WATERSKI Magazine
2002-09-23 15:00:00 | 81 views |
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MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 20,
2002)—Polaris Industries Inc. announced plans to expand
its engineering facility in Roseau, Minn. It will be the
30^th time in the recreational and utility vehicle
maker’s 48-year history that the company has invested in the
northwestern Minnesota town where the company was founded.

    Construction on the
new $7 million engineering facility is scheduled to begin in fall,
2002. When completed, Polaris will improve its engineering
capability through improved facilities, tools and a collaborative
work environment. Polaris’ announcement comes on the heels of
Thursday’s special legislative session, where lawmakers
approved much-needed state aid to help flood victims in the
area.

    “We’re
thrilled to continue to invest in Roseau where the heart and soul
of Polaris was born,” said Tom Tiller, Polaris president and
CEO. “Getting state aid to begin rebuilding the
infrastructure of Roseau was critical to our ability to expand and
attract and retain a phenomenal workforce. I applaud lawmakers and
wholeheartedly thank our Polaris employees in Roseau who have kept
doing their jobs, while trying to rebuild the town at the same
time.”

    Tiller worked
side-by-side with volunteers throughout the night of June 11,
sandbagging and pumping water away from the Polaris plant. Since
the flooding began, Polaris has worked actively with local, state
and federal government leaders to rebuild the community.

    David Johnson, Edgar
Hetteen and Allan Hetteen founded Polaris in Roseau in 1954.
Johnson and Edgar Hetteen invented the modern-day snowmobile in
1956. Over the years, the company has grown to become a $1.5
billion manufacturer of ATVs (now the company’s largest
business), snowmobiles, watercraft and Victory Motorcycles, Polaris
RANGER and the Polaris Professional Series. More than 1,800 of
Roseau’s 2,500 residents work at the Polaris manufacturing
facility. Polaris completed a $12 million manufacturing facility
upgrade at the Roseau plant last year.

About Polaris

    Information about the
complete line of Polaris products is available from authorized
Polaris dealers or from the Polaris homepage at polarisindustries.com.

    Polaris designs,
engineers, manufactures and markets snowmobiles, all-terrain
vehicles, personal watercraft, Victory motorcycles and the Polaris
RANGER for recreational and utility use. With annual 2001 sales of
$1.5 billion, Polaris is the largest snowmobile manufacturer in the
world and one of the largest U.S. manufacturers of ATVs and
personal watercraft.