Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Polaris history
Polaris company history timeline
1954: On July 21, the company is renamed and incorporated as Polaris Industries Inc.
Drawing on the Latin name for "north star," it became Polaris Industries in 1954.
Since 1954, Polaris has proudly defined, re-defined and then raised the bar again for the powersports industry.
Polaris got its start along the northern border of Minnesota in the small town of Roseau in 1954.
David Johnson and several employees created the prototype in 1954 while Edgar was on a business trip.
The introduction of the larger, throaty superbikes in the form of the Sportster model in 1957 only added to the Harley mystique.
1957: A truckload of Sno-Travelers are shipped to Alaska, which will become a significant proving ground for the early snowmobiles.
In 1958, the first year of Ski-Doo brand manufacturing, his company produced 240 snowmobiles.
13 Facts You Never Knew About Bombardier [Video]It was 1959 when Bombardier released its first Ski-Doo snowmobile.
1959: Polaris Industries holds its first annual meeting.
In order to promote the new snowmobile and prove its reliability and usefulness, in 1960 Edgar led a three-snowmobile, 1,200-mile trek across the Alaskan wilderness, starting from Bethel, Alaska.
1961: On June 30, Allan Hetteen, age 31, succeeds his brother Edgar as president of Polaris.
1962: Construction begins on a modern, 24,000-sq. ft. manufacturing plant in Roseau.
1962: International sales thrive as three truckloads of snowmobiles roll out of the factory, ready for shipment to Sweden.
1963: In the early winter, Polaris learns that while the Comet worked on glacial hard-pack, it doesn't work on snow common to the snowbelt.
In 1964 it nearly went bankrupt with the failure of the Comet, its first front-engine sled.
The testing of the first Polaris front-engined machine, the Comet, looked promising, but the 1964 model failed in production.
In 1964, Polaris released the Comet.
The new model, the 1965 Mustang, became a hit as a family snowmobile and boosted Polaris sales.
Also in 1968 Polaris began what would turn out to be a long relationship with Fuji Heavy Industries of Japan, with an agreement whereby Fuji became the exclusive manufacturer of the engines used in Polaris snowmobiles.
In 1970, 63 companies manufactured snowmobiles in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan.
1970: LeRoy Lindblad wins the first of his two consecutive Winnipeg to St Paul I-500 Races.
By 1971, however, recreational snowmobile purchases had risen as high as they ever would, with Polaris selling almost 500,000 units in that year.
1973: While helping a neighbor on November 24, former President Allan Hetteen dies as the result of a tractor accident in rural Roseau.
1973: Bob Eastman wins the Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby and Stan Hayes wins the Winnipeg to St Paul I-500.
1975: Jim Bernat wins the Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby and Ed Monsrud wins the Winnipeg to St Paul I-500.
1976: The TX-L 340 uses the first Polaris liquid-cooled engine and is popular with both cross-country racers and recreational riders.
1976: Beverly F. Dolan is promoted to president Textron's Homelite Division and is succeeded by David F. "Fritz" Myers as president of Polaris.
Introduced in 1977, the liquid-cooled TX-L was a strong cross-country racing competitor.
1977: Archie Simonson wins the Winnipeg to St Paul I-500 race as nine of the first 10 racers ride Polaris sleds.
Factory-backed racing teams found Polaris support in the days of Allan Hetteen and Textron, but the death of a Polaris team member in 1978 effectively ended the program.
1979: Paul Matejka wins the Winnipeg to St Paul I-500 race.
By 1980 even Arctic Enterprises, the number one manufacturer, was in trouble.
When Textron named W. Hall Wendel as president of Polaris in 1980, one of his assignments was to sell Polaris.
1980: Bruce Olson wins the I-500 cross-country snowmobile race, the first victory on a Polaris "Indy" model.
A mid-1981 leveraged buyout that took the form of a limited partnership prevented an otherwise imminent plant shutdown, but it was several years before Polaris was again running smoothly, this time as a revitalized company uniquely situated in a far leaner industry.
1981: Management buys out the company after a couple of brown winters dry up sales.
W. Hall Wendel, Jr., named president of Polaris, led management group that purchased Polaris from Textron in 1981.
1981: Polaris offers 3-wheeled ATVs to Cenex, a farm cooperative, and to John Deere.
Profit sharing began in 1982 with an average of $200 per employee.
