


190,648


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Accounts payable

$

49,156

 

$

30,704

 

     Accrued warranty

 

8,925

 

 

6,381

 

     Accrued compensation and related taxes

 

6,729

 

 

7,712

 

     Accrued vacation

 

1,681

 

 

1,483

 

     Accrued customer rebates

 

2,367

 

 

3,471

 

     Deposits from customers

 

6,383

 

 

7,465

 

     Taxes on income

 

 

 

 

1,566

 

     Other current liabilities and accrued expenses

 

881

 

 

2,591

 

     Current portion of long-term debt

 


522


 


 


521


 

          Total current liabilities

 

76,644

 

 

61,894

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long-term debt, less current portion

 

44,865

 

 

25,218

 

Other non-current liabilities

 

1,078

 

 

 

 

Deferred income tax liabilities

 

89

 

 

355

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders' equity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Common stock

 

326

 

 

317

 

     Additional paid in capital

 

60,349

 

 

54,233

 

     Retained earnings

 


62,874


 


 


48,631


 

          Total shareholders' equity

 

123,549

 

 

103,181

 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$


246,225


 


$


190,648


 




Spartan Motors / Page 5 of 7

Spartan Motors, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
Three Months Ended September 30, 2007 and 2006
 
 

 


 

September 30, 2007

 

September 30, 2006

 

 

$-000-


 


%


 


$-000-


 


%


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sales

148,891

 

 

 

108,876

 

 

 

Cost of Products Sold

131,316


 


 


 


91,709


 


 


 

Gross Profit

17,575


 


11.8


 


17,167


 


15.8


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Research and Development

3,840

 

2.6

 

3,092

 

2.9

 

     Selling, General and Administrative

9,690


 


6.5


 


7,852


 


7.2


 

Total Operating Expenses

13,530

 

9.1

 

10,944

 

10.1

 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Operating Income

4,045


 


2.7


 


6,223


 


5.7


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Income (Expense):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Interest Expense

(235

)

(0.1

)

(65

)

(0.1

)

     Interest and Other Income

190


 


0.1


 


205


 


0.2


 

Total Other Income (Expense)

(45

)

(0.0

)

140

 

0.1

 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Earnings before Taxes on Income

4,000


 


2.7


 


6,363


 


5.8


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taxes on Income

1,430

 

1.0

 

2,289

 

2.1

 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Net Earnings

2,570


 


1.7


 


4,074


 


3.7


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Basic Net Earnings per Share

0.08


 


 


 


0.14


 


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Diluted Net Earnings per Share

0.08


 


 


 


0.13


 


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding

32,200

 

 

 

29,993

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding

32,862

 

 

 

30,551

 

 

 




Spartan Motors / Page 6 of 7

Spartan Motors, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2007 and 2006
 
 

 


 

September 30, 2007

 

September 30, 2006

 

 

$-000-


 


%


 


$-000-


 


%


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sales

444,356

 

 

 

321,769

 

 

 

Cost of Products Sold

378,077


 


 


 


269,161


 


 


 

Gross Profit

66,279


 


14.9


 


52,608


 


16.3


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Research and Development

11,326

 

2.5

 

8,903

 

2.7

 

     Selling, General and Administrative

28,841


 


6.5


 


22,580


 


7.0


 

Total Operating Expenses

40,167

 

9.0

 

31,483

 

9.7

 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Operating Income

26,112


 


5.9


 


21,125


 


6.6


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Income (Expense):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Interest Expense

(918

)

(0.2

)

(151

)

(0.0

)

     Interest and Other Income

520


 


0.1


 


720


 


0.1


 

Total Other Income (Expense)

(398

)

(0.1

)

569

 

0.1

 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Earnings before Taxes on Income

25,714


 


5.8


 


21,694


 


6.7


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taxes on Income

9,421

 

2.1

 

8,146

 

2.5

 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Net Earnings

16,293


 


3.7


 


13,548


 


4.2


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Basic Net Earnings per Share

0.51


 


 


 


0.46


 


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Diluted Net Earnings per Share

0.50


 


 


 


0.46


 


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding

31,927

 

 

 

29,189

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding

32,582

 

 

 

29,639

 

 

 




Spartan Motors / Page 7 of 7

Spartan Motors, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Sales and Other Financial Information by Business Segment
Quarter Ended September 30, 2007
 
 

 


Three Months Ended September 30, 2007 (amounts in thousands)


 

Business Segments


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chassis


 


 


EVTeam


 


 


Other


 


 


Consolidated


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motorhome Chassis Sales

48,536

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

48,536

Fire Truck Chassis Sales

27,845

 

 

 

 

 

(9,748

)

 

18,097

EVTeam Product Sales

 

 

 

19,693

 

 

 

 

 

