cats quarter saved by atv sales

Thief River Falls, Minnesota's veteran snowmobile manufacturer, Arctic Cat, reported a 46 percent increase profits to $11.9 million, or 53 cents per diluted share, as sales increased by 5 percent to $176.2 million in the third quarter ended this past Dec. 31.

That increase was spurred by the newest of Cat's product line, ATVs. Arctic Cat saw a 35 percent increase in sales of its utility all-terrain vehicles in the quarter. A big part of that growth was its four-wheeler that construction workers, ranchers or hunters can customize with special "modular" racks that take 20 different accessories such as water coolers, rifle carriers and camping gear.

"Nobody else in the industry is doing this,'' said chief executive Chris Twomey.
Meanwhile, snowmobile sales fell 9 percent in the quarter due in part to poor snowfall.

Year to date, ATV sales are up 13 percent while snowmobile sales are down 4 percent.