Ole Tweet
DATE OF INDUCTION: January 15, 2004
CAREER SPAN: 1965-2009
COMPETITION TYPE:
BRANDS RACED:
AGE AT INDUCTION: 57
One of the most influential figures in the snowmobile industry of the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s, Ole Tweet started his career as a student intern at Polaris in Roseau, working as a welder and test driver at Polaris before beginning his career as a snowmobile engineer after college. Tweet worked at Polaris from 1965 to 1974, rising quickly through the ranks to head the engineering department at the company.
At Polaris, Tweet was instrumental in the development of the flyweight primary clutch, dedicated engine development and the first production hydraulic brakes for snowmobiles in the early 70’s, before leaving Minnesota to work on Indian motorcycle development in California. Ole returned to Minnesota to work at Arctic Cat in 1977 and stayed in Thief River Falls during the tumultuous time when Arctic Cat faded and was reborn in 1982, a time he recalls as an especially enjoyable highlight of his career.
Using skills developed working closely with snowmobiling for two decades plus knowledge gained at start-up companies in the west, Tweet helped guide the Arctic Cat brand back to health in the key role of VP Marketing in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. He developed several breakthrough marketing campaigns, new product ideas and a series of memorable advertising campaigns for the new company’s historic snowmobile brand and worked to strengthen the recreational vehicle industry as a director of industry associations in snowmobiling, ATVs and personal watercraft.