19,693

Other Product Sales

62,565


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


62,565


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Net Sales

138,946


 


 


19,693


 


 


(9,748


)


 


148,891


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest Expense (Income)

(2

)

 

470

 

 

(233

)

 

235

Depreciation Expense

475

 

 

283

 

 

333

 

 

1,091

Segment Net Earnings (Loss)

5,386

 

 

(1,613

)

 

(1,203

)

 

2,570


Nine Months Ended September 30, 2007 (amounts in thousands)


 

Business Segments


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chassis


 


 


EVTeam


 


 


Other


 


 


Consolidated


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motorhome Chassis Sales

165,080

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

165,080

Fire Truck Chassis Sales

87,337

 

 

 

 

 

(21,864

)

 

65,473

EVTeam Product Sales

 

 

 

61,863

 

 

 

 

 

61,863

Other Product Sales

151,940


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


151,940


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Net Sales

404,357


 


 


61,863


 


 


(21,864


)


 


444,356


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest Expense (Income)

 

 

 

1,149

 

 

(231

)

 

918

Depreciation Expense

1,267

 

 

893

 

 

623

 

 

2,783

Segment Net Earnings (Loss)

21,824

 

 

(3,290

)

 

(2,241

)

 

16,293


Period End Backlog (amounts in thousands)


 

Sept. 30, 2006


 


Dec. 31, 2006


 


Mar. 31, 2007


 


Jun. 30, 2007


 


Sept. 30, 2007


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Motorhome Chassis *

27,416

 

28,198

 

37,679

 

23,768

 

26,097

   Fire Truck Chassis *

81,889

 

84,445

 

84,416

 

72,097

 

67,071

   Other Product *

56,175


 


49,729


 


53,178


 


131,801


 


228,803


      Total Chassis

165,480

 

162,372

 

175,273

 

227,666

 

321,971

   EVTeam Product *

65,387


 


69,715


 


74,843


 


62,691


 


61,178


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Backlog

230,867


 


232,087


 


250,116


 


290,357


 


383,149


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  *  Anticipated time to
fill backlog orders; 2
months or less for
motorhome chassis and
4-10 months for fire truck
chassis, other product
and EVTeam product

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spartan Motors Exhibit 99.2 to Form 8-K - 10/25/07

EXHIBIT 99.2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Spartan Motors to Pay Regular Dividend, Declares Special Dividend

CHARLOTTE, Michigan, October 25, 2007 - Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR) today announced its board of directors declared a special dividend of $0.03 per share of common stock.

As announced in May 2007, Spartan will also pay its second regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share, for total dividend payments of $0.13 per share in 2007. All financial information in this release includes adjustments for the Company's 3-for-2 stock splits in June 2007 and Dec. 2006.

Spartan reported that the regular and special cash dividends are payable on Dec. 14, 2007 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Nov. 14, 2007. Spartan has been paying bi-annual regular cash dividends since 2003 and special dividends since 1989. Spartan issued $0.12 per share in total dividends for 2006.

"Adjusted for the recent stock splits, our total cash dividends will increase 8.3 percent compared with last year," said John Sztykiel, chief executive officer of Spartan Motors. "This is the fifth year of Spartan's increasing dividends year-over-year, and a reflection of the Board's confidence in our long-term strategic plan to become the premier manufacturer of specialty vehicles and chassis in North America."

About Spartan Motors
Spartan Motors, Inc. (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 - SpartanTM, Crimson FireTM, Crimson Fire AerialsTM, and Road RescueTM - are known for quality, value, service and being the first to market with innovative products. The Company employs approximately 1,300 at facilities in Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and South Dakota. Spartan reported sales of $445 million in 2006 and is focused on becoming the premier manufacturer of specialty vehicles and chassis in North America.

This release contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements concerning our business, future plans and objectives and the performance of our products. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that ultimately may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications may arise that could prevent the prompt implementation of the plans outlined above. The company cautions that these forward-looking statements are further qualified by other factors including, but not limited to, those set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filing and other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (available at http://www.sec.gov.). Government contracts and subcontracts typically involve long payment and purchase cycles, competitive bidding, qualification requirements, delays or changes in funding, extensive specification dev elopment and changes, price negotiations and milestone requirements. An announced award of a governmental contract is not equivalent to a finalized executed contract and does not assure that orders will be issued and filled. Government agencies also often retain some portion of fees payable upon completion of a project and collection of contract fees may be delayed for long periods, which can negatively impact both prime contractors and subcontractors. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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CONTACT:

 

Jim Knapp, CFO
Spartan Motors, Inc.
(517) 543-6400

Ryan McGrath or Jeff Lambert
Lambert, Edwards & Associates, Inc.
(616) 233-0500 / rmcgrath@lambert-edwards.com