- NorthStar Specialty Vehicles’ mission is to provide vehicles for off-road applications and product markets requiring special adaptations and modifications to meet customers’ needs and requirements.
- NorthStar’s primary strength is working with the customer to understand problems and creatively find solutions to meet the customer’s needs.
- NorthStar works with Polaris recreation and utility vehicles as base vehicles to up-fit them to customer specifications.
- NorthStar markets and sells vehicles primarily through Polaris dealers; however some product markets are more effectively served by NorthStar through direct sales to the end customer.
Customers that need off-read vehicles to be adapted to a wide variety of applications is why Mitchell Johnson and James Bergman founded NorthStar Specialty Vehicles in 2006. Mitchell has been at Polaris since he was a very young man, and has worked there most of his life. His list of accomplishments with the company is long, including growing the ATV business to nearly one billion in annual revenue. James has an extensive background in engineering, design and manufacturing that have helped him in his career and also to start his other two companies, Beamco Inc. and BMI Mfg. Inc.
For almost 20 years, the duo has worked together on special vehicle projects. Starting out on a new product for Polaris which has become one of the companies main product lines: The RANGER utility vehicles.
In 2004, Polaris wanted to put on a spectacular show for their 50th anniversary. They wanted to re-enact part of the original Polaris Thrill Team Show from the late 1960's and early 1970's, which sent snowmobiles through walls of fire and other incredible stunts; The main attraction was a snowmobile going completely upside down on a loop-to-loop.
The original loop was long gone, and video footage from "back in the day" revealed some concerning safety issues . MItchell and James were brought on not only to re-create the loop, but to also to make it compatible with a modern snowmobile and ATV - as well as making it safe. In addition, the loop also had to be designed to travel from the show to show.
When the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (SOCOM) needed specialty outfitted and equipped Polaris RANGER vehicles, it was Mitchell and James who designed and built the "military ready" chassis. The vehicle is able to transport a heavy payload and can be slung from a helicopter while surviving the military theatre.
Other Northstar created vehicles include the RANGER TT with the TotalTrack™ system, the Fire RANGER used for grassland and forest area fire-fighting, the Saratoga RANGER made specifically for snowmobile trail grooming and many more.
Today, NorthStar is looking to make their experience available to those requiring unique applications of off-road vehicles.