Built to Last: Arctic Cat, Thief River Falls, and the People Who Wouldn't Quit

In a town of about 9,000 people in Minnesota's northwest corner, one company has shared space with the place for more than 60 years. This episode tells the story of Arctic Cat and Thief River Falls — a restless founder, a bankruptcy that impacted the town, and not one but two resurrections, the second sealed on a date almost too perfect to be true.

Host Randolph Briley sits down with Troy Halverson, Director of Product Strategy at Arctic Cat. Troy grew up in Thief River Falls watching his dad build snowmobiles, got turned down for an Arctic Cat job out of high school, spent six years in the Marine Corps, and finally landed the job of his dreams in 1997. He's been there ever since — and there's nobody better to explain what this company means to the people who build it and the town built around it.

In this episode:

• How founder Edgar Hetteen left Polaris, struck out in Alaska, and circled back to a group of Thief River Falls businessmen to start what became Arctic Cat (Polar Manufacturing → Arctic Enterprises, April 23, 1962)
• The 1982 bankruptcy — and the diehard locals who refused to let the brand die, bringing it back in 1984
• Textron's 2017 acquisition and 2024 exit — and the anxiety that ran through the plant and the town
• The full-circle ending: Brad Darling and a group of investors acquiring Arctic Cat on April 23, 2025 — exactly 63 years to the day — and the sprint back into production on the new Catalyst platform
• The "Battle of Brooks Avenue": a charity hockey rivalry with neighbor Digi-Key, played for a trophy welded from an exhaust pipe and circuit boards
• Why the real threat to Minnesota's trail system isn't funding — it's an aging volunteer base, and what it takes to bring young and old riders together

A line that stuck with us: Troy recalls a quote attributed to Edgar Hetteen — that snowmobiling is "just shy of a religious experience," and once you've ridden, winter holds no terror for you.

The machines are built to last. Whether the culture around them lasts is up to the next generation — on the trails, in the clubs, and on the line.

Follow Explore Minnesota More wherever you get your podcasts, leave a review, and share this one with anyone who appreciates a good North Country comeback story.

Credits: 
Producers: Randolph Briley & Cody Nelson 
Hosts: Sarah Strommen and Lauren Bennett McGinty
Original Music by Andrew Haaheim and Alsever Lake