S
snowmobiler
Well-known member
Rocky Mountain Kat
Prediction: Polaris and Cat will be one company
- Thread starter Jeff C
- Start date
Polaris and Cat are only about a 100 miles apart. The story I got was that 2 brothers started Polaris and eventually one of the brothers left and started Cat. Not that that matters anymore. If you know a different story go ahead and fill me in. I could see it making sense for the 2 to merge especially since they're so close. Maybe they'd merge but still make both lines since some people bleed green and some bleed red. As far as the Victory goes. I can't see them making much on them. Not many sold as far as I can see. They are priced as high as Harley Davidson and are of quality at least as high as Harley Davidson but hold value like the jap bikes.
Your recollection is pretty close to actual. I found this write-up on the MN Historical Society website.
Edgar Heteen is still alive, and although very elderly, will show up at a major snowmobile event maybe once a year and sign autographs.
If you google search Edgar Heteen, that will keep you busy for hours reading about him. And yes, he was involved with Polaris and Cat.
After he started Polaris, the board of directors voted him out over a dispute. He started Cat after that.
http://www.mnhs.org/library/tips/history_topics/11snowmobiles.html
Text:
HISTORY TOPICS
Snowmobiles
The earliest attempts at developing mechanized vehicles that could travel over snow date back to the first years of the 20th century. Using various track designs combined with skis and some form of engine power, their inventors called them snow sleds, motorized toboggans or sleighs. A Ford dealer coined the term "snowmobile" to describe the Model T Ford automobile that he had mounted on tracks and skis.
Snowmobiling as a recreational winter sport had its start in northern Minnesota where Polaris Industries of Roseau, Minnesota, introduced the first modern vehicles for sale to the public in 1955. Developed by David Johnson, Alan and Edgar Heteen, partners in a farm equipment business, snowmobiles caught on so well that, within a few years, the developers re-directed their efforts from making farm equipment to the manufacture of Polaris snowmobiles. In April, 1968, Ralph Plaisted of St. Paul, Minnesota, made history when he and his group reached the North Pole on Bombardier Ski-Doo snowmobiles, the first mechanized expedition to do so.
Snowmobiling became a popular winter activity and soon spawned an allied fashion industry of snowmobile clothing, boots, and headwear. Snowmobile clubs formed. Sales of snowmobiles peaked in 1968-69. In the mid-1970s, during the oil embargo, the industry was hit hard and many snowmobile manufacturers were forced out of business. Some that survived, like Polaris, added All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) to their manufacturing lines.
GET STARTED WITH SECONDARY SOURCES:
Legend: Arctic Cat's First Quarter Century, by C.J. Ramstad.
Deephaven, Minn.: PPM Books, c1987.
MHS call number: HD9714.U64 A737 1987.
The Legend of Polaris, by Jeffrey L. Rodengen and Richard F. Hubbard.
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.: Write Stuff Enterprises, 2003.
MHS call number: HD 9714 .U64 P657 2003.
Polaris Pioneers: A Star is Born, by Jerry Bassett.
St. Paul, Minn.: Published for Polaris Industries by Recreational Publications, c1989.
MHS call number: HD9714.U64 P642 1989.
The Trail of the Cat: A History of Arctic Enterprises, Inc.
[Minnesota: The Corporation, 1975?]
MHS call number: HD9714.U64 A738 1975.
Warriors of Winter: The Previously Untold History of Snowmobile Racing, by Bill Vint.
Milwaukee, Wis.: Market Communications, 1977.
MHS call number: Reading Room GV857.S6 V46 1977.
PRIMARY RESOURCES:
Plaisted Polar Expedition Papers.
Newspaper clippings and other papers related to two snowmobile expeditions from northern Canada to the North Pole organized by Ralph Plaisted, a St. Paul insurance agent, snowmobile enthusiast, and amateur explorer. After an aborted attempt in 1967, Plaisted's group reached the North Pole in April 1968, the first mechanized expedition to do so and the first to arrive by sled since 1909. The news stories include information about snowmobiling.
MHS call number: P1990; see the green Manuscripts Notebooks for more details (there is 1 folder of material).
Note: Ralph Plaisted's papers are at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
Winter Carnival Association Records.
This archival collection contains minutes, scattered correspondence and financial information, administration files, and printed materials of the voluntary organization that has sponsored a midwinter festival in St. Paul, Minnesota, since 1885. The administration files (27 boxes) contain financial and membership information, event files (documenting both indoor and outdoor activities), publicity and promotional material, festival schedules, and a variety of printed materials. Photographs, legends, and background information concerning the history of the carnival and its royal court are also included. Additionally, the collection includes records documenting the establishment, organization, and operation of the annual International 500 Snowmobile Race from Winnipeg to St. Paul (1966-1982).
