Polaris Co-Founder's Wife, the Energetic and Resourceful Gertie Hetteen ~ Stitching the Trail to Success from 1965 through 1970 with more to come!
Polaris co-founder’s wife, Gertie Hetteen supported her husband Allan Hetteen with unwavering dedication and the quest for success as President of Polaris Industries from 1960 to 1970. Gertie was a young wife, mother of four sons, encouraging her husband, one of the three co-founders of Polaris Industries. She also was a beguiling, enterprising, keen business woman sharing the same vision and philosophy as the co-founder of Polaris Industries.
Allan was one of the three co-founders of Polaris Industries in 1954, along with his older brother Edgar, and Edgar’s brother-in-law David Johnson. At the age of thirty-one Allan became President of Polaris Industries in 1960. After a controversial promotional tour across Alaska, his brother Edgar left Polaris Industries, moving his family to Alaska. In 1961 he started Polar Manufacturing in Thief River Falls. Shortly after changing the name to Arctic Enterprises, the new company produced snowmobiles.
Under the leadership of Allan and David Johnson, Polaris Industries was on the road to success in the development and sales of the Sno-Traveler. The employees at Polaris Industries worked every day to improve the product. Polaris Industries would eventually become one of the largest snowmobile industries in the world!
As you will recall in Part 3, in 1961 Allan had approached his wife Gertie to design a seat cushion for a more enjoyable ride. Gertie did! As a result, she started a sewing business in their home’s basement called Northern Upholstery. Soon the small business outgrew the basement.
Through her efforts and support, Gertie made a difference in so many people’s lives with her motivation. Her commitment to building a business, creating, and designing quality products and initially hiring women had an impact in the northern Minnesota rural community economically. Plus overcoming some of the restrictions women in the 1960s and early 1970s faced in the financial world.
Thus we captioned Part 4: Polaris Co-Founder’s Wife, the Energetic Gertie Hetteen ! Stitching the Trail to Success 1965-1973!
Polaris Co-Founder's Wife - Helps by Changing The Role of Women in the 1960's in Roseau County!
Although in 1950 the number of women working was on the rise. Newspaper ads separated jobs by gender, banks denied women credit, women were still not allowed to open a bank account in their own names, and female employees often were paid less for the same work.
It wasn’t until the 1960’s when women gained the right to open a bank account. Technically, women won the right to open a bank account in the 1960s, but many banks still refused to let women do so without a signature from their husbands. In 1974 women in the U.S. were finally granted the right to open a bank account on their own.
Gertie was ahead of her time! Yes, Allan was her partner on paper, and helped with financing because of the restrictions set forth for the female gender in the business world. We must recognize it was Gertie in charge of the management, budgeting, operations, and hiring employees. She gave many women in Roseau County the opportunity to work outside of the home, earning income of their own.
Polaris Industries Introduces Two New Models in 1965 "The Mustang" and 1966 "The Colt"!
Snowmobiles were becoming the attraction of winter. The idea of racing the sleds became a natural trend. In 1965 the Polaris Mustang was introduced, proving to be a major success. The Mustang was the first of a long line of leaf-spring front suspension machines which carried Polaris through the 1960’s, 1970’s, and even into the 1980’s.
With the success of the Mustang, Polaris Industries began to accelerate in growth. The snowmobile industry was taking off and other companies began entering the business. Snowmobiling was popular throughout the United States and Canada., In 1965 Polaris started a plant in Beausejour, Manitoba to lower costs in Canada.
Gertie Hetteen's Northern Upholstery Moves to a New Facility in 1965!
After the introduction of the new Polaris model, the Mustang, request orders were coming in rapidly in 1965. Due to the growing demand for increased production of the Sno-Travelers and the addition of the Canadian manufacturing plant the production orders increased at Northern Upholstery as well.
When the Colt was introduced in 1966 orders increased even more! Due to the rapid growth of the new snowmobile models, it became necessary for Northern Upholstery to move the sewing operation to a newly constructed building on the Hetteen’s home property, east of their house.
The new Northern Upholstery Shop in the winter of 1966 was in full production!
Gertie Northern Upholstery Miracle Team of 8 - 1966
Gertie’s Gals, the Northern Upholstery Team of 8 ladies were creating hand-sewn snowmobile seats for the Polaris snowmobile enthusiasts. The on-going improved seats were providing the snowmobilers with a more comfortable ride. Polaris Industries was growing as the snowmobile became THE sport to do for the outdoor enthusiasts. This also meant Northern Upholstery was growing.
There were eight women producing 70 snowmobiles seats per day (all sewn by hand). They were able to produce the required number of snowmobile seats daily ordered by Polaris Industries. The snowmobile company was running both a day-shift and a night-shift, producing the Polaris Sno-Traveler Mustang, and the next year including the Polaris Colt.
