bluemonster1
LIFE MEMBER ONLY ONCE!!!
found this and thought I'd share with ya's
Ski-Doo, Yamaha, Polaris and Arctic Cat juggle historyPublish date: Jul 30, 2007
By: Jerry Bassett
Source: Snowmobile at Off-Road.com
Email|Print|ShareDel.icio.usDiggRedditFacebook|Save|LicenseEveryone’s been #1 at least once. Since the beginning of snowmobiling, every one of the currently existing snowmobile manufacturers has been Number One in market dominance at least once.
Ski-Doo, which effectively created recreational snowmobiling with its 1959 Ski-Doo, is once again leading the sport through innovation. Seems that innovation is the key to market leadership.
Prior to the front-engined and lightweight Ski-Doo, most snow vehicles either were extremely heavy work-type units with engines in the rear or rather cumbersome devices that moved slowly.
Heavy Affairs
Polaris Sno-Travelers of the mid-1950s were heavy affairs with off-the-shelf, four-stroke power mostly provided by commercial Kohler engines. The Eliason models had engines mounted forward of the rider. A limited production of Indian motorcycle engines provided power for some Eliason models. We saw a few of these at a New Hampshire vintage sled roundup a few seasons back. They are quite unique.
While there were a few manufacturers building commercial snow vehicles for trappers and utility workers, it wasn’t until J-Armand Bombardier developed his light and nimble Ski-Doo models that snowmobiling took off.
It wasn’t merely the arrival of the Ski-Doo that created an industry. It also happened that Ski-Doo benefited from the adroitness of Bombardier’s son-in-law, Laurent Beaudoin. A bean counter by trade, Beaudoin would prove to be an extremely adept business man, leveraging Ski-Doo from snowmobiles to jet airplanes.
Marketing Role
Whether it was Beaudoin or another Bombardier soldier, the people who produced Ski-Doo recognized the value of a marketing program to make Ski-Doo a household name. By the mid-1960s Ski-Doo was one of a horde of snowmobile manufacturers. How would the company separate itself from the pack, which would eventually number more than a 100 builders—big and tiny!
While Beaudoin managed and grew Ski-Doo into being the leader in the snowmobile industry, he quickly foresaw problems ahead that needed to be addressed. Confident in his product’s ability to retain and grow its market share, he undertook a number of challenges. In the early 1970s he proposed SnoPlan, an initiative to identify and create a network of snowmobile trails. Enlisting the aid of Quebec—his native province and home to Ski-Doo and thousands of diehard snowmobilers— he underwrote development of a unified trail system.
Let’s not pretend that a system of snow highways did not have a benefit for Bombardier Ski-Doo. It did. First, because snowmobiling was popular, there was a great demand for organized trails. Second, there was a demand for trails because so-called “rogue” snowmobilers seemed to be attracting unwanted attention from the media as they rode rampant through their neighbors’ property. Third, organized trails would likely result in more sled sales—and as the #1 selling brand, Beaudoin would see sales climb. Fourth, a trail network needed to be groomed and Bombardier made grooming equipment for ski areas that could be easily converted to groom miles of unified trails. Lastly, if there were no trails there would be few sales and snowmobiling could easily disappear as quickly as it had appeared.
SnoPlan was a boon for Quebec. It was the prime example for trail development and organization. It served as the role model for all other states and provinces wanting to develop trail systems of their own.
Manufacturers Join Together
At this same time other snowmobile manufacturers had joined together to create a manufacturers’ association which could work toward common goals and solve common problems—trail development programs, fashioning statewide grass roots clubs and associations, and keeping tabs on potential threats to land usage that could stymie the use of snowmobiles.
During this period of incubation, Beaudoin recognized the value of positive public relations. Bombardier forged an alliance with a Chicago marketing firm and the allegiance formed between Beaudoin and the marketing man, George Eisenhuth, would serve to keep Ski-Doo Number One for more than a decade.
