Archive: Apr 2017

All 4 Seasons in One Week. Welcome to Minnesota!

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The weather in Stern Rubber’s back yard is extremely inconsistent and the opening week of spring hasn’t been any different.  With highs reaching nearly 70 degrees on Saturday April 23rd, outdoor activists, golfers and really, everyone in the area thought summer was about to begin.
Yet, on Wednesday the 26th, only 3 days later, the tables turned and across the state with temperatures dropping below freezing, there was a blanket of snow covering most of the state, especially our area. Just north of Stern Rubber’s Staples facility in Bemidji, nearly 7 inches of snow accumulated, closing golf courses, slowing down traffic and making it seem, as though winter had never even left.
Although this strange cold snap came for a few days, it went away just as fast. With upper 50’s returning for the weekend and no snow in sight for a few days, the spring season will continue in with many warm weather firsts, including the Grandview golf opener at the Pines and Preserve golf courses.  This event kicks off the opening of the golf season for 2017, and includes special guest the “Common Man” from KFAN radio in Minneapolis hitting the opening tee shot and hosting a radio show, with a concert in the parking lot at the Pines to cap things off.
The lakes area is ready to officially kick of the spring/summer season, but as most Minnesotan’s are used to, Mother Nature may have other ideas.

Polaris to add Victory Styling to Indian Line

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Although Polaris decided to end the Victory line in 2017, the iconic  style of these machines will not vanish forever.  As Polaris begins to pour their focus on bikes into Indian, they are not going to lose the iconic body style that came with the Victory line.
Launching two new touring models for the Indian line in 2017, including the Chieftain Limited and the Chieftain Elite, boasting all the tradition and ambiance of an Indian, with the style and flare of the Victory.  This merger of two models presents Indian with an evolutionary opportunity to take them from classic looking machines to the stunning touring bikes of today.
The Chieftain features Indian’s new massive Thunder Stroke 111-cubic inch engine, and custom in dash infotainment center, that includes navigation, and many other unique technology features.  All of this, paired with lots of chrome, large curved rear fenders, exposed 19 inch contrast cut aluminum wheels, and stylishly painted graphics, adds the original Victory flare to an already iconic brand.
These subtle yet stylish changes, bring a fresh feel to the already stunning designs within the Indian line.  The two new Chieftains brings Indian’s 2017 model total up to 12, showing that Polaris is moving aggressively in the right direction with this transition from Victory to Indian.  Riders and bike fanatics are all curious to see what Polaris does next, as it continues to grow the Indian brand.

Stern Rubber Helps With City Wide Park Cleanup

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On Tuesday, April 4th, City of Staples held a city wide Community Parks cleanup day.  The city asked for groups and companies to volunteer to help with this effort.
This was the first year that Stern Rubber had participated by allowing employees to help with the clean up during their work day.  We had 8 employees that spent several hours helping with this effort.  The group cleaned Wilson Park, as well as the new open area on the southeast corner of Airport Road and Prairie Ave. NE, and also cleaned along the Legacy Trail from the Legacy Gardens down to the overpass.
Helping with the clean up from Stern Rubber was Gene Mattilla, Kevin Smart, John Jewison, Bonnie Gastecki, Danielle Dewey, Jessica Stafford, Brett Dobson, and Sandy Mumm.
The company wanted to thank all of our employees, including those that helped with the cleanup, and those that stayed behind to fill in for those that were gone.