Shyft Group Joins Ford Pro Upfitter Program

The Shyft Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SHYF) was selected to join the Ford Pro Upfitter program. The designation underscores Shyft’s coast-to-coast footprint and reinforces the importance of the collective expertise of Shyft’s diverse brand portfolio, promoting cross-brand synergies that drive specialized, customer-focused solutions, the company stated.

“We are thrilled to be named a Ford Pro Upfitter, which is a natural outcome of our long collaboration with Ford,” said Shyft CEO John Dunn. “Commercial vehicle upfitting is a significant part of our business and we take pride in our proprietary Work-Driven Design process to fuel customization and driver satisfaction. We will continue innovating to meet our customers’ needs with specialized solutions.”

Announced at NTEA Work Truck Week, the Ford Pro Upfitter program builds on the successes of Ford’s Qualified Vehicle Modifier accreditation program and now encompasses a wider variety of upfit vocations, including shuttle buses, motorhomes, police vehicles and more. 

Upfitters undergo a rigorous auditing process, demonstrating excellence in compliance, quality, manufacturing and customer service, and must meet specified business and volume requirements set by Ford, according to the company. In return, Preferred Upfitters are permitted to purchase an unlimited number of chassis from Ford – eliminating previous caps – and leverage Ford’s marketing power and Pro Dealer network to spur growth.

The qualification process for the Ford Pro Upfitter program involves assessments of all locations where the upfitting will take place, together with an in-person audit at one of the locations. Shyft and Ford conducted the in-person audit at Shyft’s new facility in Lebanon, Tenn., which serves as a sales and upfitting branch for several Shyft brands. 

The brands that will participate in the Ford Pro Upfitter program are Utilimaster, Royal Truck Body, DuraMag and Magnum.

The Shyft Group and Ford Motor Company have worked closely together for decades, achieving several milestones in recent years. In 2017, Shyft opened a fleet upfitting facility located adjacent to Ford’s manufacturing facility in Kansas City in order to meet increasing demand and create additional cost savings for mutual customers. And in 2021, Utilimaster announced the success of a pilot program that installed its Velocity F-Series delivery body on Ford’s all-electric E-Transit chassis.