After 107 years in Milwaukee, Harley could leave

[The Northerner]

MILWAUKEE – It's the roar that made Milwaukee famous — the distinctive throaty rumble of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. But that much-loved racket could be rumbling away to another state if the company cannot bring down its labor costs.

Harley-Davidson warned employees in April that it will move its Wisconsin manufacturing operations elsewhere if it cannot cut millions of dollars at the factories that build the bikes known as "Milwaukee Iron."

Harley's corporate headquarters would remain here, but that's small consolation to a community that has already endured repeated blows to its civic identity.

"When you think of Milwaukee you think of beer, brats and Harley-Davidson," said Steve Daily, a researcher at the Milwaukee County Historical Society. "Right or wrong, that's what it is."

But that's been changing. For example, the corporate parent of beer giant Miller parent moved its U.S. headquarters to Chicago in 2008 after joining its domestic operations with Molson Coors Brewing Co. Then there was Schlitz, which billed itself as "the beer that made Milwaukee famous" until financial and labor problems forced it to sell out to a Detroit company in the 1980s.

That leaves Harley-Davidson Inc. as the city's lone signature brand. It's also a magnet for tourists, many of whom want to visit the factories where Harley engines are made.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100804/ap_on_bi_ge/us_harley_milwaukee_breakup

[Wickerman]

1. Sure, move Harley to Mexico

watch sales plummet.

I know, they mean move it to some right to work southern state. They would still lose a lot of identity. Perhaps that loss would be significant. A risky move - not to mention sucky.

[county worker]

3. It would do my Kawasaki loving heart good to see them move to some other country.

The bikes already cost two to three times what a bike made in another country costs yet they don't make enough off the Harley fans?

[marmar]

2. "cannot cut millions of dollars at the factories"

In other words, if the employees don't accept draconian wage cuts.....

More corporate blackmail.

[arbusto_baboso]

4. While I'd hate to see even more American jobs lost....

we have to acknowledge that Harley has managed to get by merely on its name for over 30 years now. Their products are vastly overpriced crap. Anyone who really knows their bikes rides something Japanese or a BMW.

[Dappleganger]

12. Hate to say it...

but it's really true. And when I can ride (can't now due to back injury), I proudly do it on my '97 Virago 1100.

Going down to Daytona during bike week has really turned me off of Harleys. Everywhere you go it's mostly lawyers and doctors who pay thousands of dollars to ride bikes they know nothing about. My husband is of the mind if you don't know how to take it apart and put it back together you've got no business being on it (he rides a big old Vulcan Nomad).

[crazyjoe]

5. I support the unions right to fuck themselves right out of a job.

[mmonk]

7. What wage concessions are you willing to make?

[crazyjoe]

10. to be honest, i am not familiar with the story. But I can tell you

that where I work, we took a 5% pay cut last april that lasted until December. It was either that or there were going to have to be layoffs. I was happy that nobody lost their job, and I felt it was a small price to pay to save jobs.
Harley Davidson has been effected by the economy just like my company and many others. Not all companies are run by greedy fatcats.
I would rather take a 5% pay cut,(hardly noticed it)than loose my job (to answer your question).

[mmonk]

13. My point is that at some point, we in America need to quit always blaming

workers for down economic conditions. A low wage economy is a third world economy. It's not that I support unsustainable wages for a business but I recognize an America with declining incomes won't make purchases for goods and services take off.

[crazyjoe]

14. I am not blaming the workers for down conditions, and neither

is Harley D, they are asking for concessions from the union and are not getting them. When we realize we are all in this together, we will be better off.
INHO

[Winterblues]

20. How much of a cut did your company's CEO take?

Why should American workers be punished because Health Care costs are so high that American companies can not compete with foreign companies? Japanese companies do not have to worry about any Health Care Insurance costs and pay their employees every bit as well as Americans are paid, yet Japanese bikes are half the price of American bikes. You can blame Health care costs being absorbed by business instead of government for our inability to compete.

[saigon68]

19. Nice--- you are on the wrong forum

[HubertHeaver]

6. The problems at Schlitz weren't labor problems.

The Kid-in-Charge knew nothing about brewing beer. The skunky beer they were pushing was worse than Falstaff.

[IDemo]

8. Had a conversation with a guy on a Softail Classic at the cycle shop

He told me the Japanese already owned a large chunk of the company. I don't know if that's true or not, or whether he just meant
that Harley uses many Japanese parts (like shocks and electrical). I thought they had a plan to make the entire bike all-American
down to the lightbulbs, but that was back in the post-AMF day, so maybe things changed.

Much as a lot of people hate Harleys, I would hate to see them move manufacturing elsewhere.

[happyslug]

9. One Problem,. the largest Harley Factory is in York PA, must be aimed at the Engine plant

The Work Pa Factory (1.5 million Sq Feet):
Employees assemble the Touring and Softail® models, as well as limited production, factory-custom motorcycles.
http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/Factory_Tours/york.html

The Second largest factory is in Menomonee Falls, WI (849,000 Sq feet) Outside Milwaukee

Harley-Davidson Motor Company's 849,000 square-foot Pilgrim Road Powertrain Operations facility in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is home of the "Big Twin." Pilgrim Road employees produce engines and transmissions for the final assembly plants in York, Pennsylvania, and Kansas City, Missouri, for Touring, Softail® and Dyna® model families. Engines and transmissions are also produced for sale through Harley-Davidson® Genuine Motor Parts and Accessories business.

The Third largest factory is in Kansas City (358,000 Sq Feet)
Kansas City employees produce the Sportster®, Dyna® and VRSC™ families of motorcycles from fabrication and finishing through final assembly to include the liquid-cooled Revolution® powertrain for the VRSC V-Rod.
http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/Factory_Tours/kansas_city.html?locale=en_US&bmLocale=en_US

And the forth largest factory is also outside Milwaukee at the Tomahawk Wisconsin Factory (192,000 Sq Feet):
More than 400 employees manufacture plastic and fiberglass parts, including sidecars, saddlebags, and windshields. Tomahawk's Somo Avenue facility paints, assembles, and ships the components to the York Vehicle Operations facility where it all comes together on Original Equipment motorcycles.
http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/Factory_Tours/tomahawk.html?locale=en_US&bmLocale=en_US

[Kat45]

11. There's also a Harley museum near the plant in York.

I visited the museum close to 30 years ago. It was pretty cool. I hope it's still there.

[mikeytherat]

15. I guess they've run out of Harley-themed products which can be merchandised.

Cash from slapping the HD logo on every product under the sun (beach towels? bed sheets?) bought them time - I guess time's up.

mikey_the_rat

[unhappycamper]

16. I toured the York, PA Special Vehical Operations plant a few years ago.

It's pretty impressive. :thumbsup:

[ThomWV]

17. My wife's Harley was built in York, PA but mine came from the hallowed ground.

As long as Willie G. gets to make his millions everything is gonna be OK.

[kctim]

18. They definetely

need to do something about the costs of those things.