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FOCUS PSB UTV-Sport 34 • July 11, 2016 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com dedicated toward sponsorships; they get dedi- cated toward facility upgrades, equipment; they use them to send their students to the national convention, so it's a really neat way to tie every- thing together at a very local level, where it's most meaningful," Williamson said. On the hunters/sportsmen/recreational side, Arctic Cat has teamed up with nine-time UFC champion Matt Hughes and his Sportsman Channel show "Uncaged with Matt Hughes." As the title sponsor of the show, Arctic Cat earns vehicle placement and advertising, but the OEM also gives away extreme hunts with Hughes in contests that bring customers into dealerships to register to win. Arctic Cat also partners with Patriots and Heroes outdoors, a Texas-based non-profit that offers outdoor recreation opportunities for mili- tary veterans. Through those efforts, Arctic Cat sponsors hunts and rides and donates vehicles for fundraising help. DECADES OF EXPERIENCE These partnerships with different organizations and celebrities are bringing attention to Arctic Cat, but what makes riders buy is the caliber of the product, Williamson explained. "What we hang our hat on is knowing the user and knowing what the product is used for, and that's born out of years and years of experience that sometimes a new entrant into the market wouldn't have, and it's born out of our employee base," he said. "That's one of the nice things and the neat things about being a Minnesota-based company, a U.S.-based com- pany with 1,500 people, where by and large, if not all, a majority of our employees are users. And whether that's a utility vehicle, a snowmo- bile, a performance side-by-side, that firsthand knowledge of how the vehicles are used, we feel really gives us a nice advantage to how we design and innovate around our products." Kennedy added that for many employees, especially those at Arctic Cat's manufactur- ing facility in Thief River Falls, Minn., their position with the OEM is more than a job; it's a lifestyle. "They're on these vehicles at night, on the weekends; it's their passion," he said. "We've got so many people that have been in this company for 20 years or more, and it's because of their passion for the prod- ucts. Most of them bleed green like there's no tomorrow, and every one of them is willing to roll their sleeves up just to make sure the job is done and done right." Arctic Cat itself is also investing in the betterment of the business. About $26 mil- lion has been invested in a new paint line and other improvements in Thief River Falls, while another $400,000 has been spent on expanding the assembly capacity in St. Cloud, Minn. The company's headquarters are also moving this summer from an 11,000-square- foot facility that's bursting at the seams with employees to a 55,000-square-foot building in Minneapolis that will house 150-200 staff- ers over time. "All of those things are really speaking of the big change that Arctic Cat is going through right now," Kennedy said. "This is like the calm before the storm, so it's only going to get more and more fun from here." PSB ARCTIC CAT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 Arctic Cat is investing in its future, with recent improvements to its Thief River Falls and St. Cloud, Minn., factories, and a move of its headquarters into a larger facility.