In April of 1996, Vermillion citizens heard the news that life would be changing in the community for the better.
Polaris was coming to town, or more specifically, a Polaris Distribution Center.
Twenty-five years later, the global leader in powersports will be celebrating its 25th anniversary of operation here with a community celebration this Saturday.
The event is planned for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Polaris Distribution Center (DC) located at the corner of Highway 50 and Stanford Street. Open to the public, the celebration will offer a host of activities, including:
• Vehicle Rides and Display
• Prize Raffle and Swag Items
• Tour of DC that includes highlights of its history
Polaris will collect food for the Vermillion Food Pantry, so attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable food to donate. There will also be an onsite blood drive and other opportunities for attendees to participate in give-back efforts.
In addition to the community event, Polaris plans to recognize the Vermillion team, including 14 employees who have been a part of the team for more than 20 years.
As the largest of all Polaris’ Parts, Garments & Accessories (PG&A) distribution centers, the Vermillion facility plays a critical role in serving Polaris’ customers, as well as employing more than 170 people.
“Polaris’ PG&A business has experienced significant growth, surpassing $1.5 billion in 2021. Our incredible Vermillion DC team has been essential to that growth, consistently innovating and delivering exceptional service for our dealers, distributors, and powersports consumers around the world” said Steve Eastman, Polaris’ president of PG&A and Aftermarket.
Polaris broke ground on the Vermillion DC in the summer of 1996. The DC officially opened in January 1997 and began shipping products to customers that July. Today, the Vermillion DC carries over 60,000 products and fulfills orders to customers in over 100 countries.
“This anniversary is a milestone marker for our Vermillion DC team, including a couple of team members who have been with the facility since its groundbreaking in 1996,” said Dustin Sockness, Vermillion DC manager. “Polaris wants to show our gratitude to our employees, their families and the Vermillion community who have been a part of our 25-year history and we are excited to continue to make a positive impact on the Vermillion area through our work, employees, product and all that we do.”
A beaming Mayor Bill Radigan called a special meeting of the Vermillion City Council in mid-April 1996 so members could hear the news from Randy Harper, president of the Vermillion Development Company, that Polaris was coming to town.
Local officials had been working with the Fortune 500 company since receiving a tip from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) in May 1995.
“Polaris looked at 135 communities across the upper Midwest and decided that Vermillion was the best community for its business expansion,” Gov. Bill Janklow said at the April 1996 meeting. Vermillion’s centralized location and available work force were both key factors in the company’s decision.
The city council agreed to purchase 105 acres southeast of the intersection of Highway 50 and Stanford Street to be developed into a business park. Polaris was offered 30 acres of the property in 1996 to build its new facility.
Funding for the property purchase and development was made possible by the creation of, at that time, Vermillion’s third tax-incremental financing district since 1994. Revenue from the property tax at the business park was dedicated to service the debt for construction at the park.
Polaris’ plans at that time was to construct a 250,000 square foot expandable distribution center in the new business park. Construction of the new facility began in the summer of 1996 with shipping operations beginning in the spring of 1997. Initial investment in building and equipment exceeded $8 million and the new facility employed 125 people.
The Distribution Center has proven to be a successful addition to Vermillion’s business sector – so successful, in fact, that in less than a decade after locating here, it had to expand significantly.
The company announced in the spring of 2014 that it would be making a significant investment in technology and equipment upgrades with the help of funding approved by the South Dakota Board of Economic Development. Those upgrades were completed at approximately the end of that year.
The company’s announcement at that time stated it would invest nearly $10 million in capital improvements at the Vermillion Distribution Center to install the new material handling systems. The investment was necessary to help the company keep pace with increased demand and reinforce the long-term viability of the Vermillion operation.
The state Board of Economic Development approved Polaris for funding these 2014 improvements through the Reinvestment Payment Program to assist in offsetting some of the upfront costs.
The company also received a Workforce Development grant for employee training. The city of Vermillion and the Vermillion Area Chamber and Development Company partnered to offer additional funding in conjunction with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) programs.
As the global leader in powersports, Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) pioneers product breakthroughs and enriching experiences and services that have invited people to discover the joy of being outdoors since its founding in 1954.
With annual 2021 sales of $8.2 billion, Polaris’ high-quality product line-up includes the Polaris RANGER®, RZR® and Polaris GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; Sportsman® all-terrain off-road vehicles; military and commercial off-road vehicles; snowmobiles; Indian Motorcycle® mid-size and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; Aixam quadricycles; Goupil electric vehicles; and pontoon and deck boats, including industry-leading Bennington pontoons. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a portfolio of parts, garments, and accessories.
Headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe. www.polaris.com
