June 25, 2023
ASV, Grand Rapids, Minn., an all-purpose and all-season compact track loader and skid-steer brand, celebrated its 40th anniversary with an open house event at its facility on June 2, 2023.
The event featured a full lineup of legacy and new ASV models, tours of the factory, food and refreshments, and various family activities and giveaways.
“Talk to any of our longtime staff — and there are many — and you’ll find that the same passion for the products exists now as it did on day one,” said Tate Johnson, president of Yanmar Compact Equipment North America, which encompasses the ASV brand. “This anniversary and today’s continually innovative ASV products are proof that the brand’s entrepreneurial spirit lives on.”
ASV was founded in 1983 by two members of the snowmobile industry who developed a pick-up-sized rubber-tracked vehicle called the Track Truck as ASV’s first product. The equipment was built for snowmobile trail grooming and was meant for traveling over adverse ground conditions. The manufacturer used its experience to develop the first Posi-Track® rubber-tracked compact track loader in 1990. The Posi-Track loaders’ undercarriages improved with innovations like a single-rail design, metal-face sealed wheels and internal drive-sprockets. The design provides traction on soft, wet, slippery, rough or hilly terrain, the company says.
The brand grew over the years to become known for its compact equipment products built to handle conditions and locations ranging from residential backyards to rugged forestry work.