Eisenhuth was an old-school PR man. A former sports reporter, loud and brash, cigar-chomping stereotype, Eisenhuth proved to be the right man for the job. While always working on behalf of Ski-Doo he also managed to portray snowmobiling in a positive light. He would arrange for journalists from magazines and newspapers to cover the sport in a variety of ways. He was never above a little arm-twisting, but he always helped snowmobiling move forward, being certain that at snowmobile-related events his client’s product was always visible.
When the media attacked, Eisenhuth and Ski-Doo fought back. Positive press would be used to offset negative stories. He would showcase snowmobiling families in America’s heartland enjoying winter. He created heroes of snowmobilers.
Whether snowmobiling was truly a family sport or not, family was the face of the sport. Families—moms, dads and kids—enjoying on the trail wiener roasts. It was a young sport with young families.
Ski-Doo was Number One. Bright, colorful snowsuits befitting the colorful age of the 1960s and bell bottom styles of the 1970s were readily available at Ski-Doo snowmobile dealerships.
But then the times began to change and gasoline lines appeared. The economy was a challenge. And there were a few low snow seasons. Snowmobiling began to suffer and snowmobilers looked for features in their sleds that would give them better ride, more performance.
Innovation Changes Demand
Innovation began to flourish as consumers sought new features. Innovation came from Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The Arctic Cat Panther featured a new parallel rail slide suspension that handled bumps much more smoothly than Ski-Doo’s bogie wheel suspension. Cat had lightweight riveted aluminum chassis and the engines were mounted over the skis to give the sled better turning capabilities.
Ski-Doo fought it out with Arctic Cat. Just as Ski-Doo recognized the value of positive public relations and used it to grow, Arctic Cat saw a need for aggressive marketing to showcase its features.
Where a PR guy had helped with Ski-Doo’s growth, a young and creative advertising firm would create an image for Arctic Cat that would instill such loyalty among Cat owners that many would rather give up snowmobiling than not ride an Arctic Cat snowmobile.
As Ski-Doo dropped to second place behind Arctic Cat’s innovative new machinery, Arctic Cat’s advertising set the brand apart with clever slogans and top notch creative photography.
Cat Leads And Falters
As the snowmobile industry slowed and sales numbers shrunk in the late 1970s, Arctic Cat overextended itself by purchasing boat building companies and private labeling equipment like lawn mowers and outboards. Finally Cat had key loans called in and the company was shut down and liquidated by 1981. Arctic Cat was not only no longer Number 1; it was no longer in the snowmobile business.
But, by 1983 and thanks to its loyal following, Arctic Cat snowmobiles reappeared. That clever advertising had inadvertently saved Arctic Cat sleds.
Incredibly Arctic Cat had been such a strong Number 1 that surveys of snowmobilers showed that nearly half of all snowmobilers either owned or had owned an Arctic Cat brand snowmobile! So it was in 1983 that Arctic Cat snowmobiles began the long road back under a new corporate umbrella created by former Arctic Cat employees for loyal Cat snowmobilers.
Cat Out, Yamaha In
When Cat dropped out of the picture, Yamaha popped in. The company had seen steady growth and offered great products like the Phazer, a lightweight machine that was priced right and attracted many buyers. One feature was its unique Torsion Spring Strut suspension. By the mid-1980s this was the best selling snowmobile on the market.
Unlike the previous snowmobile market leaders, it wasn’t really Yamaha’s goal to be Number One. In fact, unless you were a snowmobiler tuned in to the industry, you might not know that Yamaha was the leader. Yamaha, like Gerald Ford, became leader by default.
Yamaha proved to be a very responsible leader, attempting to broaden the snowmobile market with unique products for non-snowmobilers like the toy-sized Snoscoot, which proved to be a failure.
-jb
Ski-Doo, Yamaha, Polaris and Arctic Cat juggle historyPublish date: Jul 30, 2007
By: Jerry Bassett
Source: Snowmobile at Off-Road.com
Email|Print|ShareDel.icio.usDiggRedditFacebook|Save|LicenseEveryone’s been #1 at least once. Since the beginning of snowmobiling, every one of the currently existing snowmobile manufacturers has been Number One in market dominance at least once.
