At the Harley-Davidson plant in Kansas City, Missouri, legends such as the Dyna Glide and V-Rod are made. And that’s not the only thing that makes the factory unique:
It’s also a haven for bike lovers, a.k.a. plant employees. Evincing a brand loyalty–as evidenced by their Harley T-shirts and winged tattoos–to which most companies could only aspire, staff members are passionate about what they do.
And loyalty to the all-American brand is not the only thing that keeps employees happy and psyched about their jobs. According to a recent CNN article, they also enjoy easy access to plant manager Karl Eberle and get to express their opinions on every part of the operation, Eberle tells CNN. In fact, the relationship between the company and workers is so close that two union leaders representing the latter are situated in a plant office right next to that of Eberle’s, separated by just a glass wall.
“What we’ve found, working together, is that the more that these two union presidents know about running this factory the better it is for me,” Eberle tells CNN. This approach to labor relations is popular in Germany but uncommon in the U.S. And Eberle admits that it can get challenging. “I believe there’s only one thing more difficult than this and that’s your marriage,” he comments to CNN. “It is a lot of work. You get out of it exactly what you put into it.”
Company CEO Jeff Bleustein stands by this labor relations strategy. A hog-lover himself, he started working at Harley in the 1970s, when it was owned by sporting conglomerate AMF. At the time, Japanese rivals such as Honda were overtaking the struggling company. In 1981, Bleustein, along with 12 other executives, bought out Harley-Davidson and decided to turn it around using some of the strategies of their rising competitors.
“The realization came to us that they were just managing their whole manufacturing operation so much better and part of that was involving their employees in making suggestions about how to improve things,” he says. In the seven years that Bleustein has been CEO, Harley’s annual revenues have increased by more than 300%.
“We could go and chase cheap labor around the world as many manufacturers are doing and could probably make motorcycles for less money. But we think there is value in making motorcycles in America. We think there is a lot of passion that we have in our workforce that would be very difficult to duplicate anywhere else around the world,” he says. This labor model, he believes, will help the company thrive and endure the challenges ahead–including adjusting to his recent retirement.
“Maybe it costs us a few more dollars but I think it has value,” he remarks. “When you buy a Harley-Davidson you’re not just buying steel and aluminum. There is heart and there is passion in all those motorcycles.”
Source:
The Art of Motorcycle Management
Diana Magnay (contributor)
CNN, April 20, 2005
www.cnn.com/2005/BUSINESS/04/19/harley.davidson/index.html
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Harley Davidson is indeed the heart and soul of American motorcycles. However, many of us are abandoning Harley for cheaper, better equipped and sometimes more powerful metric cruisers.
In my opinion, Harley only has three things going for it. 1. It’s a Harley 2. They’re made in the USA** 3. The unique sound that no metric can reproduce because of a patent on the stroke timing.
For many riders, these selling points are more than enough reason to cough up the extra 30% you’ll pay for a Harley over a comparable metric. In this, I believe that the upper-ups of Harley are correct in assuming that being made in the USA** is one of their biggest assets. If Harley ever moved outside of the USA**, sales would surely diminish. Beyond that, in addition I’d say there’d be a veritable “riot” of current Harley owners.
By now, I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve put two asterisks beside “USA” every time I write. The reason for this is because Harley is in fact NOT entirely made in the USA. Yes indeed, Harley is assembled 100% within our great borders, but some minor components are made elsewhere and shipped here for assembly. Now we’re not talking China or Japan, but Germany, Europe and Mexico, yes. That’s right, Mexico. I believe that this is a shame and if Harley is going to continue to ride the wave of “Made in the U.S.A.”, their bikes should be 100% down to the last nut and bolt made here. God knows they cost enough to be made that way.
In closing, I’m one of the opinion “To each his own”. Harley is in fact the bike which is MOST completely Made in the USA. However, on the contrary, some metrics have components made here, although they are mostly Japanese. My suggestion is to buy what you like. If you’re not already set on what to buy, then take the Pepsi challenge. Go to a Harley Dealer, then go to a Metric dealer. Notice how plain and quite frankly boring a stock “Harley Superglide” is. Then while at the Yamaha Dealer, notice how chromed out the V-Star 1100 Custom is. Now STOP and keep in mind that this is not all that you’re buying when you purchase a bike. Indeed, Harley does have the market cornered in tradition. For instance, if you’re stopped at a roadside diner and someone takes a look at your ride, chances are if they see a “Harley-Davidson” logo, they’re going to stare longer and have more comments than if they see the likes of “Suzuki, Yamaha, or Honda”. Now remember the Harley Dealer. Do you remember how hands-on and attentive they were to you and your needs. I’m sure you remember the hot girls behind the counter and roaming the store putting up apparel. Now look at the metric dealer, a bunch of punks or old non-riders looking to sell you a bike – and that’s all. When you buy a Harley, you somewhat buy into a lifestyle. When you buy a metric, you buy a bike. As I said before, there are only 3 things that Harley Davidson has going for them…I believe that #1 (It’s a Harley) is the biggest one. There are indeed benefits beyond simple looks behind the Harley nameplate. My only suggestion to those of you who buy a metric is… If you pick up a “rider” and she asks what kind of Harley it is…just go along with it.
Building Bikes is a Labor of Love
Building Bikes is a Labor of Love
At the Harley-Davidson plant in Kansas City, Missouri, legends such as the Dyna …