Press Release –
Sportech Incorporated, a Minnesota homegrown thermoplastic manufacturing company located in Elk River, Minnesota, recently moved into their new 90,000 square-foot facility marking an incredible milestone in their ten-year history.
Known as a leader in the powersport industry for their thermoformed manufacturing techniques, Sportech is the supplier to the industry’s biggest and best original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the motorcycle, ATV, UTV and snowmobile markets.
The official move-in date was October 13, 2008, ten years to the day when Sportech first opened its doors in a modest 10,000 square-foot facility with just three employees.
Today, Sportech employs more than 100 employees and is known for its state-of-the-art, high volume, and large format vacuum forming capabilities and is one of the largest/highest volume polycarbonate and acrylic drape-forming companies in the world.
Sportech is a true Minnesota business success story. Founded by Chris Carlson of Elk River, along with his father Dallas Carlson, Sportech was born of a passion for motorsports and a simple product that provided a simple solution.
“Our first product was a plastic shield which kept snow from building up on older Polaris snowmobiles,” said Carlson. “My father and I went to Haydays which is big outdoor swap meet for snowmobilers with a bunch of them in the back of our pick-up. We sold every one of them.”
Since then Sportech has forged a path of growth and success by developing innovative solutions for many of the best powersports companies in the world. Along the way, Sportech has also built a reputation for integrity second to none.
“We are truly blessed to be working with the best in the business,” said Carlson. “Each of our business relationships is very special to us. We don’t take a partnership lightly, we want to be the company they can rely on to deliver solutions and value.”
The key to such success according to Carlson is an intimate understanding of the customer, both the manufacturer and the enthusiast.
“Almost everyone here (Sportech) is passionate about the industries we are involved in. That means we have a deep understanding of what the end customer is looking for. We take that to heart when working with a manufacturer as we design and innovate new products. That’s one of the biggest reason we continue to excel in this market.”
The new Sportech facility will dramatically increase manufacturing capacity as well as operational efficiency thanks to not only greater space, but improved work flow, expanded storage and improved communication and interaction between various departments.
Sportech’s success has not gone unnoticed. The company has been a two-time recipient of Minnesota Business Journal’s “Growth 50” award; Multiple recipient of Ehlert Powersports Business Magazine’s “Nifty 50” awards recognizing innovation in product design; Named one of the 100 Most Influential Companies in the powersports industry by Ehlert Powersports Business Magazine; and has been awarded key patents or has patents pending for several design innovations.
