Ariens winter testing could be returning next year

Ariens is already looking to expand local testing of their snow removal equipment beyond this winter. The familiar orange paint bedecking what the manufacturer calls its Mammoth model has been seen on the streets of Hancock for the past month. Testing Program Senior Manager Doug Kortbein says the Copper Country provides a unique environment to try out its newest commercial model.

Ariens is one of the most recognizable names in the consumer market, and it wants to diversify by adding municipal customers. Interestingly enough, the equipment has uses in several American cities where snow never flies.

Don’t be surprised if the Mammoth model becomes a fixture on Copper Country roads, and makes an appearance near Miami’s South Beach.

Ariens has been manufacturing snowblowers for nearly a century. It is headquartered in Brillion, Wisconsin, near Green Bay. Kortbein says the relative proximity of Hancock to the labs where research and development takes place is a major factor in the company’s eagerness to test its products here. It had previously put models through their paces in facilities in Europe.