WAKARUSA, Ind., Dec. 12, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bimbo Bakeries USA will be teaming up with Utilimaster, a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq:SPAR), to celebrate a record 228 days without a recordable injury or incident in all Fleet Maintenance Garages across the United States.
“This is an exciting milestone for Bimbo Bakeries,” said Art Parr, Bimbo Bakeries Fleet Safety Manager Reading, Pa. “We’ve implemented numerous safety initiatives into our Fleet Maintenance Garages with the assistance of Utilimaster as our vehicle provider, and we’re thrilled with the results.”
Bimbo trucks feature numerous safety enhancements, including a large yellow ergonomic cab entry handle, anti-skid material in the step well, ribbed cargo flooring (for non-slip), a back-up camera, center grab handle for pull-out walkway ramp, and interior and exterior LED lighting.
Added DeRay Steffensen, Utilimaster’s National Baking Account Manager, “We’re seeing fleets concentrate more and more on safety enhancements in their vehicles, including Bimbo Bakeries who sets an exemplary precedent within the baking industry. Our engineers research the latest innovations, and continuously accompany drivers on their routes to understand their needs and offer practical solutions to improve safety on new and existing trucks.”
Bimbo Bakeries USA operates 10,000 route trucks, 3,000 trailers, and 1,100 tractors in the US. Both Bimbo and Utilimaster have combined innovative ideas to make the vehicles safer, more cost effective, and will continue reviewing new ideas as operations expand.
The safety milestone will be celebrated at nine different Bimbo regions throughout the country, including New York, Pennsylvania, California, Colorado, Texas, and Michigan.
Note to Editors: A high-resolution image is available at: www.utilimaster.com/uploadedImages/Company/News/2011/Bimbo_Bakeries.jpg
About Grupo Bimbo
Grupo Bimbo is one of the largest baking companies in the world in terms of production and sales volume. As the market leader in the Americas, Grupo Bimbo has 102 plants and 1,000 distribution centers strategically located in 17 countries throughout the Americas and Asia. Its main product lines include sliced bread, buns, cookies, snack cakes, English muffins, bagels, pre-packaged foods, tortillas, salted snacks and confectionery products, among others. Grupo Bimbo produces over 7,000 products and has one of the most extensive direct distribution networks in the world, with more than 44,000 routes and more than 109,000 employees.
About Utilimaster
Utilimaster, www.utilimaster.com, a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. (Nasdaq:SPAR), is a leading manufacturer of walk-in vans and commercial truck bodies for the delivery and service market place. Utilimaster designs, develops and manufactures products to customer specifications for use in the package delivery, one-way truck rental, bakery/snack delivery, utility, and linen/uniform rental businesses. The company serves a diverse customer base and also sells aftermarket parts and accessories.
CONTACT: Brenda VanNevel, Utilimaster Corporation
574.862.3568, [email protected]
Art Parr, Bimbo Bakeries
610.478.9369, [email protected]
Spartan Motors, Inc.