Polaris Industries' Success Means Growth for Gertie's Gals and Guys as well! 1968
Gertie Hetteen’s Northern Upholstery’s original employees continued working together as the company grew.
Northern Upholstery produced and shipped the seat covers to the Polaris plant in Beausejour. Additional workstations were created with more seamstresses hired.
(Note: click on each photo to see the full picture.)
There was no break room. The enterprising ladies would find a place to solve the dilemma in any season. Gertie would go to her kitchen and make coffee when breaktime was near. After all! A lady needs her coffee!
Soon a new 30-cup Coffee maker was purchased!
Once again, Gertie was inspiring her employees by trying to make the situation better. The caption of our story: Gertie Hetteen’s Northern Upholstery, Creating Perfection for Polaris Industries’ Ride 1965 -1973 indicates her ability to inspire others. She treated everyone as her equal. For example taking time by serving the group of seamstresses coffee on a fall day with a pan of fresh chocolate cake on the side! What could be more perfect!?!?
Perhaps a REAL breakroom?
As the sales for snowmobiles were increasing, the snowmobile seat orders increased as well! This meant more employees were added. Space was a minimum. High school students were hired to help after school with the plywood cutting and additional work.
Polaris Industries Produces the TX Model - 1968!
In 1968 Polaris Industries introduced the first of the famed TX series of snowmobiles, a series that was to run for 12 years. The TX was manufactured for one purpose, Racing and Performance – synonymous for “high-performance”!
Featured in the photo are Gerry Reese, LeRoy Lindblad, Allan Hetteen, and a Fuji Engineering reviewing the engine design.
Within a three-year period, Polaris was using Fuji engines in all of the snowmobiles manufactured in Roseau, MN.
Production of snowmobile seats increased at the Northern Upholstery Company due to the popularity of the TX series, which increase sales at Polaris Industries!
Northern Upholstery, a Vendor for Polaris Industries was Growing!
Northern Upholstery was bustling with orders. Space was becoming limited. More employees were needed which meant a larger production area was required, better lightning, more work stations additional equipment, better bathroom facilities, and so much more.
Besides, it was time for the Hetteen Family to have home that was a real home, not a business office, a purchasing office, nor a seat production assembly line.
A building site was chosen on land that had been a pasture for a dairy farm, conveniently located close to a state highway, railroad tracks, and less than four miles from Polaris Industries.
Due to the increased demand of snowmobiles, and expansion into other markets, the manufacturing facility was built large enough to hold several business entities. Soon there were approximately 75 employees working! The original eight employees of Northern Upholstery in the basement of the Hetteen house were delighted with the spacious new facilities. The administrative and office staff intermingled with the seamstresses, checking if there were enough supplies, answering questions, keeping an open line of communication. They all worked as a team to gain success. The hard work payed off, soon it was necessary to add more square footage to the production facility.
Polaris Co-Founder Allan Hetteen Resigns from Polaris, A Textron Company in 1970!
Allan Hetteen, one of the three men involved in the creation of the first United States snowmobile company retired from Polaris, A Textron Company. Textron had purchased Polaris Industries in 1968. Three and one-half years later Allan became the owner and President of the Polaris distributorship called Rosco, Inc. Allan had negotiated with the Textron group following his retirement from Polaris Industries he would become a Polaris Distributor because he wanted to continue to be involved in the snowmobile business.
Gertie and Allan decided Rosco would become a tenant in the Northern Upholstery building. Due to inventory, the addition of a Parts Department, the need for a warehouse for Rosco, Inc., and the growth of Northern Upholstery under President Gertie Hetteen’s leadership, it became necessary to expand the building even further.
Northern Upholstery Expands, Adding Several Divisions 1970
Northern Upholstrey soon expanded to several divisions due to the new products the company was creating and manufacturing. The company continued manufacturing Polaris snowmobile seats. The Polaris Co-Founders’ wife, Gertie Hetteen, was part of the company’s success, bringing a refined seat offering comfort and style to the machines.
Read the “rest of the story” soon!
Please join us for the last chapter about the entrepreneur called Gertie Hetteen and her husband Allan!
To learn more about Polaris and its history, visit the Polaris Experience Center.
Researched and written by: Carmen Przekwas
Digital Creator: Sinnamon Krings, Roseau Promotions
Director: All Rights Reserved: Carmen Przekwas
References: Mike Hetteen, Donavon Hetteen, The Hetteen/Carter Archives, Roseau Country Historical Society, Roseau Times Region, Grand Forks Herald, Polaris Inc., YouTube