Tag Archive for: Polaris

A Look At The Polaris Opole Factory

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A Look At The Polaris Opole Factory: Founded by David Johnson and brothers Edgar and Allan Hetteen in 1954, Polaris Industries is now a global powersports leader. Employing over 10,000 people worldwide with annual sales in 2017 of $5.4 billion, Polaris has been the world leader in off-road vehicles for over 30 years. In 2014, Polaris enhanced its manufacturing capability by opening the first Polaris factory intended for the production of off-road vehicles outside of North America in Opole, Poland.

With over 300 employees, the 33,700m² Opole facility plays a pivotal role in the production, homologation and development of off-road vehicles for Europe, Middle East and African markets for Polaris. In 2017, the Opole Distribution Centre was built which occupies an area of 17,500m².

A Look At The Polaris Opole Factory

The average journey for one of the 7000 active components coming into the facility from one of the 200 vendors from around the world, would start upon their arrival into the warehouse area. There are over 3300 pallet locations in the racking system and 1000 supermarket flow rack locations for the components to be housed and sorted. Any parts that come from overseas in disposable packaging are repacked into internal reusable boxes.

Next stop is the Welding area, which currently produces 46 ATVs and 26 SXS each day. Each of the 10 dual stations for ATV or 20 stations for SXS chassis are fitted with fume ventilation systems and a Visual Work Instruction screen which presents an isometric view of the parts to the operator. There’s a robotic welding cell too, where suspension components are manufactured.

Painting operations consist of both plastic and metal painting areas. The plastic paint areas have two spraying ovens installed and the metal painting system has an automated painting line which takes care of the whole process from chemical pre-treatment to curing. All painters are trained in house to ensure they’re perfectly qualified.

The facilities and plant service team ensure the factory runs smoothly and equipment is maintained. There is also a dedicated test team who put the vehicles under scrutiny on the 2km test track, situated at the rear of the factory – this also includes an asphalt test area, to simulate on-road experience. This data, along with the experiences of the test drivers, is used to further develop vehicles with the US team.

Once the components have been welded and painted, they make their way to their penultimate stop – assembly. There are two horse-shoe shaped assembly lines – one for RZR, RANGER and GENERAL vehicles and one for ATVs and ACE vehicles. Operators are provided with visual work instructions – 3D image files and the operator can rotate the image to view different angles – instead of paper instructions. The material is presented in convenient packing and locations so that there’s little material handling for the operator.

Designed with efficiency at the heart, all of the operators are visible from any point on the line so that the group leaders can see how the production is flowing and make any corrections should there be any problems. The length of the assembly process depends on the complexity of the vehicle. An example of a complex vehicle would be the RANGER, which takes around one hour 20 minutes to assemble. Staff are rotated between the different assembly lines to ensure they are skilled on both lines and their minds are fresh.

Once assembled, vehicles are tested on a rolling road to check all functions and then put directly into a crate and wrapped, ready for distribution. Random vehicles are pulled from the line and checked for extra quality checks. Nearly 40,000 have been produced since the ISO 9001 certified factory opened in 2015 – it was the first Polaris factory with a certified Quality Management System.

“Working at the Polaris factory here in Opole isn’t just a job for our employees – our staff take part in charity events, attend Polaris events and are able to experience the Polaris product for themselves. We foster a positive working environment and as a result have a low staff turnover. Since opening the factory, the nearly three-quarters of the staff who started with us in 2015, are still with us and we have members of the same family who work here. We look forward to the future of the Opole facility – and see it going from strength to strength due to our capacity and our employees skills.”, said Director of Operations at Polaris Opole, Bogusław Dawiec.

‘Understand the riding experience. Live the riding experience. Work to make it better.’

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Storm-Tec Appointed Polaris Dealer

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Storm-Tec Appointed Polaris Dealer: Carlow based Polaris dealer Storm-tec has been appointed exclusive Polaris ORV dealer for the Republic of Ireland. The dealership will be working with and managing a small sub dealer network that looks after all Polaris requirements in the Republic.

Since becoming a Polaris dealer in 2016 Storm-tec has greatly expanded their farming and countryside business and Dealer Principal Conor Gribbon reports high sales of the Polaris Ranger Diesel to the Irish Coast Guard, while the Polaris Sportsman is very much the popular machine with the agricultural community.

Storm-Tec Appointed Polaris Dealer

The dealership prides itself on selling only top quality equipment and working with world class brands. The Belfast branch has an in-house marine service centre and runs a Managed Service Solution for servicing and storing life jackets, dry suits and other marine wear. The branch has built an exceptional reputation supplying clients in the marine industry, including the Irish Coast Guard who now have forty-five Polaris Ranger Diesel models, Community Rescue Service, the Rivers Agency and Inland Fisheries Ireland.

