Licensing News Item

[tree68]

With all of the flap over Uncle Pete, the following News Item in Firehouse Magazine may be a springboard for discussion:

Spartan Motors, Inc. has launched a brand-licensing program aimed at extending the Spartan brand and creating new marketing and revenue opportunities. The manufacturer of custom fire truck chassis and emergency-rescue vehicles said the program will first focus on licensing to suppliers to the emergency rescue market or other industries where manufacturers want to sell an authentic fire truck brand.

“The Spartan brand is synonymous with quality products and service, and we want to share this heritage with licensees of our brand, while simultaneously building the visibility of the Spartan name,” said Spartan Motors CEO John Sztykiel. Spartan said it has signed a licensing agreement with its first manufacturer, Fort Worth, TX-based Bippity Inc. Bippity makes and markets solid wood furniture for fire stations.

[Anonymous]

YEEE HAAA!
BNSFrailfan.

[locomutt]

Ouch,Larry
They have done it to US again[?][:(!][V]

[Mookie]

OK - enlighten me...How many people and what kind of revenue will this involve? Is it just going to be suppliers? Will it be children's toys? I love the fire departmen since they are practically next door, but don't think I have ever given a thought to what their brand of fire trucks are - whereas, UP is another story. Who doesn't know UP or BNSF?

And - solid wood furniture - can't they just go to K-Mart and buy a desk? Is this a big deal that they have solid wood furniture?

Bippity - sounds like something out of Laugh-In....

[%-)]

[tree68]

All I know of this particular item is what I posted, but -

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

OK - enlighten me...How many people and what kind of revenue will this involve? Is it just going to be suppliers? Will it be children's toys? I love the fire departmen since they are practically next door, but don't think I have ever given a thought to what their brand of fire trucks are - whereas, UP is another story. Who doesn't know UP or BNSF?

While it won't be a huge market, die-cast models are quite popular. Not to be confused with Hot Wheels, the best are really scale models (and can go for upwards of $200), and can easily be identified as to manufacturer of the real item. There are also various trinkets and momento items on the market. You'll probably have to get into catalogs of companies that supply the fire service to find the stuff, but firefighters tend to take pride in their gear, and if they like their Spartan trucks, they may very well buy other Spartan items.

QUOTE:
And - solid wood furniture - can't they just go to K-Mart and buy a desk? Is this a big deal that they have solid wood furniture?

The furniture in a full-time staffed fire station is probably analagous to someplace like a library - it sees a lot of use, and it isn't gentle use.

QUOTE:
Bippity - sounds like something out of Laugh-In....
[%-)]

I didn't think of Laugh-in, but you are right on that one.

[Mookie]

Tree - I am enlightened. Thank you!

Mookie

[mudchicken]

and the relationship top Seagraves and American-LaFrance is?

Darn, now I hafta see what comes out of the DFD firehouse directly & diagonally accross the street from the orifice.....

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

and the relationship top Seagraves and American-LaFrance is?

Darn, now I hafta see what comes out of the DFD firehouse directly & diagonally accross the street from the orifice.....

There are still many manufacturers making fire apparatus. And many have gone away.

Spartan chiefly makes chassis that other fire apparatus builders use as a basis to add their bodies and equipment. You sort of have to look at both ends to see the total picture (ie, might be a Spartan/4-Guys)

Seagrave is essentially a stand-alone company. FWD (of 4 wheel drive fame) bought them in the '60's, and a group of private investors bought FWD a few years ago. They mostly build complete apparatus.

American LaFrance is now a product line of Freightliner, itself a subsidiary of Daimler-Chrysler. In their current iteration, they mostly build chassis, like Spartan. They do build some complete trucks.

Emergency One, or E-One, is part of Federal Signal, and has emerged in the past couple of decades as a major manufacturer of fire apparatus. In much the same way that Uncle Pete has been gobbling up railroads, E-One has been gobbling up smaller apparatus builders. Fallen flags include Saulsbury (closing the plant in NY), Boardman (OKC), and Superior (Canada).

The history of fire apparatus builders reads like that of railroads in many ways, with mergers, takeovers, and fallen flags. American LaFrance is itself the result of several mergers, has been bought a couple of times, and has slowly migrated from Elmira, NY through VA and NC, now located in SC. The best comparison is probably ALCo, in terms of longevity spanning the eras of FF equipment. Many smaller marques have closed shop (Maxim, Sanford), Peter Pirsch and Sons fell victim to a product liability lawsuit. They were a major player in their day, probably analogous to the O&W.

In fact, fire buffing is a lot like rail fanning. And an old steamer will always bring out a crowd. There is a national organization, SPAAMFAA (SOCIETY for the PRESERVATION & APPRECIATION
of ANTIQUE MOTOR FIRE APPARATUS in AMERICA) dedicated to preserving old fire trucks. They regularly get together to show off, including operating their equipment.

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

Ouch,Larry
They have done it to US again[?][:(!][V]

And this is only the start. Thank you very much U.P....
NOT!

[Anonymous]

Hmmmmmm...

SPAAM? Anyone?

LC

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tree68
“The Spartan brand is synonymous with quality products and service. . ."

I think they meant Pierce.

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tree68

QUOTE:
And - solid wood furniture - can't they just go to K-Mart and buy a desk? Is this a big deal that they have solid wood furniture?

The furniture in a full-time staffed fire station is probably analagous to someplace like a library - it sees a lot of use, and it isn't gentle use.

A fire house (fire station) with full time fire fighters has five main parts. Apparatus bay, office, kitchen, recreation/workout room, and living quarters. The office furniture is similar to office furniture (of course); kitchen and living quarters (older stations have a dormitory arraingement while newer ones usually have a seperate room for each person) similar to home furniture; recreation/workout room is similar to home and gym furniture.