By Bill Adams

Buyers and sellers should be aware of a subtle transformation occurring in the competitive bidding arena for fire apparatus.

Selling and purchasing fire trucks may never be the same. Apparatus manufacturers, their dealers, and end users are embracing the concept of purchasing apparatus through one of the many national sales cooperative contracts (co-ops). In this article, co-ops include national, state, and regional contracts.

Random samplings of apparatus manufacturers’ Web sites found more than a dozen co-ops listed. In no order of preference or recommendation, they are Defense Logistics Agency (DLA); United States General Services Administration (GSA); Houston-Galveston Purchasing (HGACBuy); BuyBoard National Purchasing Cooperative (BuyBoard); Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts (FCAM-MAPC); Florida Sheriffs Association (Florida Sheriffs); Louisiana Multiple Award Schedules (LaMAS); New Jersey State Contract; Ohio State Term Schedule (OSTS); Pennsylvania State Contract (COSTARS); and FireRescueGPO and NPP.GOV Contract. Other states that also have or are soon to implement a form of cooperative purchasing co-op are too numerous to list. There appears to be no rhyme or reason for why some apparatus manufacturers list co-ops on their Web sites and others do not. Soon they all will.

Each co-op has its own online explanation of what it does, how it does it, and the benefits of using it. Read them very carefully; they’re not all the same. Pundits and commentators have their own descriptions. Mine is simplified: Co-ops solicit the bids and everyone can buy at the same price.

Regardless of a co-op or vendor’s claim of meeting all legal bidding protocols, the ultimate consent or authorization rests with each purchaser’s political subdivision whether it be at a state or local level. Be aware that there may be written contractual covenants between the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) and purchasers-including independent volunteer entities-when taxpayer monies are expended. Additionally, there’s the possibility that a city council, a board of fire commissioners, or a fire department’s hierarchy may nix a cooperative purchase and mandate a local and formal public bid opening-regardless of whether or not other local entities have used co-ops. It’s legal to do so. Apparatus purchasing committees should verify at every level whether a co-op purchase is both legal and permissible. Doing so in writing may save grief and aggravation later.

Two Sides

It is unfortunate, but essential, that any discourse concerning apparatus purchasing be explained in detail to reflect the multitude of viewpoints and attitudes in the marketplace. Occasionally political correctness is a victim. I believe there is a preferred vendor for the vast majority of apparatus purchased today regardless of whether or not the preference is subtle or obvious. Manufacturers and dealers (aka vendors) look at selling apparatus from opposing viewpoints-one where they are the preferred vendor and one where they’re not. These perspectives are readily obvious in the cooperative purchasing field. Overwhelmingly, dealers would not speak on the record when discussing cooperative purchasing. Off the record, they spoke plenty. If they are the preferred dealer in a co-op purchase, life could not be any better. If they are not the preferred dealer, they decline comment or say the process is flawed.

Purchasers using co-op purchasing wholeheartedly embrace the concept. Surprisingly, some fire departments are unaware of it. Industry experts, pundits, and commentators normally expound on the positives for everything being discussed because readers seldom want to hear the downside of any topic including cooperative purc

By Chris Mc Loone

For the fire industry, 2016 continued the rebound many markets have been going through since the economy began its recovery.

Several examples came in the form of mergers and acquisitions (M&A)-some small and some that generated a lot of buzz throughout the industry. This market is a mature market, and the M&A activity is not likely to stop, although the pace at which it occurs will probably fluctuate. For those companies that merged, often they enjoy expanded research, development, and engineering resources at their disposal to improve existing products and develop new ones. For those remaining largely independent, the economy has rebounded to the point where they can reinvest in their products, and orders for new equipment are increasing.

