ASV celebrates 40th anniversary

ASV, an industry-leading brand of all-purpose and all-season compact track loaders and skid steers, celebrates 40 years of innovative product design this year for its anniversary. The pioneer in the compact track loader market celebrated the occasion with an open house event at its Grand Rapids, Minn., facility earlier this month. 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 the 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’s drive for innovation has been clear since its founding in 1983. Two forerunners in the early snowmobile industry started the business, developing 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.

ASV is celebrating its 40-year anniversary (Photos: ASV)

However, it didn’t take long for the manufacturer to begin using its experience to develop the first Posi-Track rubber tracked compact track loader in 1990. The Posi-Track loaders’ undercarriages improved quickly, with innovations like a single-rail design, metal-face sealed wheels and internal drive-sprockets. The design provides exceptional traction on soft, wet, slippery, rough or hilly terrain.

The brand grew in size and reputation over the years, becoming known for one-of-a-kind compact equipment products built to handle all sorts of conditions and locations — from residential backyards to rugged forestry work.

ASV offers a full line of compact track and skid-steer loaders primarily for the landscaping, forestry and construction markets.