“We’re very pleased to become the exclusive Polaris ORV dealer for the Republic of Ireland,” says Conor, “and we’re confident in growing our Polaris business in the communities we serve. The Polaris range is extensive and ideally suited to the demands of our customers, our weather and the varying terrains that are a daily challenge, especially for the Irish Coast Guard and the Community Rescue Service. There is high praise for the ruggedness and dependability of the Polaris ORV vehicles.” Conor continued: “we were exceptionally pleased to be at this year’s Farm, Tractor and Machniery Trade Association (FTMTA) show last month with our newest sub dealer, Paddy Conroy. Together, we’re confident we’ve got the best competitive offering, solutions and after care services to match all needs throughout the island of Ireland.”

Polaris National Sales Manager, Ben Murray, says: “We have seen exceptional growth of our ORV business through Storm-tec in the Republic and equally have every confidence in their continued success as our exclusive dealer.”

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Scamblers Appointed New Polaris Dealers

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Scamblers Appointed New Polaris Dealers: AJ & R Scambler & Sons Ltd, better known as Scamblers, have been newly appointed as authorised Polaris dealers. Established in 1974 and based in spacious rural premises in the village of Bourn, between Cambridge and St Neots, Scamblers are now regarded as a market leader in turfcare and grounds maintenance machinery. The dealership specialises in supplying compact tractors, utility vehicles, bank tractors, mowers and turfcare and groundcare machinery for every aspect of turf and grounds maintenance.

“We’re very pleased to have such a highly regarded dealer join the Polaris dealer network,” says Ben Murray, Polaris UK and Ireland National Sales Manager, “and we’re looking forward to working together to meet the demands of Polaris customers in the area.”

Scamblers cover Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk and whilst their main market had traditionally been groundcare and horticulture they have expanded to meet the needs of agricultural businesses, gamekeeping and golf courses in their area.

“It was after setting up demonstrations with Polaris to existing customers we reached the agreement to become authorised Polaris dealers,” says Scamblers’ Director, Ed Scambler. “The customers said how much they liked the Polaris Rangers and were impressed by what they saw as superior quality in the ATVs and UTVs. We’re very much looking forward to selling the product.”

Scamblers enjoy a fine reputation for looking after customers’ requirements and with the Polaris range can look forward to meeting those needs with the latest models backed by well-equipped workshop and service facilities. The Scamblers’ team boasts over 100 years’ experience in the industry, and say they guarantee a prompt, efficient and friendly service. Polaris welcomes them as part of the rapidly spreading Polaris dealer network.

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Polaris Ranger Photo Competition

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Polaris Ranger Photo Competition: For two decades, Polaris has provided class leading performance with their top selling utility vehicle, the RANGER®. 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the iconic model, just a few months after the brand celebrated the one millionth RANGER® unit rolling off the production line.

To mark this key milestone in the brands history, Polaris is offering their customers the chance to win one of the ‘Ultimate RANGER® experiences’ on offer – a range of exclusive experiences, with the RANGER® vehicle at the heart.

Polaris Ranger Photo Competition

To take part, customers are encouraged to visit the Polaris website at www.ranger20thanniversary.com, and simply upload a picture of their ‘RANGER® experience’ with a caption explaining their image for the chance to win. Entrants don’t even have to own their own RANGER®, they could have driven one of the vehicles at a Polaris event or taken a test ride.

The judging panel will include a representative from Polaris Industrial Design in the United States of America, who will be looking for entries which show an authentic, inspiring experience and excitement for the brand.

The Ultimate RANGER® Experiences available to win include:

Iceland – Enjoy the stunning landscape of the Icelandic mountains and see how the iconic RANGER® is customised and used by owners of lodges in the mountains to access their remote cabins.

Greece – Explore the Greek island of Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades island group, in a RANGER®. Take a trip around the mountain villages, tour the ancient ruins and soak up on the sun on the long stretches of beach. Save your energy and use the RANGER® to drive to Kasto, a hilltop castle dating back to the 13th century.

The competition opens for entries on May 15th 2018 and closes on July 1st 2018 – giving entrants plenty of time to get in their submissions. Winning entrants will be announced on 16th July, with the experiences taking place all the way through to March 2019. For full terms and conditions, visit the Polaris website.

Rodrigo Lourenco, Vice President and General Manager of Off-Road Vehicles EMEA, said: “We’re proud to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the RANGER® model – a key vehicle in the vehicle line-up for Polaris. With its ability to be modified and adapted to master any environment and application, the RANGER® is extremely versatile and we look forward to hearing the RANGER® experiences from our owners.”

