Kcmo plant closed
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 1,003
Likes: 566
From: Indiana
For those who would trash the capitalistic society imagine a Harley made by the government managed by the post office.
EDIT; HD has problems as we all know and the target buyer is fading away. Quality is suffering because they are chasing the dying market. Why can't HD make an adventure bike like the Triumph Tiger, BMW GS, etc? It has the capacity and even the engines. No will is the problem.
EDIT; HD has problems as we all know and the target buyer is fading away. Quality is suffering because they are chasing the dying market. Why can't HD make an adventure bike like the Triumph Tiger, BMW GS, etc? It has the capacity and even the engines. No will is the problem.
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,126
Likes: 51,458
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Interesting analogy, my service contractor days I worked in USPS , UPS and Fedex bulk sorting centers on their material handling systems. HUGE worlds of difference in the working environments and management structures between the USPS and the privately owned competitors. Every time I visited a post office location I had multiple hoops I had to jump through and always came away shaking my head at the lack luster casual don't give **** attitudes everybody in the back rooms had, seeing mail being dumped in 20 yard dumpsters didn't help either.
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,126
Likes: 51,458
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Harley has been consolidating its operation since Keith Wandell was the CEO, back in 2008.....the crisis affected everyone and H-D was no different.
By that time, their core consumers have been diminishing as they kept putting even more bikes on the streets (remember the 90's when H-D had a waiting list?)
Since then, Capitol Dr. Plant has been closed and consolidated into Pilgrim Rd. (and now is a U-Haul location and self-storage...been there last week), Franklin Dist Center was closed and outsourcing was the solution.
Remaining are Tomahawk (fiberglass), York (final assembly) and Pilgrim Rd (Powertrain).
Another point to notice is that it's more interesting to have a single facility that can do just about everything from end-to-end than several different properties scattered through the country.
Other partners also shut down its doors as part of Wandell's reorganization....CastAlloy in Australia is an exampla.
On the other hand, HD has it's international Mkt growing and its expansion with an all new Assembly line in Brazil (the 1st was opened in 1999 and now expanded in 2012), the India operation and now Thailand are examples that the investment is going elsewhere....not to say they're thinking in also having a similar operation in Europe.
Note, that despite the many assembly lines overseas....all components are US-Made (i've seen at the Brazilian Plant).
By that time, their core consumers have been diminishing as they kept putting even more bikes on the streets (remember the 90's when H-D had a waiting list?)
Since then, Capitol Dr. Plant has been closed and consolidated into Pilgrim Rd. (and now is a U-Haul location and self-storage...been there last week), Franklin Dist Center was closed and outsourcing was the solution.
Remaining are Tomahawk (fiberglass), York (final assembly) and Pilgrim Rd (Powertrain).
Another point to notice is that it's more interesting to have a single facility that can do just about everything from end-to-end than several different properties scattered through the country.
Other partners also shut down its doors as part of Wandell's reorganization....CastAlloy in Australia is an exampla.
On the other hand, HD has it's international Mkt growing and its expansion with an all new Assembly line in Brazil (the 1st was opened in 1999 and now expanded in 2012), the India operation and now Thailand are examples that the investment is going elsewhere....not to say they're thinking in also having a similar operation in Europe.
Note, that despite the many assembly lines overseas....all components are US-Made (i've seen at the Brazilian Plant).
Welcome to the global economy.......
If Harley thought for a second they could outsource assembly cheaper out of the US and keep a buyer base they would move **** so quick it would make you head swim watching the trucks running to the ports .
Last edited by TwiZted Biker; Jun 8, 2019 at 03:03 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 1,003
Likes: 566
From: Indiana
Interesting analogy, my service contractor days I worked in USPS , UPS and Fedex bulk sorting centers on their material handling systems. HUGE worlds of difference in the working environments and management structures between the USPS and the privately owned competitors. Every time I visited a post office location I had multiple hoops I had to jump through and always came away shaking my head at the lack luster casual don't give **** attitudes everybody in the back rooms had, seeing mail being dumped in 20 yard dumpsters didn't help either.
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