Ski-Doo, which effectively created recreational snowmobiling with its 1959 Ski-Doo, is once again leading the sport through innovation. Seems that innovation is the key to market leadership.
Prior to the front-engined and lightweight Ski-Doo, most snow vehicles either were extremely heavy work-type units with engines in the rear or rather cumbersome devices that moved slowly.
Heavy Affairs
Polaris Sno-Travelers of the mid-1950s were heavy affairs with off-the-shelf, four-stroke power mostly provided by commercial Kohler engines. The Eliason models had engines mounted forward of the rider. A limited production of Indian motorcycle engines provided power for some Eliason models. We saw a few of these at a New Hampshire vintage sled roundup a few seasons back. They are quite unique.
While there were a few manufacturers building commercial snow vehicles for trappers and utility workers, it wasn’t until J-Armand Bombardier developed his light and nimble Ski-Doo models that snowmobiling took off.
It wasn’t merely the arrival of the Ski-Doo that created an industry. It also happened that Ski-Doo benefited from the adroitness of Bombardier’s son-in-law, Laurent Beaudoin. A bean counter by trade, Beaudoin would prove to be an extremely adept business man, leveraging Ski-Doo from snowmobiles to jet airplanes.
Marketing Role
Whether it was Beaudoin or another Bombardier soldier, the people who produced Ski-Doo recognized the value of a marketing program to make Ski-Doo a household name. By the mid-1960s Ski-Doo was one of a horde of snowmobile manufacturers. How would the company separate itself from the pack, which would eventually number more than a 100 builders—big and tiny!
While Beaudoin managed and grew Ski-Doo into being the leader in the snowmobile industry, he quickly foresaw problems ahead that needed to be addressed. Confident in his product’s ability to retain and grow its market share, he undertook a number of challenges. In the early 1970s he proposed SnoPlan, an initiative to identify and create a network of snowmobile trails. Enlisting the aid of Quebec—his native province and home to Ski-Doo and thousands of diehard snowmobilers— he underwrote development of a unified trail system.
Let’s not pretend that a system of snow highways did not have a benefit for Bombardier Ski-Doo. It did. First, because snowmobiling was popular, there was a great demand for organized trails. Second, there was a demand for trails because so-called “rogue” snowmobilers seemed to be attracting unwanted attention from the media as they rode rampant through their neighbors’ property. Third, organized trails would likely result in more sled sales—and as the #1 selling brand, Beaudoin would see sales climb. Fourth, a trail network needed to be groomed and Bombardier made grooming equipment for ski areas that could be easily converted to groom miles of unified trails. Lastly, if there were no trails there would be few sales and snowmobiling could easily disappear as quickly as it had appeared.
SnoPlan was a boon for Quebec. It was the prime example for trail development and organization. It served as the role model for all other states and provinces wanting to develop trail systems of their own.
Manufacturers Join Together
At this same time other snowmobile manufacturers had joined together to create a manufacturers’ association which could work toward common goals and solve common problems—trail development programs, fashioning statewide grass roots clubs and associations, and keeping tabs on potential threats to land usage that could stymie the use of snowmobiles.
During this period of incubation, Beaudoin recognized the value of positive public relations. Bombardier forged an alliance with a Chicago marketing firm and the allegiance formed between Beaudoin and the marketing man, George Eisenhuth, would serve to keep Ski-Doo Number One for more than a decade.
Eisenhuth was an old-school PR man. A former sports reporter, loud and brash, cigar-chomping stereotype, Eisenhuth proved to be the right man for the job. While always working on behalf of Ski-Doo he also managed to portray snowmobiling in a positive light. He would arrange for journalists from magazines and newspapers to cover the sport in a variety of ways. He was never above a little arm-twisting, but he always helped snowmobiling move forward, being certain that at snowmobile-related events his client’s product was always visible.
