Need your snowmobile repaired? Better gas up on patience

FOREST LAKE, Minn. – With more snow on the way, snowmobile sleds and parts are in high demand this season. But supply-chain issues are still having an impact on winter business.

At Speedwerx in Forest Lake, it's all hands on deck. The promise of fresh powder has them working overtime to get snowmobiles ready, but business was steady long before this.

"The snowstorm is obviously our huge boost to our revenue stream for sure. Things amp up," said Speedwerx co-owner Jeremy Houle. "Having early snow, when it happens early guys are like, "Ah you know what, I better get that sled fixed because I'm gonna be able to use it for another one or two months.'"

Houle and other Twin Cities dealers say business is up anywhere from 10%-25% from a year ago. Speedwerx will tackle vintage snowmobiles up to the latest models. As quick as they work, they're still at the mercy of the supply chain- especially when it comes to parts.  

"It will be the most random thing. One guy will be lucky, he'll bring his sled in and he'll need 25 parts, we'll get them all," Houle said. "Next guy will bring his sled in, he'll need two, and one of them's on back order til May."

That means the winter fun for some clients is stuck in neutral, as sleds in need of repair keep coming in. Outside of Speedwerx, there are still about 50 snowmobiles waiting to be serviced.

But Houle sees things getting better as manufacturers replenish the workforce lost during the pandemic. One thing's for sure: As long as the snow keeps coming, they'll stay busy.

"This year, across North America, from coast to coast right now, there's snow on the snow belt so it's really good. It's the best in recent memory for sure," he said.

Speedwerx says, depending on the parts that are needed, clients could go the rest of the winter before their snowmobile is fixed.

They say it's best to check with them ahead of time to see what's needed.