HD shutting down for 2 weeks

[eddd]

It was just reported on NBC that HD is shutting down its production for 2 weeks due to lagging sales. Employees will not be paid during this time.

 

Really a bad time for the workers and their families.

 

Hope things pick up soon for the workers.

[blkvelvt]

I work in Aerospace and we shut down every year for two weeks. It's not all paid time off. We use some earned vacation to make it through. It's too costly to keep a production line open with the high amount of employees traveling to see family. We prepare for this every year.

[ghaverkamp]

Sounds like it's not a horrible time for all involved. See here:

The Milwaukee-based company announced in September it would shut down production at plants in Wisconsin, Kansas City, Mo., and York, Pa., this week as part of a planned cut in production.

 

A shorter layoff is better than a long one, said Frank Larkin, a spokesman for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents workers at Harley-Davidson plants. At least workers were able to prepare for it, he said.

 

"We were informed early on this was being proposed and we were able to relate to our members they would need to begin planning financially for one week without a paycheck," he said.

 

Employees will still receive benefits during the week, he said.

. . .

"People seem to be OK with it," he said. "It seems to be just no problem."

 

Boger also said the shutdown was well-timed to go with the start of deer hunting season in Pennsylvania, meaning workers wouldn't have to take days off to hunt.

 

One of the pains of working for a publicly traded company. Lots of games when results aren't good to make things look better.

[Bob Palin]

One of the pains of working for a publicly traded company. Lots of games when results aren't good to make things look better.

No kidding, at one place I worked in the 80s we had LWOA - leave without absence - we had to take vacation or unpaid leave but still show up! Not legal of course and the second time they tried it we called them on it.

[Quinn]

Years ago I worked in the manufactoring sector of our economy. We were told eight weeks in advance that we'd be shut down for two weeks at the end of the year because of excess inventory.

When the time came, management came to us and said they needed ten people to work during the period. No volunteers. We'd all made plans for the time off. By our having that much warning, we just looked on it as another vacation that we could take with our buddies. Of course I was maybe 24, no debt, and making more money than I knew what to do with.

[Hog_Man]

The slowdown is rapidly taking its toll. I was laid off from our local Harley dealer on the 23rd. I was hired for full time parts and accessories sales and ended up being 'thrown away' as a 'seasonal' employee. Hope to be called back in when Springtime hits in a few months.

[KDeline]

With the market flooded with HD's I wonder if this is the beginning of a downslop for them.

[velomoto]

The slowdown is rapidly taking its toll. I was laid off from our local Harley dealer on the 23rd.

Really sorry to hear about that... It's like that old saying "It's only a recession until your job is eliminated and then it becomes a depression." I don't think HD's woes are going to be short lived nor are a "simple" problem but rather are a symptom of some much larger issues in the economy. A significant portion (most?) of MC purchases are "luxury" items - not critical but nice, useful or fun. One sign of tougher times is when the sales of luxury items drops significantly.

[Ken H.]

I don't think HD's woes are going to be short lived nor are a "simple" problem but rather are a symptom of some much larger issues in the economy. A significant portion (most?) of MC purchases are "luxury" items - not critical but nice, useful or fun. One sign of tougher times is when the sales of luxury items drops significantly.

Agreed, and bikes aren't generally the luxury items of the top 5%'ers who are less effected by a slow down of the economy, rather that of the middle 80% who are.

 

Plus HD over the long run has a real demographic problem. Buell aside, their products just aren't appealing to the sub-40 crowd. At least BMW is trying to address that with a massive influx of new products aimed at the younger generations. But BMW has the price point issue to overcome. I wouldn't buy HD stock these days.

[tom collins]

ken: i agree with you. before i joined our local bmw club, i thought it would be a doctors and lawyers club. i was very surprised to find that it was mostly regular guys, which i prefer to doctors and lawyers anyway. i had payments on my last 2 bmws and most of the harley people i know are the types that have payments on their machines.

 

tom collins

[Quinn]

I would think that most of the "lifestyle" bikes--Harley, BMW, Goldwings--won't suffer too much until we run out of baby boomers. Boomners are nostolgic for things they never had. But also consider that the hunter population is down. If your parents didn't hunt, you probably won't either. If you weren't raised around motorcycles, you probably won't get the bug. If you get the bug, it will probably wear off after the first accident or miserable ride. Over half the for sale ads in my local paper are for Harleys and most are fairly new. The BMWs and Hondas are usually fewer and much older. I figure the Harley sellers are Boomers who found out it was cooler looking than actually riding and the others are upgrading to their next bike. Of course, no generalization is completely valid and it may just be my prejudice.

[mefly2]

The slowdown is rapidly taking its toll. I was laid off from our local Harley dealer on the 23rd. I was hired for full time parts and accessories sales and ended up being 'thrown away' as a 'seasonal' employee. Hope to be called back in when Springtime hits in a few months.

Seems to be the norm in many Montana locales ...

[notacop]

This is another odd thought but does this mean fewer folks a stepping up to the alter of HD and getting cruisers?

Is the big party really finally showing signs of ending?

How unAmerican. Do loud pipes actually not save a life style?

On the other hand down sizing is a fact of our economy. I feed at the psuedo Gov't trough of the Post office. Due to decreased volumes of paper commincations we have offices closing around the country at an inevitable rate. Our repositioning if excessed can be at an office as much as 100 miles away, used to be 50. Ain't that a pleasant thought? Your commute just became an additional 160 miles a day. Better buy that 800cc or smaller bike to get the gas economy you'd need to afford the change.

[RFW]

Do loud pipes actually not save a life style?

Now THAT is a good quote!

[upflying]

It's a sign of the economy in general. I think many people feel HD's are a luxury item purchased with discretionary income. RV's and yachts are in the same boat.

I'd be willing to bet minimalist, commuter oriented two-wheel transportation sales are up.

[Footprint]

ken: i agree with you. before i joined our local bmw club, i thought it would be a doctors and lawyers club. i was very surprised to find that it was mostly regular guys, which i prefer to doctors and lawyers anyway. i had payments on my last 2 bmws and most of the harley people i know are the types that have payments on their machines.

 

tom collins

 

So doctors and lawyers are not "regular guys"

[FlyingFinn]

Yup, yup. I see lot of good deals on used HD's nowdays on Craigslist. Almost getting tempted...

 

--

Mikko

[hANNAbONE]

hIT www.cycletrader.com and see if you can buy any HD or chopper-esch for $1000's (tens of thousands??!!) of what they normally sold for.

 

Wow what a stunner -

 

I agree - the format for getting rid of a bike now is flooded and it ain't goin' away.

[sfarson]

This is another odd thought but does this mean fewer folks a stepping up to the alter of HD and getting cruisers?

...

 

That and other bikes as well. Saw a recent NA volume report showing Ducati as the only make that was up versus same period previous year. Harley, while down slightly, was doing better than most other manufacturers.

[OlGeezer]

The slowdown is rapidly taking its toll. I was laid off from our local Harley dealer on the 23rd. I was hired for full time parts and accessories sales and ended up being 'thrown away' as a 'seasonal' employee. Hope to be called back in when Springtime hits in a few months.

 

Sorry to hear this. I wish you the best of luck in getting back.

[catattoo]

i was very surprised to find that it was mostly regular guys, which i prefer to doctors and lawyers anyway.

 

Yer a lawyer !

[tom collins]

shhhhhhh! don't spread that ugly rumor about me.