Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, announced that one of its Pierce dealers, Siddons-Martin Emergency Group, acquired Emergency Vehicle Specialists (EVS).

The move continues its expansion across a seven-state territory to include Arkansas and Tennessee. The acquisition is the second for Siddons-Martin Emergency Group in recent years.

As one of the largest emergency vehicle dealerships in North America, Siddons-Martin Emergency Group’s regions served include Arkansas, Louisiana, most of Nevada, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

“Bob Wharton founded Emergency Vehicle Specialists over 65 years ago, and since then, the company has experienced three generations of exceptional leadership with Bobby Wharton Jr. as past president and Mandy Wharton McCain as current president and CEO,” Siddons-Martin Emergency Group's President of Sales Pat Siddons said. “We recognize the incredible foundation and relationships the team has built over the years and we look forward to our teams joining together to broaden resources and service offerings which will be available to our customers in the months ahead.”

How the Acquisition Impacts Fleet Customers

A spokesperson for Siddons-Martin told Government Fleet that the acquisition of EVS will give customers and Siddons-Martin's service team access to a larger pool of available and qualified technicians. It will also provide expanded knowledge and training from the company's internal service academy; loaner and rental units; paint, body, and refurbishment services; and a larger availability of mobile services and equipment. 

The company also has extensive plans to transition the smaller locations into larger facilities to accommodate the needs in the region. Siddons-Martin now operates 26 regional service centers across seven states with over 400 employees in its service division, 12 field service trailers, 4 mobile fire pump testing trailers, and 24/7 service and support.

The acquisition will also allow the company to implement several initiatives to expand sales and service support across the combined territories:

• Merging the expertise of Emergency Vehicle Specialists’ sales and service teams with Siddons-Martin's industry-leading processes and resources.

• Providing additional EVT and Pierce Master Technicians to the region served.

• Expanding field capabilities with continued expansion over the next 24 months.

• Recruiting initiatives to increase the workforce in the area and expand sales and service capabilities.

“We’re proud of the diversified service operation we’ve built and look at the transition ahead as a pivotal progression to propel our organization forward alongside one of the most highly regarded and trusted dealerships in the country,” president and CEO of Emergency Vehicle Specialists Mandy Wharton McCain said. “We are eager to bring Siddons-Martin’s resources and service model to the fire departments we’ve built trusted relationships with over the years. Building the trust of our customers is at the forefront of everything we do, and we are confident the collaboration with our Siddons-Martin colleagues will only strengthen our support of their critical work.”