By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Friday, January 9, 2015, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley joined State and Local leaders in Huntsville to announce that Polaris Industries has selected the northern Alabama city to produce off-road vehicles. The new factory is expected to eventually create up to 2,000 new jobs for North Alabama.
Bentley said in a written statement, “I am honored to welcome Polaris Industries to Alabama. The Alabama workforce, our business climate and our quality of life continue to make Alabama extremely attractive to companies. I am confident that Polaris will soon experience the success that other companies in Alabama have already experienced. Alabama’s success in advanced manufacturing is a result of the state’s successful Accelerate Alabama plan, and Polaris’ off-road vehicle production strategy fits perfectly within our manufacturing goals. I look forward to the completion of this state-of-the-art facility next year, and a continued partnership with Polaris.”
US Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) said in a statement, “The world-class workforce in Huntsville continues to attract many of the best companies in the world. Polaris’ decision to open a factory to produce its renowned Ranger off-road vehicle is a further testament to that fact, and excellent news for working families in the region. Estimates are that by 2020 the facility will employ more than 1,700 Alabamians.”
Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said, “At Polaris, making great products is more than just a job – it’s a creed the company lives by. That’s what we do in Alabama as well. Our workers assemble and engineer great products from automobiles to ships and rockets to aircraft. Polaris and Alabama are a perfect fit.”
Sen. Sessions said, “These are high-skill jobs with good pay and benefits. More manufacturing jobs are critical as they produce products that will be sold worldwide, bringing home wealth that will benefit the local, state, and national economy.”
According to information supplied by the Governor’s office, the new 600,000 square-foot facility will be built southwest of Huntsville’s City Center. The 453-acre Huntsville site offers Polaris close proximity to its key customer base in the Southeast US and a strong logistics network.
The state-of-the-art factory will support several core processes including: vehicle assembly, chassis and body painting, welding, fabrication and injection molding.
Polaris will break ground on the Huntsville facility in the first quarter of 2015 with completion slated for early in the second quarter of 2016. Production will begin shortly thereafter.
Sen. Sessions said, “I spoke with Polaris CEO Scott Wine this week to congratulate him. I’d also like to congratulate Mayor Tommy Battle and Governor Bentley for their continued leadership in making Alabama one of the most attractive sites in the world to build and invest. Our workforce is unrivaled in its skill and dedication, and we should pursue every opportunity to ensure they have the opportunities they need to find good jobs and good pay.”
