Arctic Cat, the Swedish-founded company known for its snowmobiles and ATVs, is shutting down production.
The Minnesota-based factory, which has produced these popular vehicles for many years, will close its doors, resulting in the loss of 560 jobs.
The decision was made by Arctic Cat's current owner, Textron, which cited weak demand for the products.
“Consumer demand for products like this remains weak,” the company wrote in a statement to dealers.
Production is expected to wind down by the spring of 2025, after which the factory will be closed indefinitely.
Textron, which acquired Arctic Cat in 2017, has decided to redirect its investments toward the aerospace and weapons industries.
This decision leaves a gap in the snowmobile market, where Arctic Cat has long been a popular choice.
A Legacy Founded on Innovation
Arctic Cat was established in 1960 by Edgar Hetteen, a Swedish-American entrepreneur with roots in Malung, Dalarna. Hetteen immigrated to Minnesota as a young man, where he was inspired by a neighbor who had built a snow-capable vehicle.
Hetteen first founded Polaris in 1954, which became a trailblazer in snowmobile innovation. A few years later, he launched Arctic Cat.
Hetteen passed away in 2011 at the age of 90.
The closure of Arctic Cat reflects the broader shift in global manufacturing, with China increasingly dominating production. Several European automotive brands have similarly fallen into Chinese hands, with some being shut down entirely.
One notable example is Saab, whose Trollhättan factory never resumed operations after its second bankruptcy in 2012.
