Polaris Britain – the UK arm of the company which invented the snow mobile – has moved its headquarters to the West Midlands in a deal brokered by property advisers DTZ.
Previously based in Gloucester, Polaris has taken a ten-year lease on premises in Coleshill to provide offices, meeting rooms, an engineering workshop and a hub for the company’s growing network of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and motorcycle dealerships. The headquarters team of 11 are joined by eight engineers now based on site.
Jonathan Robinson, Birmingham-based associate director in DTZ’s national industrial and logistics team, said: “Polaris wanted to move its UK headquarters to a more strategically-placed location and we considered several potential sites across the region. Being adjacent to the motorway network makes Coleshill the perfect location.”
Polaris Industries was formed in 1954 in Minnesota and as the inventors of the snow mobile, quickly established a track record for advanced engineering. ATVs followed, with the company introducing the first automatic ATV to the market in 1985 and setting the standard for performance and innovation.
In 1988 Polaris began the design, engineering and manufacture of the Victory Motorcycle, the first American-made motorcycle in nearly 60 years.
Established in 2002, Polaris Britain reported a 36 per cent annual increase in ATV sales and 54 per cent increase in side by side utility vehicles for 2007. Worldwide, Polaris Industries has built a following in over 125 countries and has annual sales in excess of $1.8 billion.
Ross Clifford, Polaris Britain’s general manager, said: “We had an excellent 2007 and we’ve seen an exceptional start to 2008, with sales of side by side utility vehicles up 85 per cent on last year. Our relocation to Coleshill provides us with a strong platform from which to enhance our service provision to dealers and build market share, particularly in the utility sector, which represents further growth potential for the business.”
