Arctic Cat Planning to Lay Off Hundreds at Thief River Falls Facility

A worker at the Arctic Cat facility in Thief River Falls moves a snowmobile. (Credit: Arctic Cat/YouTube)

Arctic Cat has announced plans to lay off hundreds of employees at its Thief River Falls facility.

In a letter to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Textron, which owns the powersports manufacturer, said about 385 employees will be laid off starting May 8th. Company officials cited “changing business needs” as the reason for the layoffs, which will be permanent.

The cuts include a variety of positions, including engineers, technicians, assemblers, procurement specialists, forklift operators, and maintenance staff.

The announcement comes just months after operations were suspended at facilities in Thief River Falls and St. Cloud. Arctic Cat was established in Minnesota as a snowmobile manufacturer in 1962 but has added ATVs and side-by-side UTVs to its lineup in more recent years.