MHS call number: See the green Manuscripts Alpha Notebooks — filed under Saint Paul Winter Carnival Association — for a detailed list of boxes and locator numbers (there are 35 boxes, but not all relate to this topic); or use an electronic version of the inventory.
Visual Resources Database subjects that may be useful for this topic:
Snowmobile
Sports. Snowmobiling
Check the library catalog for other materials.
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The snowest copy;
Polaris Announces Creation Of On-Road Vehicle Division
MEDINA, Minn. - Polaris Industries today announced the creation of a new On-Road Vehicle Division to help continue its drive toward the company’s vision and objectives which include establishing a significant on-road presence. The new division takes the existing skills and assets within the company and aligns them in a way that maximizes cohesive and strategic growth for Victory Motorcycles and other on-road products and brands.
“Victory Motorcycles, with its strong brand recognition and customer loyalty, will be one of the major components of our new On-Road Vehicle Division that we’re announcing today,” Scott Wine, Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Industries, said. “This new division will support our efforts to be the ‘Best in Powersports’ and continue building on our strong on-road brands and global market leadership in this critical space.”
Several organizational changes that set the foundation of the On-Road Vehicle Division are also being announced today. Intended to further strengthen the company in the on-road marketplace, these management moves put the new division in the best possible position to sustain profitable growth and long-term success.
First among these changes is Mark Blackwell’s new role as Vice President of Motorcycles. Blackwell has spent the past eight years leading day-to-day operations for Victory Motorcycles and played a key role in building the brand from an unknown startup into a highly regarded competitor considered to be among the worlds finest. Under Blackwell’s leadership, Victory has expanded into markets outside the United States and is well-positioned for long term success. Blackwell’s deep knowledge of products and markets in the motorcycle industry will continue to be an invaluable asset to the Victory brand and all other on-road vehicles.
Mike Jonikas, currently Vice President, Sales & Corporate Marketing has been appointed to the newly created role of Vice President of the On-Road Vehicle Division. In this position, Jonikas will be responsible for rapidly growing the on-road business for Polaris including strategic direction for Victory Motorcycles and any on-road adjacencies Polaris may add in the future. Jonikas brings proven skills to the On-Road Vehicle Division that include leading business teams to profitable growth, developing new markets and successful commercialization of new products. He will continue to lead the Sales & Corporate Marketing teams. During the past nine years, Jonikas has succeeded in several key roles with Polaris including Director of Product & Marketing Management for ATV, the first General Manager of the Polaris side-by-side business and eventually as Vice President Sales & Corporate Marketing, overseeing the creation and phased roll-out of the Max Velocity Program.
Steve Menneto has been promoted to the position of General Manager of Victory Motorcycles, to lead profitable sales growth for this business. Since joining Polaris in 1997, Menneto has risen quickly and has demonstrated a strong knowledge for strategic planning and increasing business profitability. Additional experience in positions such as Region Sales Manager, Director of Dealer Development and Director of North American Sales developed Menneto’s deep understanding of Victory’s dealer network and his keen eye for the competitive environment at the dealership level for on-road vehicles.
“The Victory Motorcycles brand was essentially built from scratch through tireless work in the past ten years,” Bennett Morgan, Chief Operating Officer of Polaris Industries, said. “Now, by combining the diverse strengths of Mark, Mike and Steve to further develop our long-term strategies in the On-Road Vehicle Division, we are positioning ourselves for continued growth both in the motorcycle industry and, in the bigger picture, across all segments of the on-road marketplace.”
Polaris is committed to growing its on-road vehicle business through continued growth in the motorcycle industry along with successfully introducing products into other on-road adjacencies in the future. The creation of this new On-Road Vehicle Division reflects efforts to position the company’s key personnel into roles that suit their strengths and allow them to further develop the Polaris business and brands within the on-road market.
Lastly, Judy Kulsrud has been appointed to the position of Director of North American Sales replacing Steve Menneto. Kulsrud has been with Polaris since 1995 and has a broad set of experiences across many functional areas of the business including management positions in Retail Development, Sales Operations, Regional Sales Management and most recently the position of Director of Dealer Development. Kulsrud has consistently delivered results and been successful in each of these positions.
S
shortstop20
Well-known member
Polaris used to be a snowmobile company that made 4-wheelers, watercraft, motorcycles on the side. Now they're a 4-wheeler and motorcycle company that makes snowmobiles on the side. Sad but true!
Great!!! Now cats will start blowing cranks again. 
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