By 1984 there were 20 million snowmobilers in the northern snowbelt and mountain regions using the vehicles for rescue and outdoor work as well as recreational and sporting events.
Since adding all-terrain-vehicles (ATVs) in 1984, we've grown to become a global powersports leader, providing some of the best-selling-brands in the industry, including RANGER utility vehicles, RZR recreational side-by-sides, Indian Motorcycle, and Goupil electric vehicles.
All-terrain vehicles followed in 1985, and since their introduction have set the standard for performance and innovation.
1985: Polaris starts making ATVs.
In a market that Honda dominated, it was 1985 when Polaris came up with its first four-wheeler – the trail boss 250 four-wheeler.
In 1985, Polaris introduced the Trailboss, which is considered to be the first American-made all-terrain vehicles (ATV). Today, Polaris is one of the top selling brands of ATV’s.
When Polaris entered the ATV market in 1985, all the major manufacturers were Japanese, led by Honda.
Polaris is currently a publicly-traded company, which began in 1987 as a master limited partnership.
1987: Nolan Knochenmus of Roseau wins the I-500 cross-country snowmobile race as Polaris racers take nine of the top 10 spots.
1988: Polaris co-founder David Johnson retires after 42 years with the company.
1988: Ken Larson joins Polaris as President, succeeding W. Hall Wendel, Jr., who remains the Chairman and CEO.
1988: Polaris begins ATV Safety Training, which consists of dealers providing safety training to buyers of new Polaris ATVs.
1989: The Polaris Indy 500 is named “Snowmobile of the Decade” by SNOWMOBILE Magazine.
1989: Polaris celebrates its 35th anniversary with a huge party at Roseau.
In 1990 the retail cost of a four-wheel ATV ranged from $2,400 to $4,000 and Polaris controlled about seven percent of a shrinking market.
Polaris introduced its first personal watercraft (PWC) in 1990, becoming the first major United States company to enter that industry.
Snowmobiles accounted for 40 percent, down from 67 percent in 1990.
1990: Polaris opens a production facility in Osceola, WI. It becomes home to Polaris domestic engine assembly and the Victory engineering group.
Since 1991, $70 million had been spent in plant improvements and new product development.
2 ATV maker, after Honda, and in 1991 it emerged as the leading snowmobile company.
1991: Polaris introduces its first personal watercraft (PWC), the SL650.
Polaris introduced its first personal watercraft (PWC) in 1992, becoming the first major United States company to enter that industry.
By the end of 1993 PWC made up nine percent of total Polaris sales.
By 1993 employees shared $6.8 million.
The campaign, handled by Carmichael Lynch of Minneapolis, had been in effect for much of the time since Polaris introduced its PWC in 1993 and was used primarily in magazine advertising.
The company had previously bought Japanese engines from Fuji Heavy Industries and had set up the Robin ATV engine joint venture in Hudson, Wisconsin in February 1994.
Polaris had a great year in 1994: sales rose 56 percent to $826 million and profits climbed 66 percent to $55 million.
In 1994, the company changed its title from limited partnership to corporation.
1994: Polaris opens a production facility in Spirit Lake, IA. Watercraft, ATVs, snowmobiles and Victory Motorcycles are eventually produced there.
In fact, Fuji was Polaris’ main supplier of engines until 1995 when the company branched out to create its own engines for some models.
Polaris branched out into the ATV market in 1995 with their Polaris Magnum 425 ATV. Soon after, the company began to manufacture their own engines in-house to ensure quality and reliability amongst all their powersports vehicles.
By 1996, when 191,000 units were sold in the United States, PWCs made up 37 percent of all powered water-craft sold in the nation—as opposed to just 20 percent five years before.
1997: A state-of-the-art distribution center opens in Vermillion, SD, for distribution of parts, garments and accessories.
1997: The Victory motorcycle is introduced as Indy car champion Al Unser, Jr., rides a pre-production V92C into a packed Planet Hollywood at the Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis.
"Polaris Reports First Quarter Results: Company Says Outlook for Full Year Sales and Earnings Growth Is Unchanged." Business Wire, April 21, 1998.
Perhaps another possible cause for Polaris's decision to conduct an agency review may be found in an April 6, 1998, story by Baar in Adweek.
1998: Victory motorcycle production begins at the Spirit Lake, IA, facility, on July 4.
