Specialty Manufacturing Co. first began operations over 40 years ago as a contract manufacturer and supplier to the school bus industry. Specialty's first stop arm was vacuum-operated. Now SMI offers a wide range of arms from air to a patented electric solid state stop arm.

In 1993, Specialty designed a new series of strobe lights for stop arms and for roof mounting. Strobe lights attract the attention of other motorists increasing a vehicle's operating safety especially during passenger loading and unloading. Specialty strobes are manufactured at the Pineville, N.C. plant.

In 1991, responding directly to a market need, Specialty designed a unique emergency escape hatch for multi-passenger vehicles. Specialty's most recent product offering in the school bus hatch market, the patented ProLo, was introduced in 2001. This contoured roof hatch, designed to meet a market need for a hatch that hugs the bus roofline, protrudes just .75" above the bus roof and has superior leak resistance.

Specialty expanded its product offerings again in 2003 with the addition of a rubber flooring line. SMI offers a full color line of ribbed and smooth flooring along with step treads, nosing, and wear plates. As an innovative competitor, SMI sells a superior product with a high slip coefficient of friction to help reduce the incidents of slips and falls.

As Specialty Manufacturing examines the safety needs of vehicles around the world, the company's innovations and partnerships continue to open new markets. Since it's inception almost 40 years ago, the company has established itself as the leader in innovative product introduction to the school bus and transit/commercial bus industries. Specialty was the first to manufacture and market electric stop arms, crossing control arms, reflective sheeting to the bus industry, strobe lighting, bilingual stop arms and screen-vented hatches, power ventilator hatches and a contoured hatch that blends into the bus roof line for school buses and transit coaches.

Specialty obtained its ISO 9001-2000 Certification in November 2003. The company offers a two-week lead-time for units and 48-hour shipping for replacement parts, defining the standard for the industry. Specialty has a warranty claim record of less than one percent (1%) and focuses on continual improvement.