It looks like another American icon is headed south of the border. Polaris is to snow machines as Chevrolet is to automobiles. I’ve owned several Polaris snow machines over the years,  for all-round performance and durability Polaris was the best at least in my humble opinion. I can’t see how it will remain at the top using substandard labor. Made in Mexico is the twentieth century equivalent of the last century’s  Made in Japan. The difference is Japan knew it and worked to change their image I don’t believe Mexican manufactures care.  I realize it was a business decision by Polaris but North America is the largest buyer of recreational snow machines & ATV’s in the world. How long do manufactures think they can keep putting their largest market out of work and still stay a float? How many European and Asian countries buy toys? There will always be a market for few utility machines but no one makes them any more all of the over the counter snow machines made today are toys. Some may be sold as “dual purpose” but they’re toys.

As news sank in that its largest employer will be shutting down, the village of Osceola, Wis., looked to an unknown future Friday.

More than 500 employees of a Polaris Industries manufacturing plant were told the day before that their jobs would be gone within two years. Some work will move to other plants in the region, but much of the operation will move to Mexico.

What followed was shock, employees and community members said — shock that hasn’t even begun to wear off.

“We can’t even really begin to imagine what’s going to hit us,” Polk County supervisor Larry Jepsen said of the local economic impact. “It’s kind of like a volcano, and the dust cloud hasn’t hit the ground yet.”

Besides the hundreds of employees who have built their lives around Polaris, many others stand to be affected — plumbers and electricians who subcontract at the plant, the local hospital, just to name a few, Jepsen said.

“This thing ripples through the entire community. It really does,” he said.

Doug and Marlene Nykanen have owned Osceola Pharmacy in the village’s downtown for 25 years. Many of their customers work at the plant, Marlene Nykanen said. “That’s going to change.”

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