When the media attacked, Eisenhuth and Ski-Doo fought back. Positive press would be used to offset negative stories. He would showcase snowmobiling families in America’s heartland enjoying winter. He created heroes of snowmobilers.
Whether snowmobiling was truly a family sport or not, family was the face of the sport. Families—moms, dads and kids—enjoying on the trail wiener roasts. It was a young sport with young families.
Ski-Doo was Number One. Bright, colorful snowsuits befitting the colorful age of the 1960s and bell bottom styles of the 1970s were readily available at Ski-Doo snowmobile dealerships.
But then the times began to change and gasoline lines appeared. The economy was a challenge. And there were a few low snow seasons. Snowmobiling began to suffer and snowmobilers looked for features in their sleds that would give them better ride, more performance.
Innovation Changes Demand
Innovation began to flourish as consumers sought new features. Innovation came from Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The Arctic Cat Panther featured a new parallel rail slide suspension that handled bumps much more smoothly than Ski-Doo’s bogie wheel suspension. Cat had lightweight riveted aluminum chassis and the engines were mounted over the skis to give the sled better turning capabilities.
Ski-Doo fought it out with Arctic Cat. Just as Ski-Doo recognized the value of positive public relations and used it to grow, Arctic Cat saw a need for aggressive marketing to showcase its features.
Where a PR guy had helped with Ski-Doo’s growth, a young and creative advertising firm would create an image for Arctic Cat that would instill such loyalty among Cat owners that many would rather give up snowmobiling than not ride an Arctic Cat snowmobile.
As Ski-Doo dropped to second place behind Arctic Cat’s innovative new machinery, Arctic Cat’s advertising set the brand apart with clever slogans and top notch creative photography.
Cat Leads And Falters
As the snowmobile industry slowed and sales numbers shrunk in the late 1970s, Arctic Cat overextended itself by purchasing boat building companies and private labeling equipment like lawn mowers and outboards. Finally Cat had key loans called in and the company was shut down and liquidated by 1981. Arctic Cat was not only no longer Number 1; it was no longer in the snowmobile business.
But, by 1983 and thanks to its loyal following, Arctic Cat snowmobiles reappeared. That clever advertising had inadvertently saved Arctic Cat sleds.
Incredibly Arctic Cat had been such a strong Number 1 that surveys of snowmobilers showed that nearly half of all snowmobilers either owned or had owned an Arctic Cat brand snowmobile! So it was in 1983 that Arctic Cat snowmobiles began the long road back under a new corporate umbrella created by former Arctic Cat employees for loyal Cat snowmobilers.
Cat Out, Yamaha In
When Cat dropped out of the picture, Yamaha popped in. The company had seen steady growth and offered great products like the Phazer, a lightweight machine that was priced right and attracted many buyers. One feature was its unique Torsion Spring Strut suspension. By the mid-1980s this was the best selling snowmobile on the market.
Unlike the previous snowmobile market leaders, it wasn’t really Yamaha’s goal to be Number One. In fact, unless you were a snowmobiler tuned in to the industry, you might not know that Yamaha was the leader. Yamaha, like Gerald Ford, became leader by default.
Yamaha proved to be a very responsible leader, attempting to broaden the snowmobile market with unique products for non-snowmobilers like the toy-sized Snoscoot, which proved to be a failure.
-jb
bluemonster1
LIFE MEMBER ONLY ONCE!!!
continued from above
Indy Innovation
At the same time Polaris, which had undergone its own near-death experience in the late 1970s and early 1980s, was now under new management with an innovative new snowmobile that was catching the snowmobiling public’s attention. The Polaris Indy with its trailing arm suspension and excellent handling was proving to be a homerun for the company.
As the snowmobile market softened and it was left to serious veteran snowmobilers, Polaris gained marketshare among this group thanks to the Indy. Polaris was astute enough to expand the Indy concept to more than just performance sleds. The Indy became its own line with models for trails, mountains, touring and racing. It also became a top selling model as Polaris management priced it aggressively and promoted it using the same advertising agency that had made Arctic Cat Number One years before.
