Addition of Smeal Product Portfolio and Key Operational Team Members Accelerates Spartan Motors’ Emergency Response Business Turnaround Plan; Transaction Accretive to Earnings in 2017 CHARLOTTE, Mich., Dec. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR) (“Spartan” or the “Company”), a global leader in specialty chassis and vehicle design, manufacturing, and assembly, today announced its wholly-owned subsidiary, Spartan Motors USA, Inc., has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. (“Smeal”), an industry-leading innovator and manufacturer of fire apparatus in North America, and its subsidiaries for $36.3 million, subject to certain net working capital adjustments, the Company’s forgiveness of certain liabilities owed by Smeal to the Company, and a subsequent tax gross-up payment, which is expected to be more than offset by tax benefits accruing to the Company. The acquisition will enable Spartan Motors to strengthen its Emergency Response business, gain scale and geographic reach in the industry, and accelerate its Emergency Response business unit turnaround plan. The transaction is expected to close in January 2017, subject to customary closing conditions.
Smeal is expected to generate 2016 revenues of approximately $100 million, which includes approximately $30 million of Spartan chassis sold to Smeal. The newly combined Spartan Emergency Response business unit will rank as one of the top-four North American fire apparatus manufacturers and will be well positioned, in an increasingly consolidating industry, to provide a robust and respected portfolio of leading products, services, and technologies. Today, Spartan’s Emergency Response business unit engineers and builds fire truck cabs and chassis for many of the industry’s leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including Smeal, as well as designs and manufactures complete fire apparatus. The acquisition of Smeal is a logical next step in the longstanding relationship between the two companies, which spans more than 30 years.
“We look forward to adding Smeal’s industry-leading product portfolio and manufacturing expertise to Spartan’s, while expanding on a decades-long successful partnership,” said Daryl Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer of Spartan Motors. “We expect the acquisition to be accretive to earnings in 2017 and bring significant scale to our Emergency Response vehicle portfolio, which will help accelerate the turnaround of the Spartan Emergency Response business unit. It also expands the geographic reach of our dealers, benefits all of our customers by expanding our product offerings, and brings an additional portfolio of leading technology and expertise to the market.”
Adams continued, “We are pleased that Smeal chose Spartan Motors as their partner to carry on their brand’s legacy, as we take our supplier relationship to the next level. Spartan Motors is prepared to lead the consolidation charge in the fire apparatus market as strategic opportunities present themselves, and this acquisition represents a deliberate and strategic decision to accelerate the turnaround of Spartan’s Emergency Response business unit. Importantly, we also preserve a large, longstanding chassis customer relationship and protect the interests of their dealer channel, as we expand our dealer network across the U.S. and Canada and simultaneously accelerate our goal of becoming the leader in the fire apparatus market.”
Founded in 1955, Snyder, Neb.-based Smeal and its subsidiaries, U.S. Tanker Co. and Ladder Tower Co., are leaders and innovators in fire truck manufacturing and vehicle technology, offering a full line of aerial ladders and platforms (including Squrt®, TeleSqurt®, and Snorkel®), tractor-drawn aerials (TDAs), pumpers, stainless steel tankers and wildland urban interface vehicles (WUI). Today, Smeal operates facilities located in Snyder and Neligh, Neb.; Delavan, Wis.; and Ephrata, Pa.
“Spartan Motors is the perfect fit for Smeal, our customers, our employees, and our operational leadership team, as we combine with a proven ally and industry leader to help solidify our future and preserve the legacy of the Smeal organization,” said Rod Cerny, Smeal’s Chairman of the Board. “As part of a larger, profitable and well-capitalized public company, we will have the working capital necessary to ensure continued investment in product development and make sure the Smeal brand is able to deliver the exceptional products and service our dealers, departments, and municipality customers have come to expect.”
Acquisition Highlights:
- The acquisition is a positive and compelling strategic fit for both companies and is an important step in securing the Company’s market leadership in an increasingly consolidating industry
- The acquisition is expected to be accretive to earnings for Spartan Motors in 2017 through a combination of operating efficiency efforts and synergies
- Smeal’s (including U.S. Tanker Co. and Ladder Tower Co.) notably superior aerial ladder, platform, and TDA product portfolio enhances and complements Spartan’s and brings industry-leading product technology to an important, high-performance product subset
- The combined Company will have 47 dealers in 44 states, 10 provinces and 3 territories, giving Spartan Emergency Response the ability to serve customers in the entire U.S. and all of Canada
- Smeal is expected to add approximately $70 million in annual revenue (excludes $30 million of Spartan chassis sold to Smeal) to the Company’s Emergency Response segment, and positions Spartan Emergency Response as one of the top-four fire apparatus manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada
- Smeal is expected to generate positive EBITDA in 2016
- The transaction will be initially financed with Spartan Motors’ recently amended $100 million line of credit
“We are proud of this significant milestone for Spartan’s Emergency Response business, and welcome Smeal’s knowledgeable and respected operational management team and employees to the Spartan Motors family,” concluded Daryl Adams. “This transaction will bring together some of the best talent in the industry and provides an opportunity for all employees to pursue a broader and more diverse career path.”
For more information regarding this transaction, please visit www.spartanmotors.com/smeal.
