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Allan Hetteen | Polaris Co-Founder & Legacy. Polaris Co-Founder Allan Hetteen (Polaris Legacy) “A Man of Vision, Inventor, Innovator, Visionary, Risk Taker, Competitive, Rugged, Executive, and a Gentleman.” 11/20/2023. In 1945, David Johnson and Edgar Hetteen created Hetteen Hoist and Derrick.
As Polaris chief executive Tom Tiller prepares to step down after 10 years of leading the powersports company, it brings to mind a previous Polaris CEO, Allan Hetteen. During Hetteen’s tenure, he faced a 10-year period that paved the way for Polaris’ success into the 21st century.
November 30, 2023. Allen Hetteen was one of the three founders of Polaris in 1954. He served as the president, worked on development, and was hands-on on all the fronts. He turned wrenches and handled business decisions. On June 1, 1970, Allan Hetteen retired from Polaris Industries.
1956: Allan Hetteen builds snowmobile No. 2, the oldest Polaris snowmobile still in existence. It is housed in the Polaris Experience Center in Roseau. 1956: Onlookers are impressed as David Johnson demonstrates the speed and power of the Polaris snowmobile at the annual Trappers' Festival in The Pas, Manitoba.
Allan Hetteen. David Johnson assumed the title of vice president in charge of production. No one at Polaris, except perhaps David Johnson (who said he had no desire to run the company) knew more or cared more about the company than Allan. David Johnson.
A poster of Allen Hetteen in a suit and coat next to a 1962 Polaris SnoTraveler hung above the sink. The poster’s text told of a man named Edgar Hetteen who rode across Alaska on a Sno-Traveler – just like the one on the poster – to prove the snowmobile’s capabilities and dependability as winter transportation.
Edgar Hetteen (later described by the Snowmobile Hall of Fame in St. Germain, Wisconsin as the father of the snowmobile), David Johnson, and Edgar's brother Allan Hetteen were partners in Hetteen Hoist and Derrick in Roseau, Minnesota. Edgar had dropped out of school after the eighth grade in 1934.