Ski-Doo REVs Up Again
As the Indy showed its age and Polaris innovation was brought to bear on ATVs, the Polaris marketshare suffered. For 12 years Polaris enjoyed being Number One in sales. Then came the Ski-Doo REV with its totally unique riding style and its reintroduction of the rider into the “fun” of snowmobiling. The REV was light and nimble. Unique and fun to ride, the Ski-Doo REV appealed to the savvy snowmobiler. Soon it would edge Ski-Doo to a position that it hadn’t held since the 1970s.
And we are back to the beginning as each snowmobile manufacturer has been Number One at least once! That’s the history of who’s been Number One in sled sales since the rise of the recreational snowmobile. From here on out, every Number One will be repeating its own history. But from where we stand it seems that innovation plays a big part in making one brand Number One before another. Snowmobilers are savvy enthusiasts and enjoy their innovative rides!
-jb
Indy Innovation
At the same time Polaris, which had undergone its own near-death experience in the late 1970s and early 1980s, was now under new management with an innovative new snowmobile that was catching the snowmobiling public’s attention. The Polaris Indy with its trailing arm suspension and excellent handling was proving to be a homerun for the company.
As the snowmobile market softened and it was left to serious veteran snowmobilers, Polaris gained marketshare among this group thanks to the Indy. Polaris was astute enough to expand the Indy concept to more than just performance sleds. The Indy became its own line with models for trails, mountains, touring and racing. It also became a top selling model as Polaris management priced it aggressively and promoted it using the same advertising agency that had made Arctic Cat Number One years before.
Ski-Doo REVs Up Again
As the Indy showed its age and Polaris innovation was brought to bear on ATVs, the Polaris marketshare suffered. For 12 years Polaris enjoyed being Number One in sales. Then came the Ski-Doo REV with its totally unique riding style and its reintroduction of the rider into the “fun” of snowmobiling. The REV was light and nimble. Unique and fun to ride, the Ski-Doo REV appealed to the savvy snowmobiler. Soon it would edge Ski-Doo to a position that it hadn’t held since the 1970s.
And we are back to the beginning as each snowmobile manufacturer has been Number One at least once! That’s the history of who’s been Number One in sled sales since the rise of the recreational snowmobile. From here on out, every Number One will be repeating its own history. But from where we stand it seems that innovation plays a big part in making one brand Number One before another. Snowmobilers are savvy enthusiasts and enjoy their innovative rides!
-jb
eliminator351
New member
Thanks..nice read.
bluemonster1
LIFE MEMBER ONLY ONCE!!!
now that BRP has a 4-stroke and it is really light in weight,Yamaha engineers will have to come out with something different.I think it should be a sleek looking 4-stroke SRX.It would take the industry by storm in sales for sure.Doo also brought back the TNT.Give us a version of the SRX again and watch who is number 1 position again.
PZ 1
Member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2005
- Messages
- 987
Thanks for posting. Interesting article - but Bassett often gets things wrong in his writing. Several of the dates of happenings in the article are misleading. It states that the Phazer's TSS was Torsion Spring Suspension - they are coil springs and TSS is for Telescopic Strut Suspension (It is interesting that the early Ski-Doo, Polaris, and Arctic Cats had coil spring telescopic strut suspensions). And some of the article is his own take on things, not necessarily correct.
I do have to say that he is correct when he points out that the Ski-Doo was the sled that created snowmobiling, something you do not see them credited with in most articles. Polaris claims to have started earlier, but as Bassett states, they were not used for recreation. It was copied from the Eliason/FWD sled and was basically a work vehicle.
I do have to say that he is correct when he points out that the Ski-Doo was the sled that created snowmobiling, something you do not see them credited with in most articles. Polaris claims to have started earlier, but as Bassett states, they were not used for recreation. It was copied from the Eliason/FWD sled and was basically a work vehicle.
chilli
New member
another tid bit of info.
