Its official, Brad Darling, the person that was Vice President and General Manager of the Arctic Cat brand from 2011-2016…is now the CEO of the iconic brand of snowmobiles and Off Road Vehicles.
Brad will remain as President and CEO of the Canadian company Argo, makers of industry-leading off road vehicles and equipment since 1967…and will also lead the Arctic Cat brand far into the future.
Below is the press release that has been issued minuets ago. Welcome (back) Brad Darling
| Former Arctic Cat executive, Brad Darling, and an Investment Group acquire the Thief River Falls-based manufacturer of snowmobiles, ATVs and Side-by-Sides. Newly appointed CEO and President of Arctic Cat, Brad Darling is eager to start moving the brand forward, stating “The pursuit of the checkered flag is in Arctic Cat’s DNA. It’s what we were built on. Like anyone who has ever grabbed the throttle – it’s a relentless drive that pushes us forward and sparks our passion. Today is the start of a new chapter, one where Arctic Cat returns to the race, but with a powerful understanding: this race is never-ending, and our intent is to lead.” Since taking ownership of Arctic Cat in 2017, Textron Specialized Vehicles invested a great deal of time and resources to keep the brand and its technology at the forefront. This dedication was most recently proven with the release of the all-new Arctic Cat 858 C-TEC2™ engine and Catalyst snowmobile chassis. “We seek to continue Arctic Cat’s investment in its brand, products, people and dealers, extending its positive momentum. As a permanent fixture of Thief River Falls, MN for over 63 years, this iconic brand has benefitted from the passion of not only the employees but also the entire community. We are now able to wipe away any uncertainty and are looking ahead with great excitement.” continued Mr. Darling. After a 17-year tenure at Arctic Cat, Mr. Darling assumed the role of CEO and President of ARGO in 2016, where he remains today. Founded in 1967, ARGO is the worldwide leader for amphibious Xtreme Terrain Vehicles (XTVs). Their unmistakable 6- and 8-wheeled amphibious vehicles are well known for their ability to “Go Anywhere.” Mr. Darling will continue to lead both companies into the future while leaning on potential synergies shared within the offroad segment. While each brand will be owned and operated separately, the brand alignment of ARGO alongside Arctic Cat is a perfect match as Arctic Cat’s line of machines bring the passion on and off the trail, while the ARGO adventure starts where the trail ends. We know the brand, we bring the powersports knowledge, and we understand the business. We are here to assure you that during this period, Arctic Cat is here to keep your business moving forward. We are advancing new products on all fronts for snowmobiles, ATVs and Side-by-Sides, and are excited to continue this journey together and look forward to delivering great products to your customers. Stay tuned for an upcoming MY26 snowmobile launch. |
Whether you’re on-trail, off-trail, reaching new elevations or pushing limits on the track, Arctic Cat is here to support your business and Share Our Passion!
Awesome news the cat lives again!
Was never dead!
Brad has a lot of work ahead of him, Textron left Arctic Cat in shambles. He has to rebuild the dealer network, hire engineers, hopefully rehire most of the folks that were working in the factory, get supply chains working again, marketing (it will be nice to see advertisements for cat again!),etc,etc. Best of luck to Mr. Darling and his team. It’s so nice to have fellow outdoor enthusiasts own the company again, not an aerospace industry company (WTF).
great news!!!!!
Great news , looking forward to the coming changes.
Congrats Mr. Darling!
I hope that this investment group lets the man run the company the correct way, by an experienced powersports industry hand.
It would also be nice if Suzuki got a nice fat parts order so those of us who own and service old cat engines can keep them alive.
This is the best-possible outcome. I hope this is good news for those working at Cat. I hope all the best to the new leadership and all at Cat.
C Brown: While I agree Textron was pretty much running Cat into the ground let’s not forget the guy knows Cat like the back of his hand, he knows the powersports industry, like the back of his hand. Textron knew neither. It isn’t going to take long for him to jump-start Cat. On the snowmobile side, he’s not starting from scratch – he has a brand new chassis and motor that has room for advancements. On the dirt side, a little more work maybe as Cat has fallen behind, but this is mostly due to the devastated dealer network. IMO, this is the brightest future Cat has had in a long time!! Roger Skime has to be smiling ear to ear! LONG LIVE THE CAT!
I couldn’t agree more with your thoughts. I didn’t mean to come across as negative, it just seems to me that textron left a mess and it has to be straightened out which will be a lot of hard work.
April 24 2025. A great day!
Outstanding news! The Cat is back!
Great news especially to get Joey and crew back on the cat team.
On another note, hopefully they release that heritage series 858 panther catalyst for MY26
Take my money!!!
This is a very best case scenario for the brand. Couldn’t have dreamed up a better landing. A snowmobile person with a deep understanding of the brand and the people who bleed green. Congratulations to Brad Darling – the right person and the best person to move this company forward. Cat will be owned by Cat and have total control of their direction. Now the hard work begins to establish their own identity moving forward and getting the pieces in place to make it happen. They will make it happen.
Textron probably came in at the right time to prevent a potential bankruptcy so I’ll always appreciate the timing of their acquisition of the company for that reason but today marks the first day of the true future of Arctic Cat.
