Harley-Davidson to Remain in York
December 03 2009 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Major Restructuring, Including New Labor Agreement, Provides Path
to Significant Gains in Cost-Competitiveness, Flexibility,
Efficiency MILWAUKEE, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HOG) today announced it will keep its
motorcycle operations in York, Pa., and move forward with plans to
restructure those operations. The announcement follows yesterday's
ratification of a new seven-year labor agreement by company
employees at York, represented by International Association of
Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local Lodge 175, and today's
decision by the Harley-Davidson Board of Directors to approve the
restructuring plan and related funding. "A restructured York
operation will enable the plant to be competitive and sustainable
for the future, and the new labor agreement is critical to making
that happen," said Keith Wandell, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. "On behalf of the Company, I want
to thank the employees at York for their vote to make the changes
necessary to create a more flexible and efficient operation, and we
look forward to moving ahead together to achieve that goal,"
Wandell said. The new York operation will be consolidated under one
roof and focused on the core areas of motorcycle assembly, metal
fabrication and paint. The operation will have a smaller, more
flexible workforce, corresponding to the scale and scope of the
operations, with about 1,000 hourly employees compared to about
1,950 today. The workforce will consist of about 700 to 800
full-time unionized production and maintenance employees and, on an
annualized basis, approximately 200 to 300 unionized "casual"
employees. Casual employees work as needed, depending on seasonal
production and volume needs and to provide coverage for vacations
and other absences. The operation will also employ about 150
salaried employees, compared to about 270 today. When fully
operational in 2012, the restructuring is expected to generate
about $100 million in annual operating savings compared to the
current structure. The Company expects to incur approximately $200
million in restructuring charges related to York into 2012, of
which about $100 million will be cash charges. The Company also
expects to make capital expenditures in connection with the York
restructuring of about $90 million into 2012. On a combined basis,
the Company expects previously announced restructuring activities,
together with the additional restructuring of the York operations
approved today, to result in one-time charges of $415 million to
$445 million into 2012, and to produce annual ongoing savings of
$240 million to $260 million upon completion of all announced
company-wide restructuring activities. In 2010 on a combined basis,
Harley-Davidson expects to incur restructuring charges of $175
million to $195 million and related savings of approximately $135
million to $155 million. The financial impact of the York
restructuring reflects approximately $15 million in incentives that
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has committed for capital
improvements and training. "I want to acknowledge and thank
Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell and his team for their support of the
changes we are embarking on at York. They have been terrific to
work with throughout our decision-making process," said Wandell.
The decision to remain in York concludes a two-path assessment that
began in May to determine whether the York operations could be
restructured to be cost-competitive and sustainable, or
alternatively whether the company would relocate those operations
elsewhere in the U.S. In recent weeks, the Company identified
Kentucky as the focus of its alternative site assessment. "We also
thank Kentucky Gov. Beshear and his team for their tremendous
efforts, as well as the many Kentucky state and local officials who
have been so helpful and gracious and who have devoted significant
time and attention to our possible relocation," said Wandell.
Company Background Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company for
the group of companies doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor
Company (HDMC), Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS), Buell
Motorcycle Company (Buell), and MV Agusta. Forward-Looking
Statements Harley-Davidson, Inc. intends that certain matters
discussed in this release are "forward-looking statements" intended
to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such
because the context of the statement will include words such as
Harley "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "plans," or
"estimates" or words of similar meaning. Similarly, statements that
describe future plans, objectives, outlooks, targets, guidance or
goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
anticipated as of the date of this release. Certain risks and
uncertainties are described below. Shareholders, potential
investors, and other readers are urged to consider these factors in
evaluating the forward-looking statements and cautioned not to
place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements included in this release are only made
as of the date of this release, and Harley-Davidson, Inc. disclaims
any obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements
to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. The Company's
ability to meet the targets and expectations noted depends upon,
among other factors, the Company's ability to effectively execute
the Company's restructuring plans within expected costs and timing.
In addition, the risks and uncertainties include the factors
detailed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission
filings. DATASOURCE: Harley-Davidson, Inc. CONTACT: Media , Bob
Klein, +1-414-343-4433, or Financial, Amy Giuffre, +1-414-343-8002,
both of Harley-Davidson, Inc. Web Site:
http://www.harley-davidson.com/
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