Polaris Announces Organizational Expansion of Victory Motorcycle and International Divisions
MEDINA, Minn.--Nov. 7, 2005--Appointment of Mark Blackwell to Vice President of Victory Motorcycles and International Operations Leads Series Of Management Transitions That Poise Company For Strong Growth |
Polaris Industries Inc. has announced the appointment of several members of the management team to new positions, effective immediately.
Mark Blackwell has been named Vice President, Victory Motorcycles & International Operations. Blackwell joined Polaris in 2000 as General Manager of Victory Motorcycles. "Mark has done an outstanding job over the past four years building a very strong team, developing new, compelling product and establishing Victory, The New American Motorcycle, as a legitimate brand positioned for significant growth in the motorcycle industry," said Polaris President and Chief Operating Officer Bennett Morgan. "There are many reasons why this is a good move for Mark and Polaris - he is a proven leader with strong international experience running businesses and as a motocross champion early in his career." He added, "His experience will be a huge asset in our developing partnership with KTM and Victory will be a key component of our growth outside the U.S in the future."
Allan Hurd has been promoted to General Manager, Victory Motorcycles reporting to Mark Blackwell. "Although we do want Mark to have a key role in Victory Motorcycles going forward, we also want to ensure that he has sufficient time to focus on the International business," said Morgan. An industry veteran with over 30 years of experience, Hurd joined Polaris in 2000 as Director of Engineering for Victory. "He understands our competition and has extensive experience in Europe and other parts of the world," added Morgan. "Allan and Mark have proven to be an effective team which will be instrumental in our continuing quest to grow our motorcycle business."
Marc Tullemans has been promoted to the role of International Operations Manager. In this role, he will be responsible for managing the international staff based in Medina and overseeing logistics, marketing and retail development processes on a global basis. Tullemans came to Polaris in 2001 as the Product Manager for the RANGER Utility Vehicle Division and later joined the international team as the Global Sales and Dealer Development Manager. Prior to joining Polaris, Marc held positions at Graco, Thermo King, and Arctic Cat in dealer development, product development, marketing, and international sales roles.
Paul Tomsche has been promoted to International Business Development and Distributor Sales Manager, reporting to Marc Tullemans. In this role, he will be responsible for global business development in a variety of territories. Tomsche joined Polaris in August, 2000 as the Retail Development Manager for the Personal Watercraft division. Prior to joining Polaris, he held a variety of sales, marketing, dealer development, and business management positions at Yamaha for nine years.
John Corness, Vice President of Human Resources since 1999 and having extensive international experience, had been taking on interim responsibilities of managing the international business for the past 7 months leading up to this announcement. "John stepped up and filled a key gap for Polaris at an important time," said Morgan. "During his leadership, the International team continued to deliver outstanding growth and we thank him for his tireless efforts." Corness will now resume full-time responsibility for Human Resources.
"We're all ecstatic about the changes we're announcing today for Victory and our International Business," said Morgan. "This is a talented and experienced management team that positions our company for significant growth on a global scale in the coming years."
About Polaris
With annual 2004 sales of $1.8 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), Victory motorcycles and the Polaris RANGER for recreational and utility use.
Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry; and one of the largest manufacturers of ATVs in the world. Victory motorcycles, established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American-made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive in-roads into the motorcycle cruiser marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships.
Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Pacific Stock Exchange under the symbol "PII," and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index.
Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories is available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.