Based in Bradley, Illinois, Arctic is the only major snow equipment manufacturer that also operates as one of the largest snow contractors in North America. With over four decades of boots-on-the-ground experience and a fleet of nearly 450 loaders, skid steers, and salt trucks, we run the country’s largest self-performing snow operation.
That real-world experience is what sets us apart. Every product we design has been tested through the brutal cold, heavy snow, and relentless demands of Chicago winters—by our own crews, on our own routes. We engineer our equipment not in labs, but in loading docks, parking lots, and icy streets where performance matters most. We build what we use. We use what we build. No compromises. No exceptions.
Randy Strait didn’t set out to build snow pushers. His business objective wasn’t to design a revolutionary snow pusher. Rather, the invention was born out of necessity. In 1978, he was just a guy with a beat up truck and a makeshift plow, determined to keep his budding snow removal company profitable. But he soon realized if Arctic Snow & Ice Control was ever going to reach his vision for service and success, he needed a competitive edge that would not only increase revenue, but also would reduce his overall expenses.
He took everything he knew about conventional snowplows, and their shortcomings, and designed his own pusher. One-piece moldboards were out. Rigid cutting edges were gone. And static side panels became a thing of the past. An innovative concept in pusher design, Randy’s pushers were comprised of smaller, individual moldboard sections equipped with trip edges and mechanical side panels. Complete with steel cutting edges and a patented hitch system – he achieved his competitive edge, and a whole lot more.
Because the pusher was designed specifically to help build his own snow-removal business, it wasn’t until competitive snow removal contractors approached him, that he even thought about manufacturing the pushers for sale. No stranger to rising fuel costs, salt shortages, and soaring steel prices, Randy recognized the positive impact the pushers had on Arctic Snow and Ice Control’s bottom line and wanted to offer others in the industry the same shot at success.
All of our products are proudly built in our 162,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Bradley, Illinois, by a team of engineers and assemblers, dedicated to building the most innovative and durable snow removal equipment for snow contractors across North America.