Arctic Cat Announces Plan to Begin Manufacturing Snowmobile Engines in Minnesota

Cowboyup083

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Arctic Cat to begin manufacturing snowmobile engines in its St. Cloud facility after 2014 model year

MINNEAPOLIS, Jun 10, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --Arctic Cat Inc. (NASDAQ: ACAT) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to transition its snowmobile engine manufacturing from Suzuki Motor Corporation. Arctic Cat will begin manufacturing some of its own snowmobile engines in St. Cloud, Minn., after the 2014 model year. Currently, Suzuki supplies all engines for Arctic Cat's snowmobiles. Suzuki will continue to supply the company with engine parts to service existing engines after the 2014 model year.

Commented Arctic Cat's chairman and chief executive officer Christopher A. Twomey: "Suzuki has been an outstanding engine supply partner for more than 25 years and remains a significant shareholder in Arctic Cat. However, we are changing our engine strategy in order to gain more control over our products, and enhance our ability to meet regulatory and performance requirements. This also will enable us to better utilize our current engine manufacturing capacity, resulting in potentially better costs."

Twomey added: "Our St. Cloud engine facility has been a great addition for the company since we began manufacturing our ATV engines there in 2007."

The 56,000-square- foot plant is located on 15 acres and currently employees 41 people. At this time, the company plans to use existing plant capacity and personnel during the transition. Arctic Cat expects snowmobile engine production to begin in St. Cloud in fiscal 2015.

About Arctic Cat
Arctic Cat Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles under the Arctic Cat(R) brand name, as well as related parts, garments and accessories. Its common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "ACAT." More information about Arctic Cat and its products is available at ARCTIC CAT.
 

ZRrrr

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Maybe big tax incentives to bring manufacturing back into the state.

It also means no duty on that part of a snowmobile when shipped into Canada. Could mean another tax saving and maybe, just maybe lower selling cost in Canada = potentially larger market share.

There is some reason for sure. Will be interesting to see what they produce in that plant. With Suzuki being a major shareholder there has to be something of a deal being worked out here.
 

*Joemama*

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i dont like the sound of this boys
i can see where the good will come from but i remember cat having plenty of issues with their own engines
the few years itll take for them to figure things out will mostlikely put them behind the rest of the gang and that i dont like.
 

macronut

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i dont like the sound of this boys
i can see where the good will come from but i remember cat having plenty of issues with their own engines
the few years itll take for them to figure things out will mostlikely put them behind the rest of the gang and that i dont like.

I Concur! The Jap Suzuki engine is pretty tight! If this Local engine manufacturing is happening, hopefully they do not ignore us Older (2008/1000/M ) Cat owners, when it comes to parts availability... We shall see :)
 
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