Posts Tagged Spartan Motors
New engine for Park Forest
May 12
This from Mike Summa:
Hello,Found these two pictures on Park Forest’s Fire Department web-site. Said that they were at Spartan Motors in Michigan. Body builder unknown, this is their new pumper squad. Feel free to share. These are not my pictures–I just thought that people would enjoy looking at them.
Park Forest FD photo
Park Forest FD photo
Park Forest FD photo
Park Forest FD photo
If you’re looking for the Crimson Fire Apparatus website … you won’t find it right now. Spartan Motors Inc. the parent company of Spartan Chassis and Crimson Fire Apparatus is rebranding the Crimson name to Spartan ERV (now that’s catchy!). Only their Facebook page is currently responding.
Spartan Motors is the parent company of four subsidiaries known for performance and being the first to market with innovative products:
- Spartan Chassis™
- Spartan ERV™
- Utilimaster™
Spartan ERV: Star Series, Legend Series, Classic Series
- Pumpers
- Tankers and heavy-duty tankers
- Quick-attack vehicles
- Light-duty rescue vehicles
- Aerials
- Wildland/Urban Interface
- The Boomer™
An article HERE mentions the change on the eve of the FDIC.
From the Lansing State Journal:
Spartan Motors Inc. is overhauling its emergency vehicle unit, teaming up with European companies and renaming the division in a bid to bolster the business.
The specialty vehicle and chassis maker, which makes fire trucks and other emergency vehicles, performs defense subcontracting work and produces commercial delivery vehicles, said Tuesday it has renamed its former Crimson-Fire division Spartan ERV and named former division Vice President Dennis Schneider to head the unit and Spartan Chassis. Spartan also outlined other strategies that have been six months in the making.
Spartan ERV is teaming up with Gimaex, a French emergency response company to share technology and help expand in the U.S. and global markets, Schneider said.
This article can be found HERE.
thanks Martin
Fox Lake is on the site
Oct 20
The Fox Lake Fire Department and Fire Protection District in Lake County has been added to the site. They have four stations although Station1, their original station, is unmanned. Their staffing is a combination of career, contract, and paid-on-call personnel.
Fox Lake Station 2 at 306 Washington is their headquarters. Larry Shapiro photo
As their namesake suggests, their district has quite a few lakes, and as such they have five boats housed in their stations. The apparatus is all by Alexis Fire Equipment and built on chassis by Spartan, with two exceptions. Tanker 2262 was built by E-ONE on a chassis by Federal Motors with a Hurricane cab, and reserve Engine 2223 was built by FMC on the first of three Super Command Cab chassis by Spartan featuring the original square design.
The only Nova-Quintech Sky-Arm aerial in the metro-Chicago area. Larry Shapiro photo
Spartan chassis in the department represent Gladiators, Diamonds, and Metro Stars with various door and roof configurations.
Several of the Fox Lake units feature a 'Montreal-Style' cab configuration with an interior operator's console. Larry Shapiro photo
This was one of three Super Command Cab Spartan Gladiator chassis built in 1984. All three were delivered in the Chicago area. Larry Shapiro photo
The Lisle-Woodridge FPD received one of the first three Super Command Cab Spartan Gladiators that was built on by E-ONE. Larry Shapiro photo
Frontline built on the third Spartan Super Command Cab Gladiator chassis for the North Palos FPD. Larry Shapiro photo
This antique is the only piece of apparatus painted red in the fleet. Larry Shapiro photo
New CFD units on order
Aug 4
Bill Freidrich tells us there are three new Spartan chassis on the lot at the factory in Charlotte, Michigan slated for Chicago.
- a chassis for a new engine going to the training academy (September completion)
- a chassis for a new 103′ rear mount aerial (November completion)
- a lime green chassis for an engine going to O’Hare (September completion)
Firegeezer.com has an article which details several recalls that deal with fire service vehicles. Recalls involve Daimler Trucks, Pierce, Spartan Motors, and Ford. Some highlights include:
Spartan is recalling (NHTSA #11V-240) certain 2010 and 2011 Furions, Gladiators and MetroStars. Certain telltales (dash indicator lights) do not illuminate when they are intended to (high beam indicator, turn signal indicators), or they flicker. In addition, the ABS lamp may not illuminate when the system is affected by a fault.
Pierce has two recalls in. One, NHTSA #11V255, is for certain 1999 – 2008 Arrow XT, Dash, Lance and Enforcer chassis and equipped with an electronic accelerator pedal. After repeated use with “excessive force” (ed. note: who, us?), the accelerator pedal arm may bend and cause the pedal to move closer to the floor. If the pedal arm bends far enough, the pedal may contact the cab floor without warning and stick in the full throttle position.
Pierce is also recalling (NHTSA #11V-230) certain 2009 – 2011 Arrow XT and Velocity apparatus. The front axles of these vehicles were built with Michelin 365/70R22.5 XZA tires installed on 12.25 inch wide wheels. These tires require 10.5 inch wide wheels to comply with FMVSS #120.
The full article with more in depth information can be found HERE.
Spartan buys Classic Fire
Mar 14
Firegeezer.com posted an article HERE about Spartan Motors, Inc., the parent company of Crimson Fire, Spartan Chassis, and Utilimaster, announcing their purchase of Classic Fire, LLC in Ocala, FL. Classic builds a line of fire apparatus including small rescue units, commercial pumpers and tankers, wildland/brush units, and skid units.
Firegeezer also has some commentary on the direction he feels the fire apparatus industry will be heading. You can read his thoughts HERE and HERE.
