The new owner of Arctic Cat announced it has launched its model year 2026 snowmobiles and will start rehiring workers at its Thief River Falls and St. Cloud plants.
A group including former Arctic Cat executive Brad Darling bought Arctic Cat in April from Textron, which had paused most operations and laid off most of the workforce.
Darling — who now serves as CEO of both Arctic Cat and Argo, a Canada-based maker of ATVs and utility vehicles — this week announced a 2026 lineup of 21 snowmobile models that will be available for dealers and customers this fall.
“Once we got the keys, we knew moving fast was our only option,” Darling said in a news release. “Having the ability to release a lineup of snowmobiles that offers new models and significant updates was the first step.”
Production workers will be brought back in stages over the summer so that Arctic Cat suppliers have time to refill inventory.
“We are able to re-engage the majority of our workforce of just under 500 employees, providing stability to our extended family,” Darling said.
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The company said it will ramp up production in Thief River Falls and at its engine manufacturing plant in St. Cloud.
A spokesman declined to give more details except to say, “We anticipate production of the new product to begin late summer. As more information becomes available, we will share it.”