Forming a key part of the Polaris product line, the RANGER® is used globally for a variety of tasks. Its legacy continues to grow stronger year on year with new models being released along with a vast array of Polaris Engineered parts and accessories which allow owners to further adapt the already capable vehicle to its surroundings.

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The Polaris RANGER Story

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The Polaris RANGER Story: It’s been two decades since the RANGER® 6×6 vehicle was introduced and revolutionised the side-by-side category back in 1998. Mitchell Johnson, son of David Johnson – one of the founders of Polaris in the 1950s – was vital to the conception of the iconic machine and discusses how the RANGER® rode to market…

“When discussing the beginning of the RANGER®, we first have to think about the vehicle in the context of what Polaris was doing at that time. In the 1990s, the Sportsman ATVs were Polaris’ only Off-Road Vehicle and was selling well.”

The Polaris RANGER Story

Polaris’ reputation for being one of the fastest developing companies in the powersport industry held true, RANGER® went from initial development to production line in just two years.

“We had talked from time-to-time about making a side by side ATV for a driver and passenger. Every Friday we had a staff meeting in the morning and then in the afternoon, we’d go out and ride ORVs. We always took at least one 6×6 ATV to carry everything. We would try and ride around with one person sitting on each fender to see what it was like. One day, Edgar Hetteen [one of our founders] came to my office and said we should make a 6×6 in a side-by-side configuration, he loved the machine but wanted to ride beside his wife Hannah.”

Major decisions about the new model were all made as ‘gut calls’.

“Edgar mocked up side-by-side seating on a 6×6 in his workshop, we spent an hour or so sitting in it to see what it was like – should it have handlebars or a steering wheel? Should it be ride-on or ride-in? These are all things that are gut calls and we made using our experience. With brand new products like the RANGER®, you never know if you’re going to hit the bullseye with customers – the customers themselves don’t envision how the product will or can be used. Take the microwave for example, it hasn’t replaced the oven like the developers thought it would, but has instead created a new market.”

The key in developing the RANGER® in Mitchell’s opinion was to keep the team and investment small.

“I’m not sitting here saying that we knew it was going to be a success but we knew we had to get something out there. If we had identified a need, then we needed to find out. I worked with Edgar, Chuck Baxter – who was the VP of engineering – and James Bergman at BEAMCO in Alvardo, MN, to see if he would do the initial concept work. The idea was to keep investment small, so that if we didn’t hit the bulls eye, we could adjust the sights easily to get on closer to the target centre.”

During early conversations, the main characteristics that the new machine had to have were fairly clear.

“Good speed, great ride and handling with excellent off-road capability, plus a greater payload than any of the utility haulers on the market were all attributes we wanted the vehicle to have. Most of all, it had to be a lot of fun to drive and ride like the already popular Sportsman line.”

“The initial prototype was received well by management. And the first production made a small profit in the first year. We also achieved ‘off-road’ status for the vehicle – which was essential.”

The RANGER® is testament to the Polaris culture – innovation and development, moving with the times and trusting staff to make decisions. Even the name of the new model was helped decided by employees.

“We’d been playing around with names. One of the early Polaris products was a RANGER® snowmobile, when this model was discontinued, so was the name – which I always thought was a shame and I wanted to bring it back. We went out to the employees to ask them to think of a name and said we’d give $100 if their name was chosen. Mike Trihey and Donny Whiteman submitted RANGER® name and were given $100 each.

“The RANGER® name represents the category – it’s fun to ride and that’s one of the most important elements for us. That’s the history of Polaris throughout the years, people realise how much fun they are to ride and the volume grows, plus the RANGER® does a lot of work.

“The RANGER® was a team effort. This stuff doesn’t happen without the people on the team – contributing, listening and pushing, we don’t know for sure what is wrong or right – that’s what has made this successful. The culture at Polaris is one full of passion and an overwhelming desire for the products and people to succeed.”

Polaris celebrated rolling the one-millionth RANGER® machine off the production line in 2017 and 2018 marks two decades since the utility vehicle was introduced to the Polaris line-up. Forming a key part of the Polaris product line, the RANGER® is used all over the globe for a variety of tasks – with the RANGER® Diesel and RANGER® 570 variants being international best sellers.

The RANGER® legacy gets stronger every year, with the RANGER® XP 1000, the latest addition 2018, setting a new industry standard and boasting over one hundred user-inspired improvements. The model has class-leading power (82hp) and torque (61lb-ft), industry-leading towing (over 1100 Kg) and ground clearance (330mm) – making it the hardest working, smoothest riding SXS built.

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