************ I feel sorry for the blue collar workers there!
Motorcycle Maker Warns Of Problems At KC Facility
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,216
Likes: 102
From: Central Illinois
Wasn't it just a few months ago Harley was talking about closing or moving the York plant? Makes you wonder if they aren't telling employees in both plants they are going to close up and move operations to get employee and pay cuts more easier.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 6
From: Kingman, AZ
"Gaps" sounds like their metrics are down. Since no plant is running 100% capacity then they have both external (other bike manufacturers) and internal (other plants) competition. If York is building 20 bikes per head/hour and KC only 15 bikes per head/hour then KC is losing the cost-per-unit battle internally. (totally ficticous numbers BTW)
I have to remind our plant staff all the time we are fighting both external and internal competition....in this down economy we just have too much capacity.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 8,039
Likes: 1,305
From: Jayhawk Country
You are correct, lots of illegals here from our neighbors to the south. Just finished a court battle with one last year who didn't have insurance or a DL and ran into my son causing around $2k in damage. Fortunately the county prosecutor went after him and it didn't cost me a dime. I was shocked they went after this guy but very grateful at the same time. An attorney told me to save my money and move on. I ended up getting all my money back for the repairs but it took 6 months.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,780
Likes: 69
From: Al Bu Ker Key, New Mexico
A few years back my brothers and I rode to and visited all the Harley plants, York, Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Tommahawk. The KC plant was pretty new and they were only building the Sportster line there at the time. Very modern and appeared you could eat off the floor. Was being touted as "the plant of the future" by HD at the time. Remember walking down the aisle where there were about a dozen welding booths doing frames. Nine of them were human welders and the last three were robots. Always wondered what those 9 guys were thinking while they welded those frames.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 8,039
Likes: 1,305
From: Jayhawk Country
Those 9 guys were thinking how much F'ing money they were making welding those frames. I hope they saved some of it.
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 6,112
Likes: 20
Pretty simple really,the new management theory at harley are straight out of the wall street playbook.Attack plan is simple,demonize the union, wage's and,benefit's are to high,efficiency is down.Threaten to close the plant unless wages are reduced and,benefit cost's are picked up by the employees.Exactly like the threat's used at york,some one on wall street told the ceo,hammer labor your stock will go up we'll all be rich.