US engineering conglomerate Textron is rapidly advancing reorganisation of its specialised vehicles division into a major powersports market player.
As predicted by BDN’s On The Money column in May, Textron has begun transferring its existing ATV assembly to the factories acquired as part of taking over Arctic Cat in March.
The formerly Bad Boy branded Stampede side-by-side ATV — now rebadged under the Textron Off-Road banner along with all Arctic Cat ATVs — will be produced at what was Arctic Cat’s main assembly plant in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. It was previously made at another Textron facility in Georgia.
And in a move that will be seen as sucking up to President Trump by repatriating overseas jobs to the US, the company is closing down its German-based Textron Motors subsidiary, located in Berlin’s Bernau suburb. Manufacture of the Stampede’s 850cc four-valve twin engine and transmission will be moved from Germany to what was Arctic Cat’s powertrain factory in St Cloud, Minnesota. Textron Specialized Vehicles director of communications Brandon Haddock says this will generate 50-100 new jobs there over the next year.