But things were looking up for Polaris as 1998 went on, and by the end of the year profits were looking up as well.
1998: Polaris expands its off-road business with the Polaris RANGER side by side vehicle.
W. Hall Wendel, Jr., stepped down as CEO in May 1999, remaining a major shareholder as well as board chairman.
"Polaris Reports Record Sales and EPS for Second Quarter." Business Wire, July 21, 1999.
In July 2000 Victory Motorcycles launched a new marketing campaign under the banner of "The New American Motorcycle."
Polaris and Arctic Cat countered that both had been working to cut emissions and noise for years, but were waiting for the Environmental Protection Agency to announce a new emissions standard in September 2000 before retooling their production lines.
2000: Polaris introduces the 120 XCR, its first true kid-sized snowmobile.
2000: Billy Womack wins his second-straight (and third overall) Long Beach-2-Catalina and Back watercraft race (52 nautical miles; 66 land miles), this time on a Virage TX.
2001: ATV Magazine presents its first-ever “Legacy Award” to Polaris for its legendary PVT automatic ATV transmission.
2001: Gene Lemery of Menominee, MI, wins $1 million as grand prize winner in the Polaris Millionth Automatic $1 Million Giveaway.
2001: Polaris launches the Polaris Professional Series (PPS) line of Workmobiles, which are strong and rugged utility vehicles designed specifically for professionals.
In June 2002 the Roseau River poured over its banks following heavy rains, flooding the town and destroying many homes.
In 2002 the company launched a new set of print ads that played with the tagline "That is my Victory" and featured testimonial letters from customers expressing what the Victory motorcycle meant to them.
The first result was the sleek Victory Vegas, which debuted in late 2002 to stellar reviews and strong sales.
2003: The Predator 500 is named “Sport ATV of the Year” by ATV Rider magazine; “ATV of the Year” by ATV Sport magazine; and “Sport Performance ATV of the Year” by the 2003 ATV Guide.
2003: A group of women snowmobilers raises more than $120,000 to fund breast cancer research during the first Way Out Women (WOW) Relay ride across Canada, of which Polaris is the chief sponsor.
2003: The Victory Vegas™ is named “Best Cruiser” for 2003 by Cycle World magazine; “2003 Cruiser of the Year” by Cruising Rider magazine; “Best New V-Twin Motorcycle” by V-Twin Magazine; and “Best Cruiser” by Motorcyclist magazine.
Geiger, Bob. "Minneapolis-Based Martin/Williams Drops $15 Million Polaris Account." Minneapolis (MN) Finance and Commerce, March 6, 2004.
"The New American Motorcycle" campaign ran until Martin/Williams gave up the account in the spring of 2004.
2004 Polaris shuts down its personal watercraft business.
2004: Polaris introduces the 900 Fusion™ and 900 RMK, a new generation of high-performance snowmobiles with the sophisticated Polaris IQ™ chassis.
The increased emphasis on research and development took concrete form in June 2005 when the company opened a new research facility in Wyoming, Minnesota.
Dragging down this figure was the declining fortune of the snowmobile sector, which by 2005 had seen low-snow winters six of the previous seven seasons.
Victory also turned a profit for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2005.
In late 2005, Polaris announced that it would purchase a portion of KTM Motorcycles.
However, in 2006, KTM said the Polaris agreement was downgraded, and engines would only be supplied to Polaris.
2007: Polaris introduces RANGER RZR as first trail-capable & fastest acceleration side by side vehicle.
2008: Current Chairman and CEO Scott W. Wine joins Polaris.
In May 2009, Polaris announced the creation of an On-Road Vehicle Division.
On May 21, 2010, Polaris announced that it was opening a new manufacturing plant in Mexico.
In 2010, Polaris introduced the Polaris Rush snowmobile which had a new suspension system and better trail handling capabilities.
Their factories in Roseau and Osceola, Wisconsin, still produce the majority of their components and engines, although some off-road vehicle production was transferred to Mexico in 2010.
2010: The RANGER EV wins Best of the Best honors from Field & Stream.
In October 2011, Polaris announced an investment in Brammo, Inc., an electric vehicle company based in Ashland, Oregon, United States.
In 2011, Indian Motorcycle was going through the bankruptcy process, which is when Polaris made its purchase.