Thank you to all involved. Awesome…..
Bring back the awesome Team Arctic Race Program, MAKE TRIPLES GREAT AGAIN, pardon the pun. Fix all the 2025 858 issues for MY 2026, make the 600cc engine faster, retool to Catalyst bulkhead/engine cradle and body work to fit a 4 stroke engine. R&D for a 900 big bore factory mod. Develop the Catalyst chassis for snow cross. These are just my wish list, but most importantly bring back the employees that got laid off. Hire people that care about the sport and that are part of the sport.
Wow Derek, now that’s a huge checklist. But I think the most important item on your list is to definitely get those talented people back to Thief River Falls and St. Cloud. Obviously, a fair amount of the important people are at Argo now, and I’m sure will be willing to transition back over to Cat without to much of an argument. Things are suddenly looking up for Arctic Cat, and we’ll be along for the ride. 🏁
Wow, this is fantastic news! And good riddance to the E-Z-Go morons. Brad has a monumental task ahead of him. Let’s GO!
To help get the nucleus of cats engineering back in the fold, Brad probably made Roger Skime his first re-hire. if so, Rogers apostles will return with him. Sprinkle in some young AI trained engineers, go review all the filed patents sitting in the drawer, and go to work. Since Easter was just a few days ago we can say that: Cat has Risen.
Roger Skime is over 80 years old dude. he still rides, but really?
awesome !!! Let’s Rock .. good times, our 370s never let the family down..memories for a lifetime.. 25 years ago like it was yesterday in northern Michigan….
This is very good news. I was kind of forced to go Yellow this year, but I bleed Green, and will be back!
Awesome! We hoped all along that it would be Argo. Now we can get parts for our Cats.
Can only polish a turd so much…still be junk
Oh look another Troll, someone that has nothing better to do…I truly feel bad for people like you
Jerry! How would you like a punch in the face?????
yeah good luck- sure better then textron… hope they sell here in europe again- im a believer in arctic cat offroad and their own motors great reliable machines 😉
Just remember what they did wrong before Textron had to buy them and don’t let this happen again… and its great news
I worked for Brad Darling at Arctic Cat and at Argo and he is simply one of the Best bosses you will ever have. He will succeed because people respect him tremendously and will give him 100% of their efforts and he will share that success with his whole team. I could not be happier for the people in TRF as their future looks much brighter today. I just wish I was 25 years younger so I could start my career with Cat all over again!!
Scott Eilertson
Any word on when the 26’s will be out? Snow goer article from yesterday said later that day (so yesterday), so will it be soon?
Great news all around ! they have to be smiling in thief river falls today! the Cat is back! now we just need the weather to cooperate. Scott, I think maybe you and Lee should do another Minnesota to Moscow trip to promote the new catalyst chassis! just a thought 🙂 Go Cat !
Thanks Steve from White Bear for the encouraging words but I am 70 now (35 years since my last expedition) and being in Russia these days and say the wrong thing may get one many years in a Russian prison. Have a Great Week and look forward to seeing you at one of their upcoming shows!! Scott
I am over the moon in happiness 55 years in a row riding cat looking at an EXT special for 2026!
Outside looking in, it appears that Arctic Cat has gone from the worst possible scenario to the best possible scenario! I know Arctic Cat is best known for snowmobiles, but I sincerely hope they ramp up their efforts for their dirt products as well. In my area, we haven’t gotten enough snow over many years for me to justify buying a new snowmobile, but I have bought several dirt products: A Wildcat Trail (Which I absolutely love!), a 550XT four wheeler, and a 300 DVX for my grandkids to ride. For my style of riding, the XX SxS is overkill. I hope they bring back a new Trail/Sport sized machine. But more than anything, I’m elated to see my Arctic Cat brand given a big shot of adrenalin. Go Cat Go!!!
you know on the dirt side cat should have used the Suzuki 1100 N/A and Turbo setup for the Side by sides.
Believe me, we dealers were begging desperately for the Z1, but Mark Esala, and various exec’s told me directly that they would not/could not break the 1,000 cc barrier. They all spoke as if it was a hard ceiling. Years later, Polaris brings out the 2 liter engine. Was there actually a “rule”? Was it a “gentleman’s agreement”? Was it a cop out? I don’t know. I do know, with some frame enhancements at critical areas, some better QC, and getting rid of the dreaded H2 for the Z1, the Wildcat would have dominated. Once the XP1000 replaced the 900, and Arctic Cat didn’t respond, the hand writing was on the wall, and it was all downhill from there.
Don’t forget there deal with Robby Gordon. They were suppose to build 4 seaters and turbos. And because he never got the royalties they had to pay up.
Greats news for all those who bleed green- and the industry in general.
So where’s the info on the 2026 line-up, info on plans to rehire staff RIF’d by Textron, info on plans to re-invigorate the race department, info on plans to upgrade suspension and engine tech, etc, etc, etc? After all, this is ArcticInsider…
Patience little buddy, patience. This is an Amazon two day delivery. Give them some time.
Stupid auto, correct. This isn’t Amazon two day delivery.
It would be great to see a website with all the details on the new company and on the new sleds, any idea when that might happen?