|
By:
Robert Janis
A Q&A with Polaris
 Polaris Industries located in
Medina, Minnesota, is one of the major
manufacturers of ATVs. The company offers 24
models and revenue for the ATV division is about
66 percent of the company’s total sales.
We recently had a chance to
conduct a Q&A interview with Michael Dougherty,
general manager of the ATV/UV division of
Polaris. Dougherty joined Polaris in 1998 as the
international sales manager for all product
lines. In 2000 he moved to France to become
Polaris’ first director of Polaris Europe.
During the next two years he established Polaris
France, Polaris Britain, and Polaris Scandinavia
and also helped to launch the company’s
Quadicycle initiative.
In 2002 Dougherty returned to
Minnesota to take the job of general manager of
international operations. During his tenure,
Polaris international sales tripled from $70
million to more than $225 million.
He was appointed the general
manager of ATV/UV in April, 2005.
ATVSource:
When did Polaris first offer an ATV?
MD: 1984
(1985 model year)
ATVSource: How many ATV models
do you offer today?
MD: 24
ATVSource: What is the best
selling ATV for Polaris?
MD: I believe it’s the Sportsman 500.
ATVSource: How long does it take
for a concept ATV to make it to production?
MD: Generally it’s about 4-years.
ATVSource: What is the total
revenue of ATV sales a year?
MD: It’s about 66% of the $1.8 Billion in Sales.
ATVSource: What do you consider
to be the major issues confronting the ATV
business and sport today?
MD: Land Access is a growing concern for ATV
enthusiasts and that’s why it’s so important for
riders to join local clubs and work together
with their local government agency that is
responsible for trails as well as local city and
county representatives to build and maintain
trails. Safety is another concern, it’s very
important that riders take a safety course
offered through the SVIA. Information about
these courses can be found at
http://www.atvsafety.org
or (800) 887-2887.
ATVSource: Is there an attempt
by any state to limit or restrict the use of
ATVs?
MD: The trail regulations and access vary from
state to state and even county to county, so
it’s important for riders to check with their
local government agency representative to learn
where it’s legal and safe to ride.
ATVSource: What should the
industry and ATV owners do about these attempts
or future attempts at restriction?
MD: ATV riders should join a local ATV riding
club and get active both in trail building and
maintenance as well as proposed government
legislation.
ATVSource: Should ATV riders be
required to get a license or permit to operate
an ATV?
MD: Riders should take a safety training course
which is offered through the SVIA. Interested
parties can call (800) 887-2887 for more
information.
ATVSource: What is Polaris doing
to promote the sport of ATV?
MD: Last summer, Polaris announced the Right to
Ride program which will provide grants to clubs
and state/provincial associations to assist with
land access, trail building and maintenance.
Complete information on the Grant program may be
found on the Polaris web site under the Riders
heading. In January 2005 Polaris announced its
sponsorship of GNCC racer Matt Smiley. Smiley
has his own portion of Polaris’ Web site which
you can visit at
http://www.polarisindustries.com/en-US/PolarisPerformance/.
In addition to Polaris’ factory effort with
Smiley; the company offers a contingency
program. The largest GNCC ATV contingency
program ever, the potential pay out for GNCC is
$250,000 and across all GNCC ATV classes,
including the class champion. The maximum per
race pay out is $2000 for the pro class. Polaris
is currently the only manufacturer offering a
contingency program for the new youth circuit.
The potential pay out for youth is $10,000 and
is available to all three classes, with a
maximum per race pay out of $150.
ATVSource: Have you or will you
sponsor special events for ATV owners?
MD: Yes. We will be sponsoring Polaris ATV
Adventure Tours. More information can be found
on our website.
ATVSource: What is being done to
develop new vehicles and accessories?
MD: Polaris offers the exclusive Lock n Ride
system on our ATVs allowing quick installation
and removal of many accessories in a very short
period of time.
ATVSource: What future plans
does Polaris have concerning ATVs?
MD: We will continue to innovate ATVs and build
vehicles that are the hardest-working, toughest
vehicles available.
ATVSource: Out of all the
Polaris ATVs produced which one would you like
to have in your garage and why?
MD: I love all the Polaris products but right
now I love my fully loaded Sportsman X2. I can
do anything with it – working or playing, 1 up
or 2 up. The 500 EFI engine starts in all
conditions and has the smooth power that I
love. I can plow my driveway and then
instantly go to trail riding and family fun.
It’s perfect for me and the family, though my
kids prefer their Predator 90. However, I can
hardly wait to get my Outlaw – that’s going to
be perfect for me – riding fast and hard on the
trails.
|