Review of 2016

At Pierce Manufacturing, 2016 was a good year on different fronts. “We had a good year,” says Matt McLeish, vice president, sales and marketing. “It was almost a duplicate of our FY15 in general. Our dealers continued to shine for us.” McLeish says that Pierce invested in its dealer network in 2016, adding service capabilities across the country. “In an 18-month period, they added in excess of 200,000 square feet of service facilities throughout North America,” he says. “So, it was really an opportunity for us to work with them on moving and developing their infrastructure. They’ve really gone from being truck salespeople to really strong business dealerships with a wide variety of products, which makes them a lot more stable. McLeish also cites the company’s Ascendant aerial ladder as part of the company’s 2016 success. “The other story of the year is our Ascendant product and the tremendous success it has had in the ladder market.”

Rod Carringer, chief marketing officer for Task Force Tips, points to individual market segments to chart 2016’s success. “Municipal emergency response and the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) business in North America have been especially robust from a growth standpoint this year,” he says. “Internationally, because of geopolitical issues in some cases, the emergency response market has been much softer. Industrially, with the price per barrel of oil at its current level, both domestic and international sales into the petrochemical business sector have been very soft.”

At Spartan Motors, it has been a busy year, according to John Slawson, president, Emergency Response Business Unit, Spartan Motors. “We’ve introduced a number of new industry-first safety technologies in our RV chassis segment, we broke ground on a new truck assembly plant in our Fleet Vehicles & Services division, and we’ll formally introduce our new S-180 concept to the Emergency Response community this year,” he says. “It’s also been a year of rediscovery in terms of the global Spartan Motors brand. The foundation of the Spartan Motors brand is the notion that we build the very best heavy-duty, purpose-built vehicles on the road. We revisited that heritage in the past 18 months, and we’re seeing the results as they relate to the larger Spartan portfolio, with double-digit increases in sales, gross margin trending up, and a significant increase in operating income. Our renewed focus on operational excellence applies to every category in which we operate, and our Emergency Response team is up to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

Paul Darley, president and CEO of W.S. Darley & Co., comments, “2015 saw sales for fire apparatus up more than 10 percent, and fire apparatus manufacturers came into 2016 with one of the strongest backlogs in years. New fire apparatus orders for the United States remained strong in the first quarter but then sputtered in the second quarter. New orders rebounded nicely in the thi

By Chris Mc Loone

For the fire industry, 2016 continued the rebound many markets have been going through since the economy began its recovery.

Several examples came in the form of mergers and acquisitions (M&A)-some small and some that generated a lot of buzz throughout the industry. This market is a mature market, and the M&A activity is not likely to stop, although the pace at which it occurs will probably fluctuate. For those companies that merged, often they enjoy expanded research, development, and engineering resources at their disposal to improve existing products and develop new ones. For those remaining largely independent, the economy has rebounded to the point where they can reinvest in their products, and orders for new equipment are increasing.

Review of 2016

At Pierce Manufacturing, 2016 was a good year on different fronts. “We had a good year,” says Matt McLeish, vice president, sales and marketing. “It was almost a duplicate of our FY15 in general. Our dealers continued to shine for us.” McLeish says that Pierce invested in its dealer network in 2016, adding service capabilities across the country. “In an 18-month period, they added in excess of 200,000 square feet of service facilities throughout North America,” he says. “So, it was really an opportunity for us to work with them on moving and developing their infrastructure. They’ve really gone from being truck salespeople to really strong business dealerships with a wide variety of products, which makes them a lot more stable. McLeish also cites the company’s Ascendant aerial ladder as part of the company’s 2016 success. “The other story of the year is our Ascendant product and the tremendous success it has had in the ladder market.”

Rod Carringer, chief marketing officer for Task Force Tips, points to individual market segments to chart 2016’s success. “Municipal emergency response and the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) business in North America have been especially robust from a growth standpoint this year,” he says. “Internationally, because of geopolitical issues in some cases, the emergency response market has been much softer. Industrially, with the price per barrel of oil at its current level, both domestic and international sales into the petrochemical business sector have been very soft.”

