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MiMfg Magazine
April 2017
opportunities to managing our daily
operations. We also remain active
with the Michigan Municipal League,
Michigan Township Association,
Michigan Green Schools, Michigan
Recycling Coalition, MParks and
others who help promote us as a
Michigan manufacturer.
Q: What are some of the challenges
of being a small, medium or
large company?
Dick Sarns: For us, a company built on
serving an aging population, we’re finding
it hard to keep up with the demand.
With the baby boomer generation
reaching retirement age,
the market for our products is growing
faster than we are. 10,000 people turn
65 each day in our country and there are
“
We believe manufacturing is the
lifeblood of our nation, and we
are fortunate to be part of a state
with a legacy of manufacturing
excellence. Together, everyone
achieves more.
”
— Daryl Adams
Spartan Motors
rising challenges with people facing
obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and
other illnesses that reduce activity and
quality of life. period of growth and success because
we’ve created a culture that celebrates
new ideas, new technologies, and is
comfortable with the concept of change.
Chris Waltz: As you grow and diversify Sandra Anson: As a small manufacturer
your product line, you need more
employees, new divisions, expanded
facilities — these are things that don’t
just pop out of thin air. Growing your
business can be great, but it creates that
added struggle to find the right person,
the right fit for your culture.
Steve Cooper: Our biggest challenge is
labor. Michigan’s success in recent years
really is a double-edged sword. When
unemployment was at 14 percent, you
could have a job fair to fill 60 positions
and see 1,000 people turn out — yet the
best workers, the ones we wanted most,
were leaving the state. Now, unemploy-
ment is at 5 percent and people are stay-
ing in-state. The problem is now a lot
of the workers seeking employment
don’t have the necessary skills.
Daryl Adams: Regardless of scale or
industry, most manufacturing organizations
struggle with the concept of change —
whether it’s a new policy, new procedures,
or industry influences outside of your
control. Spartan is enjoying an exceptional
with somewhat limited resources, deciding
where to best spend money. Equipment
always comes before advertising which
means marketing to the right demographics
is a challenge. We’ve also begun to outgrow
our building, which impacts our ability
to keep up with demand. It’s also a
challenge to compete with other local
manufacturers or larger companies with
deeper pockets on areas like benefits.
Q: How would you characterize the
advantages of being a small,
medium or large company?
Dan Craig: We are able to stay focused,
quickly improve processes, implement
innovations faster, are able to be flexible
and our employees are more likely to be
cross-trained.
Chris Waltz: For manufacturers,
purchasing power can be very valuable.
Larger companies are also more likely to
have their brand well-known and a good
reputation can speed up a company’s
Spartan Motors
Daryl Adams
Location
Charlotte
Business Type
Manufacturer of
specialty vehicles
Attribute for Success
Desire to exceed
customer expectations
Self-Classification
Large
Daryl Adams talks with a member of his dedicated staff in front of Spartan’s
world-class emergency vehicles as they are assembled.