In our last writing we announced ARGO, makers of legendary 4, 6 and 8 wheeled Extreme Terrain Vehicles, ATVs and SXS, was definitely in play to ultimately acquire Arctic Cat. We haven’t said more than that reality – until today.

If you read our last release you heard ARGO’s CEO Brad Darling, the pre-Textron Vice President of Arctic Cat, was strongly rumored to be leading a purchase of Arctic Cat. Darling’s roots run deep in the snowmobile industry and he is well respected by everyone at Arctic Cat. We expect if Darling stick-handles a deal with Textron his team will have the best interests of the brand, the loyal legion of Arctic Cat owners and an anxious and proud dealer network.

So why are we reporting on this rumored acquisition of Arctic Cat by ARGO? Today, March 5th, Darling is in Thief River Falls, Minnesota with an important group of business leaders who appeared to be inspecting the TRF production facility.

To be completely clear, what we’ve reported here is true and accurate. However, it does not mean there will be a sale of Arctic Cat. We will go out on a limb and say this move today is extremely encouraging and appears to point to a deal that’s well on its way. Our contacts say this inspection of the TRF facilities by the team Darling is leading is a strong indication a deal could be as little as 60 days away.

Obviously, time is of the essence to finalize a deal and still offer a MY2026 new model lineup. From what we understand at this writing it is entirely possible this can happen, pending a successful sale.

This story is moving fast – real fast – and we will bring any new info to our valued readers and viewers as expeditiously as possible.

I’m not talking about the viability of Cat as a brand or its survival as a company. Rather, I’m speaking to its strategy and ability to grow, and even more, about whether it’ll continue to be identifiable as the snowmobile maker we’ve known and loved for over 60 years, now that it’s governed by a multi-national.

Arctic Cat has always been known as an innovator and the genius of its success has been faithfully rooted in the individual creativity and brilliance of it engineers and designers.

These unique artists have had considerable free rein in the past to dream and develop snowmobiles that nail the desires of hardcore users focused on superior performance and rideabilty.

How does this happen? In all the years I’ve been witness to how Arctic cat builds snowmobiles, it has stood out boldly to me that this company perceives the wants of its market so well because its key people are avid, rabid enthusiasts who love snowmobiling and love snowmobiles.

When they conceptualize a new sled, I’m pretty sure those dreamers, even the ones at the very top, are thinking about sitting on the seat of it and putting it though its paces as their sled. I think the question is asked every day: “Would I want my snowmobile to work like this?” or, “Even if it costs more, it will be better if it’s built this way”.

Thus, Cat’s greatest strength has been its people. Over the years, I’ve met dozens of Arctic Cat product managers, engineers and designers and it always impresses me how many of these people are more than just bean counters and classroom trained engineering grads who look at charts and graphs and sit in front of computers all day.

There’s a hands-on attitude in play and a genuine concern the sleds the company builds have their fingerprints all over them. The snowmobiles are personal.

Call it a soul if you like, but when you talk to these folks, there’s so much concern the product be deemed satisfactory to their customers, instead of making excuses, they absorb criticism and move forward on improving or changing the things that come up short. This attitude has been a constant over the years, and I respect it.

Naturally, when a change as vast as the purchase of Arctic Cat by Textron comes up, there’s concern the “home town” attitude Cat has thrived on will be altered. Only time will tell and there’s no doubt there’s been a more complex corporate structure set in place, likely driven by maximizing profits and eventually building up a war chest of cash. This is business and it’s how things need to operate. The truth is, it’s extremely important Cat continues to be profitable.

In our recent conversations with the chiefs at Textron, it’s been very comforting to see they don’t intend to mess much with the internal structure or strategy of how Cat builds snowmobiles.

The first positive is that the Textron people have identified the “soul” of Arctic Cat and, unlike its off-road division, want to keep the snowmobile division separate and distinctive from other Textron identifiers. This is big and it clearly indicates Textron “gets it” about Arctic Cat.

The second thing encouraging to me is how Textron views its role as a provider of A) unique management potential drawn from its involvement with a dozen other large companies it has purchased and made more successful, and B) promises to utilize its corporate wealth to grow Arctic Cat into a bigger player in the industry.

That last item is particularly important because it appears the company does not intend to squeeze everything tighter, pare jobs and design budgets to eke out fatter margins. I honestly believe Textron wants to invest in Arctic Cat and grow it into a stronger, more influential force in the industry.

To me, this is the best news of all!

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Luke reflects on the last two years of the SuperTrax Media and Ski-Doo created contest: North America’s Top Snowmobiler.

