The Shyft Group (), formerly known as Spartan Motors, is an American automobile design company that designs, engineers and manufactures specialty chassis, specialty vehicles, truck bodies and aftermarket parts for the recreational vehicle (RV), government services, and delivery and service markets. The company started in 1975 as a direct result of the bankruptcy of Diamond Reo. It is currently headquartered in Novi, Michigan and has 3,000 employees. History In 1974, Lansing-based Diamond Reo Trucks filed for bankruptcy. The Form-Rite Corporation of Charlotte, Michigan was owed a significant sum by Diamond Reo, which had been Form-Rite's largest client; Form-Rite had supplied fiberglass parts to Reo. During the bankruptcy hearings, Form-Rite president Charles R. McManamey learned of a significant contract that Reo had just won for custom fire truck chassis. From connections made through the hearing, McManamey was able to draw together the additional talent and knowledge required to build such trucks, and founded Spartan Motors, Inc. as a wholly owned subsidiary of Form-Rite. During the establishment of Spartan Motors, manufacturing was set up in Form-Rite's warehouse at 426 Sumpter Rd. in Charlotte. Charles McManamey was named Spartan Motors' chairman of the board. Former Reo vice president of engineering and marketing George W. Sztykiel became Spartan's president. Ron Partee, former Reo manager of original equipment manufacturing, stepped in as the vice president of sales. Spartan's vice president of engineering was former Reo director of engineering John Knox. Kenneth C. McManamey, former Form-Rite production engineer and supervisor, served as Spartan's manager of operations. Sztykiel, Partee, Knox, and Ken McManamey all donated their time to build the first chassis on speculation. By January 1, 1976, the chassis was completed. Within weeks it had been sold to FMC in Tipton, Indiana and Spartan had 16 custom fire truck cab & chassis orders as well as an order for a one-of-a-kind 140,000 pound GVW coal carrier. In March 1976, Spartan Motors employed 12 former Reo employees, including Reo's ex–quality control manager Theodore C. Huff, former staff engineer-chassis at Reo Lawrence E. Karkau, and Gerald L. Geary, who had been assistant manager of truck design at Reo. Spartan was spun-off with its own officers and directors that April. Charles McManamey's sons James and Donald also worked for Spartan Motors, as well as several other part-time workers. The company quickly outgrew the Form-Rite warehouse, and within a few years construction was started for a new facility on Reynolds