BRANDON, S.D., April 21, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spartan ERV (Emergency Response Vehicles) ("Spartan" or the "Company"), a business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAR ), debuted its "Forged by Fire" marketing campaign in January of this year to celebrate the firefighter and the many untold stories from the front line. Spartan ERV is honoring those individuals that have influenced their communities by collecting their stories of tradition, generation, sacrifice, bravery and performance. After the initial round of public voting, which wrapped up following the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, April 10-12, the Company is excited to announce Van Johnson as its first recipient to win one of two $5,000 cash prizes.
"Forged by Fire is an interactive social media campaign which tells the many untold stories of those within the ER community," said Russell Chick, Corporate Director of Marketing, Spartan Motors. "Providing a platform to share them is a role we are honored to play. This campaign and our digital platforms will enable new connections and productive conversations within the firefighting community."
Spartan ERV has been accepting nominations for individuals who have been Forged by Fire. The Company and its dealer network are connecting with firefighters and industry personnel to encourage them to participate by submitting their stories. The Company looks to honor those that have been Forged by Fire and let the stories be told.
This year, Spartan ERV is celebrating the firefighter and the many untold stories. Spartan is making what it does about the people we serve. Although Spartan plays a critical role in providing safety and capability, it knows that the people who matter most and the ones that make the difference each day are the firefighters. Spartan ERV continues to have a robust product story to tell. That will be achieved through a separate campaign running concurrently.
All stories not selected for the first prize will still be eligible to be selected for the second $5,000 awarded later this year, so individuals are encouraged to keep sharing how they have been Forged by Fire.
Forged by Fire nominations are set to continue until Friday, August 1 st . At that time, an internal committee will select the next three finalists and begin public voting on Monday, August 4 th . Voting will close on Sunday, August 17 th , with the second recipient of the $5,000 cash prize being announced on Monday, August 25 th .
As the campaign was developed, the Spartan marketing team was reminded of the remarkable humility found in the fabric of the firefighter. Many of the firefighters interviewed were apprehensive to talk about their stories. The Forged by Fire campaign addresses this by offering two options to submit a Forged by Fire story. They can submit directly on the campaign landing page, or nominate a friend or coworker by visiting http://www.SpartanERV.com/ForgedbyFire . Select nominees may have their story featured in the company's next print advertisement. The first round of public voting is slated to begin online in March.
About Spartan ERV
Spartan ERV™ is a leading manufacturer of custom fire trucks and other rescue vehicles. A business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPAR ), Spartan ERV™ is committed to quality, performance and innovation. Drawing on more than 130 years of excellence in fire truck manufacturing, Spartan ERV™ manufactures a full line of pumpers, tankers, rescues, aerials, quick-attack/urban interface vehicles and other emergency-rescue vehicles from its facilities in Florida, Pennsylvania and South Dakota. For more information, visit www.spartanerv.com .
About Spartan Motors
Spartan Motors, Inc. designs, engineers and manufactures specialty chassis, specialty vehicles, truck bodies and aftermarket parts for the recreational vehicle (RV), emergency response, government services, defense, and delivery and service markets. The Company's brand names – Spartan™, Spartan Chassis™, Spartan ER™, Spartan ERV™ and Utilimaster® - are known for quality, performance, service and first-to-market innovation. The Company employs approximately 1,700 associates at facilities in Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Indiana and Florida. Spartan reported sales of $470 million in 2013 and is focused on becoming a global leader in the design, engineering and manufacture of specialty vehicles and chassis. Visit Spartan Motors at www.spartanmotors.com .
This release contains several forward-looking statements that are not historical facts, including statements concerning our business, strategic position, financial strength, future plans, objectives, and the performance of our products. These statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "potential," "future," "may," "will," "should," and similar expressions regarding future expectations. These forward-looking statements involve various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, and likelihood. Therefore, actual performance and results may materially differ from what may be expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could contribute to these differences include operational and other complications that may arise affecting the implementation of our plans and business objectives; continued pressures caused by economic conditions and the pace and extent of the economic recovery; challenges that may arise in connection with the integration of new businesses or assets we acquire or the disposition of assets; issues unique to government contracting, such as competitive bidding processes, qualification requirements, and delays or changes in funding; disruptions within our dealer network; changes in our relationships with major customers, suppliers, or other business partners, including Isuzu; changes in the demand or supply of products within our markets or raw materials needed to manufacture those products; and changes in laws and regulations affecting our business. Other factors that could affect outcomes are set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available at www.sec.gov or our website. All forward-looking statements in this release are qualified by this paragraph. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Russell T. Chick Corporate Director of Marketing Spartan Motors, Inc. 517.997.3852
