CFMOTO hosts grand opening of new U.S. headquarters
An official grand opening of CFMOTO’s new U.S. headquarters in Plymouth, Minnesota, brought together more than 100 people on Wednesday, November 1. It attracted corporate leaders, employees, vendors, politicians and, of course, a ribbon cut by an oversized pair of scissors.
The massive new 100,000-square-foot building provides the company with its biggest footprint in the U.S. so far. It’ll be home to many functions, including sales, marketing, research and development, warehouse, domestic shipping and more, all combined into the high-tech new facility. The building will house approximately 120 employees and contractors to start, CFMOTO officials said, with plenty of room for expansion.
CFMOTO U.S. CFO Eric Fan called the new facility a “More than just a structure; it’s a symbol of our shared dedication to our community’s growth and progress,” during a formal presentation.
The opening of the new U.S. headquarters comes just four months after a similar grand opening in Monterrey, Mexico, of a massive new manufacturing facility for CFMOTO to build ATVs and UTVs for the North American market.
North American investment
In his presentation, CFMOTO’s vice president of sales, Jacob Mirabal, recapped the company’s growth. It entered the U.S. in 2007 with a small ATV lineup. Now, the brand claims 9.2 percent of the combined U.S. ATV/UTV market, he said, moving it into fourth place ahead of traditional powerhouse brands like Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki.
Worldwide, the brand is No. 1 in marketshare in 26 countries, he stated. But ultimately, the U.S. is the biggest market for ATVs and UTVs, and it currently accounts for nearly 40 percent of CFMOTO’s $1.6 billion in annual sales, Mirabal said.
Powersports Business was given a tour of the new Minnesota facility. About 67,000 square feet of the building is warehousing and shipping for U.S. distribution of parts, garments, and accessories (PG&A). The rest of the facility includes offices for employees in various functions, meeting rooms, and even dedicated space for dealer service training.
Innovation Group
Also notable is that there will be 25 employees on-site in the CFMOTO discovery and innovation group (DIG) team. We were ushered through their secured work area, where research, development, validation, and more will occur, as more product innovation for the brand’s off-road products will be driven by work done in North America.
From a high-end clay modeling room to labs with 3D printing capabilities for prototype components, the design team was given many new toys to play with. Motorcycle development, though, will continue to be focused overseas.
Mirabel showed a graphic stating that CFMOTO has 1,100 people in R&D worldwide, owns 1,211 patents, and spent $107 million in R&D in 2022. It has over 3,000 dealers worldwide, including over 600 in the U.S.
