THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota snowmobile and ATV manufacturer Arctic Cat announced employee furloughs and layoffs at its Thief River Falls facility.
What we know
Arctic Cat officials said around "65 employees at the Thief River Falls facility were affected" by workforce reductions made on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
The company added that many of its hourly production workforce employees will also be furloughed "until early next year" when production is expected to resume.
A company quarterly report states that "lower anticipated consumer demand" for specialized vehicles and canceled projects were factors in the company’s decision to "reduce operating expenses through headcount reductions."
The report adds that the plan to reduce operating expenses was approved back in April 2024.
An Arctic Cat official said impacted employees will be eligible for severance benefits and assistance with finding other opportunities.
Background
Arctic Cat was founded in 1962 by Edgar Hetteen, according to the company website.
The industrial conglomerate Textron then bought Arctic Cat in 2017.
The Arctic Cat ZR 858 was previously in the running for Minnesota’s coolest product contest.