Four automotive engineers started Spartan Motors, which would later become the Shyft Group, in 1975’s Lansing, Michigan. Together, they manufactured the first custom fire truck cab and chassis. By 1984, Spartan Motors was publicly traded on the NASDAQ.
A year later, the company broke into the Type A diesel RV chassis market. Following the acquisition of truck body manufacturer Utilimaster Inc., Spartan Motors launched the Reach, a commercial walk-in van, in 2010.
Spartan Motors built a low, cab-forward assembly for Isuzu Work Truck, leading them to later build Plant 12 in 2016 to accommodate their contract with Isuzu. The plant’s construction was followed by a string of acquisitions of Strobes-R-Us, Smeal Fire Apparatus, General Truck Body and Royal Truck Body.
In 2020, Spartan Motors shifted to the Shyft Group. With the company’s rebranding came a focus on delivery and specialty vehicles and a divestment from emergency response units. The company also acquired aluminum truck body manufacturer F3 MFG Inc., becoming a national service body manufacturer in the industry.
