Polaris® Off Road For Sale, Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Redeer, Edmonton, Sundre, Alberta
A History of Polaris®
Polaris® Industries is named for the brightest star in the Little Dipper, also known as the North Star. This star has been used as a navigational aid for centuries, and Polaris® provides equipment that gets you through difficult terrain, so it’s an apt moniker.
Curious about the beginnings of Polaris? Cycle Works Calgary is proud to be your Alberta Polaris® dealer. Read on to learn more about this all-American powersports leader.
An Enterprise Created by Outdoorsmen
A Minnesota-based company called Hetteen Hoist & Derrick was known for building agricultural machines for local farmers. Because the work was somewhat seasonal, the men behind it often found themselves out in the wilderness to recreationally hunt and fish. However, the harsh snows of Minnesota meant that it was somewhat arduous and difficult to get around, which resulted in these intrepid men designing and building the world’s first successful snowmobile.
Snowmobiles had been in development for a few decades, but this was the first model that worked well and became popular amongst local citizens. This led to the men rechristening their business as Polaris® by 1960, where they chose to focus on making powersports equipment like the mass production of their snowmobiles.Growth & Change
For the next decade, snowmobile manufacturers began to proliferate, with Polaris® among them. The company had been purchased by Textron to further growth. By the 1970s recession, though, the market had crashed and dozens of manufacturers went under as a result. But Polaris® stuck through it and survived as one of only three manufacturers in this market.
Textron wanted to divest themselves of Polaris®, so then-company president W. Hall Wendel Jr. was told to sell the company. Instead, he decided to buy it out from Textron. He took a mere one hundred workers and rebuilt Polaris® from the ground up. The company repaid their debt to Textron and focused their energies on innovation, creating a product lineup that customers craved.
In 1984, Polaris® was a frontrunner in the ATV market, which had previously been the domain of Japanese manufacturers. Polaris® then joined the personal watercraft market, becoming the first big American company to release their own PWC.
The greatest strength for Polaris® has always been their ability to adapt with changing times without losing the loyalty of their customers. They pride themselves on manufacturing high-quality powersports equipment for a variety of recreational and utility purposes.
Want to see some Polaris® powersports vehicles for yourself? Come on down to our location in Calgary, Alberta, to check out our full selection of Polaris® powersports equipment. Cycle Works Calgary proudly serves the city of Lethbridge, Alberta.