Did you know that Arctic Cat and Polaris used to be the same company...called PolarCat?
The 2 main company execs split, and Arctic Cat and Polaris were born....
Did you know that Arctic Cat and Polaris used to be the same company...called PolarCat?
The 2 main company execs split, and Arctic Cat and Polaris were born....
DeviantSRX
New member
chilli said:
That explains alot.......
I wasnt completely aware of that. I did know that the founder, or one of the founders of Polaris left Polaris and started Arctic Cat. If I remember right he just died not to long ago.chilli said:
I live in Thief River Falls, MN where Arctic's are made and Polaris's main plant is about an hour north in Roseau. Needless to say I get harassed quit a bit for having a Yamaha.
bluemonster1
LIFE MEMBER ONLY ONCE!!!
Here is a little history on Polaris:
1944
In the year immediately following World War 2, three young men with a knack for making & fixing machines went into business for themselves in Roseau, Minnesota, a small, rural town about 10 miles south of the province of Manitoba, Canada.
The three mechanic's from Roseau, had no grand vision, no dreams of becoming captains of industry. But they did share a talent for innovation and a belief in their abilities. In the decades that followed, their little machine shop in Roseau would evolve into something they could never have imagined: a manufacturing phenomenon called Polaris Industries.
The history of Polaris, in part, a story of innovation, persistence and a little bit of luck. In that respect, it is very similar to stories of many other successful companies. But Polaris is more than a cookie-cutter corporate success story. It is a story of a company that has preserved because it employs dedicated people who are committed to innovation and to their customers.
The Hetten brothers and David Johnson named their company after Polaris, the North star, to call attention to their location in the northern United States.
These three men had vision and were willing to invest considerable amount of time and money on unproven ideas that others could hardly comprehend. for example, the idea behind the straw chopper was remarkably simple, farmers knew they could increase yield by returning organic material such as straw to their soil, the trick was to find an efficient way to do it. Polaris straw chopper made soil replenishment easy. When attached to a combine, the machine cut up straw left behind by the harvest and spread it evenly over the ground. This was only one successful product they produced, they also made dual tractor wheel mounts, ladders, fertilizer spreaders, pick-up boxes, grain elevators, sprayers and a host of other products.
David Johnson, Allan Hetten and Edgar Hetten pose with the Polaris straw cutter and spreader, the machine that, more than any other, kept them in business during Polaris's early years.
1957
David Johnson, like many people in Roseau, was addicted to the outdoors, during the winter he loved to ski and snowshoe to secluded camps where he could hunt deer and enjoy nature. The snow in northern Minnesota sometimes drifted so deep that it was almost impossible to get through. To Johnson, the snow was both a delight and a regular frustration, it was hard to get around in deep snow, he later recalled, "Kept thinking there must be a better way of doing this. I was thinking of some kind of toboggan with a belt going down the centre of it".
Bt late 1955, Johnson was thinking seriously about building a machine that would take some of the work out of outdoor life. On January 10th, 1956, David Johnson's snow machine was ready for its first test run.
1960: An important journey took place in Polaris's history. A 1,200 mile, proving trek across the Alaskan wilderness. It took three weeks, but those who did the trek became celebrities, their efforts generated national interest in the Polaris snow machine.
Today Polaris Snowmobiles have come a long way from the challenges of crossing Alaska.
Polaris Snowmobiles is the No1 Snowmobile, because the people who design and make them are snowmobile riders. And similar to the three young men who founded Polaris more than 50yrs ago, they are committed to their customers and the Polaris name, by pushing the boundaries with the innovations of the future. The future will always be a Today standard with Polaris.
1983
With their background in snowmobile design, Polaris incorporated familiar features as two-stroke engines and the Polaris Variable Transmission (PVT), an automatic transmission. The PVT gave the Polaris ATV an advantage over competitors because it was simpler to handle. The engineers also added unique features, including floorboards (instead of motorcycle-like foot pegs) and MacPherson strut suspension.
