Specialty vehicle manufacturer Spartan Motors this week officially launched a subsidiary to supply cabs and chassis for fire trucks.
Detroit Truck Manufacturing, located in the suburb of Madison Heights, will produce fabricated aluminum cabs for Spartan fire trucks, as well as the cabs and chassis that Spartan supplies to more than 40 fire truck manufacturers.
Company officials said the initiative would advance Spartan’s vertical integration strategy, improve quality control and optimize material and freight costs. The addition of DTM would also increase flexibility and reduce risk in its supply base, particularly in "our changing economic climate.”
Spartan, headquartered about 100 miles west of DTM in Charlotte, Michigan, also said flexible manufacturing would help reduce lead times. The new facility will also allow the company to take advantage of the Detroit area’s automotive segment and manufacturing workforce.
"While we plan to further expand our supply base across the organization as part of our long-term strategic growth and financial initiatives, creating a captive channel cab manufacturer provides Spartan greater flexibility and an optimized cost structure to fuel additional, profitable growth,” Spartan President and CEO Daryl Adams said in a statement.