2011: Annual sales exceed $2 billion in sales for the first time.
Polaris continued its investment in Brammo when it participated in the $13 million opening tranche of Brammo's Series C funding round in July 2012.
2012: Polaris in September breaks ground for an expansion of the Wyoming, Minnesota, Product Development Center.
It became North America’s leading ATV market leader in 2012 and is a major producer of powersport vehicles such as off-road vehicles, motorcycles and dirt bikes.
2012: The company tops the $3 billion mark with 2012 annual sales of $3.210 billion.
On April 11, 2013, Polaris announced that it acquired Aixam-Mega, a French quadricycle manufacturer.
Since 2013, Polaris has been marketing several Indian motorcycles, reverting to Indian’s classic styles.
In 2013, Fuji Heavy Industries supplied a quarter of the engines to Polaris installed in some off-road vehicles and snowmobiles.
Engineering teams move in and start working in the new space in mid-2013.
2013: Polaris introduces the high-performance RZR XP 1000 (MY 14). ATV.com names the RZR XP 900 the Best ATV/UTV of the Year, and the RANGER XP 900 wins Field & Stream Best of the Best honors.
The 2014 model lineup includes the Indian Chief Classic cruiser, Indian Chief Vintage bagger, and Indian Chieftain with hard saddlebags, a formed fairing, and extensive electronics.
2014: Polaris celebrated the grand opening of its Opole, Poland Manufacturing facility, the first manufacturing facility outside of North America.
On January 9, 2015, Polaris announced it will be opening a new 600,000-square-foot facility in Huntsville, Alabama that will employ at least 1,700 workers.
He joined Polaris in August 2015 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
Polaris announced in 2015 it was buying Brammo’s electric motorcycle business, with production starting at its Spirit Lake facility in late 2015.
2015: Polaris purchases a new paint facility in Spearfish, South Dakota.
Production of electric motorcycles was slated to commence at Polaris' factory in Spirit Lake, Iowa during the second half of 2015.
On March 7, 2016, Polaris acquired Taylor-Dunn, a manufacturer of industrial vehicles based in Anaheim, CA.
2016: Polaris opens its brand-new manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama.
On January 9, 2017, Polaris Chairman and CEO Scott Wine announced they would be shutting down Victory Motorcycles.
2017: Annual sales exceed $5 billion for the first time; and the company celebrated building its one-millionth RANGER. Polaris launches Polaris Adventures.
In May 2018, Polaris reentered the production of boats by purchasing the Indiana-based Boat Holdings LLC for $805 million.
2018: Polaris acquires Boat Holdings, a privately held boat manufacturer of four recognized brands – Bennington, Godfrey, Hurricane, and Rinker.
The company invested further in its boating division in January 2019 with the acquisition of Marquis-Larson Boat Group out of Pulaski, Wisconsin.
On July 29, 2019, the company changed its name from Polaris Industries Inc. to Polaris Inc. and commenced trading with the new name on August 8, 2019.
Mike Speetzen was appointed Chief Executive Officer; preceding this, he was the interim Chief Executive Officer since January 2021.
© 2022 Roseau Times Region, Inc.
Rate Polaris' efforts to communicate its history to employees.
Polaris jobs
Do you work at Polaris?
Is Polaris' vision a big part of strategic planning?
Polaris competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WSI Industries | 1950 | $30.6M | 91 | 2 |
| Greif | 1877 | $5.2B | 16,000 | 358 |
| Blount International, Inc. | 1971 | $1.2B | 4,400 | - |
| Big Heart Pet Brands | 1916 | $2.2B | 7,500 | - |
| LSI Solutions | 1986 | - | 400 | 3 |
| Hach | 1947 | $990.0M | 2,806 | 40 |
| DEUTZ | - | $1.5B | 4,560 | 12 |
| Wise | - | $1.2M | 25 | 48 |
| Steelcase | 1912 | $3.2B | 12,650 | 25 |
| Energizer Holdings | 1896 | $2.9B | 7,500 | 36 |
Polaris history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Polaris, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Polaris. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Polaris. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Polaris. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Polaris and its employees or that of Zippia.
Polaris may also be known as or be related to Polaris, Polaris Inc, Polaris Inc., Polaris Industries, Polaris Industries Inc, Polaris Industries Inc., Polaris Industries Partners L P and Polaris Industries, Inc.