Dean Hedlund, ATV development supervisor in charge of trouble shooting new products, explained hot the floorboard innovation came about. "we developed a full floorboard concept because a couple of guys were out and they happened to slip off the conventional floor pegs that everybody else was using and hurt their ankles. So we said, this isn't right, so we put a big floorboard on it and since then, the industry has followed our lead".
In March 1985, Polaris's first production ATV's started rolling off the assembly line.
This four-wheel Trail Boss all-terrain vehicle was among the first ATV's to roll off Polaris's production line.
With the introduction of its ATV's, Polaris became more than a snowmobile company. For the first time in its history, it was producing a major product in numbers that rivalled its snowmobile production, Polaris was transforming itself.
In 1995 Polaris introduced the Sportsman 500 4x4 ATV, which featured another Polaris innovation: independent rear suspension rather than a straight axle, which made for a much smoother ride and provided 11" of groun clerance, the best in the industry. The Sportsman quickly became the industry standard in power, strength and smoothness of rid and the World's best-selling automatic transmission ATV.
1997
Polaris had brought more ATV products firsts to the industry than any other manufacturer combined. And the ATV division continued its record for innovation and quality. In 1997 the Sportsman 500 was rated the best ATV in the industry by several trade publications and continued to be the top seller in its category. It was only natural to stay a step ahead, and the Polaris RANGER, a whole new class of off-road utility vehicles. An off-road utility vehicle with side-by-side seating was developed. Once, again Polaris was entering an established market but Polaris executives knew the company was up to the challenge.
1998
Polaris introduced its fourth major product - Victory Motorcycles. Even before it's unveiling, dealers, consumers and the trade press were keyed up to the Victory V92C, which in its debut year, became Cycle World's "cruiser of the year".
Polaris Industries have sales now in excess of $1.5 billion globally. A network of dedicated dealers Worldwide, and most importantly dedicated customers to the Polaris brand, and they are the people who make Polaris a successful company.
At Polaris, making great products is not just a job; it is a way of life. Their employees are not only building and designing machines, they are also enthusiastic riders. This gives Polaris the competitive edge because we are all working together to make the riding experience the best.
Lightening the load for the dismounted war fighter.
Polaris is currently under a five year contract, awarded in 2004, to provide ATV's with military modifications, designed to work World wide, around the clock on road and off-road terrain, in all weather conditions.
1944
In the year immediately following World War 2, three young men with a knack for making & fixing machines went into business for themselves in Roseau, Minnesota, a small, rural town about 10 miles south of the province of Manitoba, Canada.
The three mechanic's from Roseau, had no grand vision, no dreams of becoming captains of industry. But they did share a talent for innovation and a belief in their abilities. In the decades that followed, their little machine shop in Roseau would evolve into something they could never have imagined: a manufacturing phenomenon called Polaris Industries.
The history of Polaris, in part, a story of innovation, persistence and a little bit of luck. In that respect, it is very similar to stories of many other successful companies. But Polaris is more than a cookie-cutter corporate success story. It is a story of a company that has preserved because it employs dedicated people who are committed to innovation and to their customers.
The Hetten brothers and David Johnson named their company after Polaris, the North star, to call attention to their location in the northern United States.
These three men had vision and were willing to invest considerable amount of time and money on unproven ideas that others could hardly comprehend. for example, the idea behind the straw chopper was remarkably simple, farmers knew they could increase yield by returning organic material such as straw to their soil, the trick was to find an efficient way to do it. Polaris straw chopper made soil replenishment easy. When attached to a combine, the machine cut up straw left behind by the harvest and spread it evenly over the ground. This was only one successful product they produced, they also made dual tractor wheel mounts, ladders, fertilizer spreaders, pick-up boxes, grain elevators, sprayers and a host of other products.
David Johnson, Allan Hetten and Edgar Hetten pose with the Polaris straw cutter and spreader, the machine that, more than any other, kept them in business during Polaris's early years.