Year one of the contest saw Troy Burt of Newfoundland, Canada take the coveted title as a number of contestants entered to vie for the rights of North America’s Top Snowmobiler, and thousands of votes contributed to Troy’s success.

In year two, the contest was transformed into a competition pitting Canada versus the United States where we would crown a new champion in the form of Canadian Justin Evans of British Columbia.

We sit down with Vice President of Snowmobiles for Textron Specialized Vehicles, Craig Kennedy, to learn the future of Arctic Cat’s snowmobile division following their buyout to Textron Off Road in 2017.

With the increasing emergence of sled decks, AJ is installing the Marlon Xplore Pro Truck Deck to ensure optimal safety and transportation of our snowmobiles when on the road.

And in Test Ride, Mark reviews the newest edition of the long running, iconic snowmobile series – the 2018 Yamaha Apex.

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Since the investment by Textron earlier this year, the company has chosen to keep all the nomenclature associated with Arctic Cat snowmobiles the same.

Although this was not the case with Cat’s Off-Road Division, the snowmobile identity is deeply ingrained in sled culture and Textron is well aware of it.

You need to read the interview with new Arctic Cat leader, Craig Kennedy, in the upcoming issue of Supertrax to get all the inside details.

2. INVESTING IN CUTTING EDGE 2-STROKE TECHNOLOGY

Although the new C-TEC2 800 didn’t happen overnight, the fact Arctic Cat has developed durable, high performance DSI 600 and 800 2-strokes is a big factor in the company’s future success.

Not only is the new 800 no longer built by an outside company, Suzuki, but, Cat is assembling them in its own plant in St. Cloud, Minnesota, right beside the 600.

This means complete control of the process and, when it comes time to make changes, they can respond super-quickly to the market.

3. FORMING PARTNERSHIPS TO SUPPLY 4-STROKES

Perhaps partnership is the wrong word to use here but the manufacturing agreements Arctic Cat has with Yamaha and Kymco are a big deal and very smart.

Why? Cat’s whole 4-stroke program was pulled off without having to do much hyper-expensive development and tooling to offer complex 4-strokes that fill all the gaps in the marketplace. Other than Ski-Doo, Cat has the most comprehensive line of 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines in the biz.

4. KEEPING THE BRAND IN THE USA

What can we say? Arctic Cat loyalists are faithful North Americans and although they respect the nature of some off-shore-built components, there’s an element of pride in the fact these sleds and many of their engines are built in Minnesota!

Frankly, the more USA-built Cat is, the more acceptance there is with the snowmobile public.

Going forward, Arctic Cat will operate as a subsidiary of Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. This business, based in Augusta, Ga., designs and manufactures vehicles and equipment for a range of uses and industries, including E-Z-GO golf cars and personal transportation vehicles, Cushman commercial utility vehicles, Textron Off Road side-by-sides, Dixie Chopper zero-turn mowers, Jacobsen professional turf-care equipment, and TUG, Douglas, Premier and Safeaero ground support equipment. The powerful Arctic Cat brand brings an exciting lineup of snowmobiles, side-by-sides and ATVs into the Textron Specialized Vehicles product family.

“Arctic Cat is an ideal fit with our growing range of off-road recreational vehicles,” said Textron president and CEO Scott Donnelly. “The addition of Arctic Cat to our Textron Specialized Vehicles business instantly gives us a deeper product line for customers, greater potential for innovation, and introduces new sales opportunities for our combined worldwide dealer network.”

Arctic Cat’s operations will remain in Minnesota. The business will gain valuable new capabilities through its integration with Textron Specialized Vehicles and the global resources of Textron Inc.— a $13.8 billion multi-industry business with operations in more than 25 countries.

The Arctic Cat brand is among the most widely recognized and respected in the recreational vehicle industry. The company designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), side-by-sides and snowmobiles, in addition to related parts, garments and accessories under the Arctic Cat® and Motorfist® brand names.

Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of golf cars, utility and personal transportation vehicles, snowmobiles, side-by-sides, all-terrain vehicles, professional turf-care equipment, and ground support equipment. Textron Specialized Vehicles markets products under the E-Z-GO®, Cushman®, Arctic Cat®,Textron Off Road, Jacobsen®, Dixie Chopper®, Ransomes®, TUG, Douglas, Premier and Safeaero brands. Its vehicles are found in environments ranging from golf courses to factories, airports to planned communities, and theme parks to hunting preserves.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Textron Off Road, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training.

More information about Arctic Cat and its products is available at arcticcat.com.

For more information visit textron.com.