CHARLOTTE, Mich., March 31, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq:SPAR) at the recommendation of its Supplier Performance and Review Committee (SPARC), recently recognized top-performing suppliers during its 14th Annual Supplier Conference, held March 23rd, at the Charlotte (Michigan) Performing Arts Center. During the event, Spartan honored key supply chain partners which were instrumental in helping the company progress its continuous improvement initiative and increase supplier quality, in 2015. The ceremony also gave Spartan executives an opportunity to provide key suppliers with insight on major business initiatives for 2016 and beyond. A focus on continuous improvement, quality, total cost control, operational excellence, and maintaining a healthy supply chain headlined the topics presented at the conference.
"Spartan works closely with its key supply chain partners to create superior products and services for our customers. We are committed to reaching high levels of operational excellence and cost competitiveness so we rely heavily on our supply base to support those initiatives,” said Jeremy Wilson, Corporate Director of Supply Chain Management for Spartan Motors. “We sincerely value our supplier network and the efforts they exert to support Spartan’s commitment to continuous improvement.”
Each supplier honored consistently maintains a staunch commitment to quality, on-time delivery, total cost control, and excellent customer support, as identified by the SPARC team and its ongoing audit procedures. The companies which were presented the Spartan “Diamond Award” during the 2016 Supplier Conference, exemplifying those attributes were:
- Allison Transmission (Indianapolis, IN)
- Dana Holding Corporation (Maumee, OH)
- Duratrack, Inc. (Elk Grove Village, IL)
- F.B. Wright Company (Dearborn, MI)
- Harris Battery Company, Inc. (Bolivar, Ohio)
- Hendrickson (Woodridge, IL)
- JWB Components (Kentwood, Michigan)
- Orscheln Products LLC (Moberly, MO)
- Power Brake & Spring Service Co. (South bend, IN)
- Qualitronics, Inc. (Richmond, IN)
- Truck-Lite (Falconer, NY)
- Unifab Corporation (Portage, MI)
- Welformed – Division of genesis Products (Elkhart, IN)
- Wurth Service Supply, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN)
Additional suppliers were also recognized for their positive contributions to Spartan.
Spartan continuously evaluates its 1,000-plus suppliers to ensure adherence to the Company's ever-increasing quality requirements and their ability to achieve and uphold operational excellence. Suppliers that consistently exceed the performance criteria have the opportunity to increase their business levels with Spartan.
About Spartan Motors
Spartan Motors, Inc. is a leading designer, engineer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty vehicles, specialty chassis, vehicle bodies and parts for the fleet and delivery, recreational vehicle (RV), emergency response, defense forces and contract assembly (light/medium duty truck: Class 3, 4 and 5) markets. The Company's brand names - Spartan Motors, Spartan Specialty Vehicles, Spartan Emergency Response, Spartan Parts and Accessories, and Utilimaster®, a Spartan Motors Company - are known for quality, durability, performance, customer service and first-to-market innovation. The Company employs approximately 1,700 associates at facilities in Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Indiana. Spartan reported sales of $550 million in 2015. Visit Spartan Motors at www.spartanmotors.com.