A Minneapolis Star Tribune feature published in the newspaper and online gives a early glimpse at the flashy new corporate digs that Arctic Cat is in the process of moving into—a site located a baseball throw away from Target Field, the home of Minnesorta Twins.
Located in an area of downtown called the North Loop, the Arctic Cat building replaces a rather nondescript corporate office tucked away in a business tower in suburban Plymouth. Here's some facts and figures about the new Arctic Cat building and corporate offices as revealed in the Star Tribune article:
- All renovation costs incurred by the landlord.
- Arctic Cat has invested $27 million in renovations to their other operations by means of facility upgrades.
- Part of the $27 million went to upgrade Arctic Cat's research-and-development center and race/test track at its St. Cloud engine facility.
- Another portion went to a new paint line at the company's ATV factory in Thief River Falls, in northern Minnesota.
- 85 employees will re-locate to the new downtown office.
- Eventual plans calls for a staff of 150 to 200 at the new building.
- The address on the North Loop is 550 N. 3rd Street.
- The historic building was previously known as the Western Container building.
- At 55,00 square feet the new building is 5X larger than their previous offices.
- The building features a “rugged outdoor feel” with lots of concrete, iron and reclaimed wood.
- The building is owned by Ned Abdul's Swervo Development Corporation and is leased to Arctic Cat in a 13-year deal.
- The building consists of 6 floors – each floor designated by its CC's – first floor (100 cc); second floor (200 CC) etc all the way up to 600 CC at the top.
- “15-foot ceilings, caged lights, steel barn doors and the open staircase made of reclaimed wood and steel” grace the new office layout.
- Giant video screens, large open view windows stream in light and offer a full view of Minneapolis' northern cityscape.
- A sprawling conference room sits amidst the center of the office.
- Arctic Cat logos decorate the building's original freight doors.
- A snowmobile hangs suspended about the open staircase that descend from the fifth floor.
- A rugged ATV sits atop a giant rock on one of building's landings.
- Arctic Cat plans to shipped their highly touted SVX 450 snow bike to dealers in December.
- CEO Chris Metz calls the Arctic Cat snow bike an “industry first.”
- Metz terms the new snow bike a “hero” product – “no one has ever delivered a trail-legal manufactured snow bike, it's smaller and more nimble.”
In the newspaper profile CEO Chris Metz predicts that the move into the restored heritage building will inject new enthusiasm into the company and spur it onto reaching its goal of $1.5 billion by 2020. Read the entire Star Tribune article here.
Source: Arctic Cat, Minneapolis Star Tribute website/newspaper (photographer Glen Stubbe) and the Minneapolis Business Journal.