At Spartan Motors, it has been a busy year, according to John Slawson, president, Emergency Response Business Unit, Spartan Motors. “We’ve introduced a number of new industry-first safety technologies in our RV chassis segment, we broke ground on a new truck assembly plant in our Fleet Vehicles & Services division, and we’ll formally introduce our new S-180 concept to the Emergency Response community this year,” he says. “It’s also been a year of rediscovery in terms of the global Spartan Motors brand. The foundation of the Spartan Motors brand is the notion that we build the very best heavy-duty, purpose-built vehicles on the road. We revisited that heritage in the past 18 months, and we’re seeing the results as they relate to the larger Spartan portfolio, with double-digit increases in sales, gross margin trending up, and a significant increase in operating income. Our renewed focus on operational excellence applies to every category in which we operate, and our Emergency Response team is up to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

Paul Darley, president and CEO of W.S. Darley & Co., comments, “2015 saw sales for fire apparatus up more than 10 percent, and fire apparatus manufacturers came into 2016 with one of the strongest backlogs in years. New fire apparatus orders for the United States remained strong in the first quarter but then sputtered in the second quarter. New orders rebounded nicely in the thi

By Chris Mc Loone

For the fire industry, 2016 continued the rebound many markets have been going through since the economy began its recovery.

Several examples came in the form of mergers and acquisitions (M&A)-some small and some that generated a lot of buzz throughout the industry. This market is a mature market, and the M&A activity is not likely to stop, although the pace at which it occurs will probably fluctuate. For those companies that merged, often they enjoy expanded research, development, and engineering resources at their disposal to improve existing products and develop new ones. For those remaining largely independent, the economy has rebounded to the point where they can reinvest in their products, and orders for new equipment are increasing.

Review of 2016

At Pierce Manufacturing, 2016 was a good year on different fronts. “We had a good year,” says Matt McLeish, vice president, sales and marketing. “It was almost a duplicate of our FY15 in general. Our dealers continued to shine for us.” McLeish says that Pierce invested in its dealer network in 2016, adding service capabilities across the country. “In an 18-month period, they added in excess of 200,000 square feet of service facilities throughout North America,” he says. “So, it was really an opportunity for us to work with them on moving and developing their infrastructure. They’ve really gone from being truck salespeople to really strong business dealerships with a wide variety of products, which makes them a lot more stable. McLeish also cites the company’s Ascendant aerial ladder as part of the company’s 2016 success. “The other story of the year is our Ascendant product and the tremendous success it has had in the ladder market.”

Rod Carringer, chief marketing officer for Task Force Tips, points to individual market segments to chart 2016’s success. “Municipal emergency response and the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) business in North America have been especially robust from a growth standpoint this year,” he says. “Internationally, because of geopolitical issues in some cases, the emergency response market has been much softer. Industrially, with the price per barrel of oil at its current level, both domestic and international sales into the petrochemical business sector have been very soft.”

At Spartan Motors, it has been a busy year, according to John Slawson, president, Emergency Response Business Unit, Spartan Motors. “We’ve introduced a number of new industry-first safety technologies in our RV chassis segment, we broke ground on a new truck assembly plant in our Fleet Vehicles & Services division, and we’ll formally introduce our new S-180 concept to the Emergency Response community this year,” he says. “It’s also been a year of rediscovery in terms of the global Spartan Motors brand. The foundation of the Spartan Motors brand is the notion that we build the very best heavy-duty, purpose-built vehicles on the road. We revisited that heritage in the past 18 months, and we’re seeing the results as they relate to the larger Spartan portfolio, with double-digit increases in sales, gross margin trending up, and a significant increase in operating income. Our renewed focus on operational excellence applies to every category in which we operate, and our Emergency Response team is up to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

Paul Darley, president and CEO of W.S. Darley & Co., comments, “2015 saw sales for fire apparatus up more than 10 percent, and fire apparatus manufacturers came into 2016 with one of the strongest backlogs in years. New fire apparatus orders for the United States remained strong in the first quarter but then sputtered in the second quarter. New orders rebounded nicely in the thi