THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota snowmobile and ATV manufacturer Arctic Cat announced furloughs and layoffs at its Thief River Falls facility.

What we know

Arctic Cat officials said approximately “65 employees at the Thief River Falls facility were impacted” by the workforce reductions made Wednesday (Nov. 13).

The company added that many of its hourly production employees will also be furloughed “until early next year,” when production is expected to resume.

A company quarterly report states that “decreased anticipated consumer demand” for specialty vehicles and canceled projects were factors in the company’s decision to “reduce operating expenses through workforce reductions.”

The report adds that the plan to reduce operating expenses was approved in April 2024.

An Arctic Cat official said affected employees will be eligible for severance packages and help finding other opportunities.

Background

Arctic Cat was founded in 1962 by Edgar Hetteen, according to the company’s website.

Industrial conglomerate Textron then purchased Arctic Cat in 2017.

The Arctic Cat ZR 858 was previously in the running for Minnesota’s Coolest Product Contest.