1957
David Johnson, like many people in Roseau, was addicted to the outdoors, during the winter he loved to ski and snowshoe to secluded camps where he could hunt deer and enjoy nature. The snow in northern Minnesota sometimes drifted so deep that it was almost impossible to get through. To Johnson, the snow was both a delight and a regular frustration, it was hard to get around in deep snow, he later recalled, "Kept thinking there must be a better way of doing this. I was thinking of some kind of toboggan with a belt going down the centre of it".
Bt late 1955, Johnson was thinking seriously about building a machine that would take some of the work out of outdoor life. On January 10th, 1956, David Johnson's snow machine was ready for its first test run.
1960: An important journey took place in Polaris's history. A 1,200 mile, proving trek across the Alaskan wilderness. It took three weeks, but those who did the trek became celebrities, their efforts generated national interest in the Polaris snow machine.
Today Polaris Snowmobiles have come a long way from the challenges of crossing Alaska.
Polaris Snowmobiles is the No1 Snowmobile, because the people who design and make them are snowmobile riders. And similar to the three young men who founded Polaris more than 50yrs ago, they are committed to their customers and the Polaris name, by pushing the boundaries with the innovations of the future. The future will always be a Today standard with Polaris.
1983
With their background in snowmobile design, Polaris incorporated familiar features as two-stroke engines and the Polaris Variable Transmission (PVT), an automatic transmission. The PVT gave the Polaris ATV an advantage over competitors because it was simpler to handle. The engineers also added unique features, including floorboards (instead of motorcycle-like foot pegs) and MacPherson strut suspension.
Dean Hedlund, ATV development supervisor in charge of trouble shooting new products, explained hot the floorboard innovation came about. "we developed a full floorboard concept because a couple of guys were out and they happened to slip off the conventional floor pegs that everybody else was using and hurt their ankles. So we said, this isn't right, so we put a big floorboard on it and since then, the industry has followed our lead".
In March 1985, Polaris's first production ATV's started rolling off the assembly line.
This four-wheel Trail Boss all-terrain vehicle was among the first ATV's to roll off Polaris's production line.
With the introduction of its ATV's, Polaris became more than a snowmobile company. For the first time in its history, it was producing a major product in numbers that rivalled its snowmobile production, Polaris was transforming itself.
In 1995 Polaris introduced the Sportsman 500 4x4 ATV, which featured another Polaris innovation: independent rear suspension rather than a straight axle, which made for a much smoother ride and provided 11" of groun clerance, the best in the industry. The Sportsman quickly became the industry standard in power, strength and smoothness of rid and the World's best-selling automatic transmission ATV.
1997
Polaris had brought more ATV products firsts to the industry than any other manufacturer combined. And the ATV division continued its record for innovation and quality. In 1997 the Sportsman 500 was rated the best ATV in the industry by several trade publications and continued to be the top seller in its category. It was only natural to stay a step ahead, and the Polaris RANGER, a whole new class of off-road utility vehicles. An off-road utility vehicle with side-by-side seating was developed. Once, again Polaris was entering an established market but Polaris executives knew the company was up to the challenge.
1998
Polaris introduced its fourth major product - Victory Motorcycles. Even before it's unveiling, dealers, consumers and the trade press were keyed up to the Victory V92C, which in its debut year, became Cycle World's "cruiser of the year".
Polaris Industries have sales now in excess of $1.5 billion globally. A network of dedicated dealers Worldwide, and most importantly dedicated customers to the Polaris brand, and they are the people who make Polaris a successful company.
At Polaris, making great products is not just a job; it is a way of life. Their employees are not only building and designing machines, they are also enthusiastic riders. This gives Polaris the competitive edge because we are all working together to make the riding experience the best.
Lightening the load for the dismounted war fighter.
Polaris is currently under a five year contract, awarded in 2004, to provide ATV's with military modifications, designed to work World wide, around the clock on road and off-road terrain, in all weather conditions.