Business Owner Essay

In 1901, at the age of 21, William S. Harley created “a blueprint drawing of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle” (Harley-Davidson.com, 2015). In 1903, William S. Harley, and co-founder Arthur Davidson made “available to the public the first production Harley-Davison® motorcycle”; Harley-Davidson Motor Company was officially incorporated in 1907 (Harley-Davidson.com, 2015). What started out in a small wooden shed in Milwaukee has evolved into an iconic and massive multi-million dollar global

STRENGHTS 1. Harley Owners Group (HOG) Rallies: The company has its characteristics rallies named as “Harley Owners Group” on a regular basis which involves Harley owners from different parts of the nation to communicate & experience a different lifestyle. The members of Harley owners groups are 1.2 million. 2. Range of Product: Harley is trying to solve the ageing problem of the current customer base with its diversified product range like they recently introduced bikes with the engine of 500

Part I External Analysis When identifying and analyzing the major driving forces for change in the external environment of the motorcycle industry one must look, and identify these forces; they are the economy, national environmental forces, social, cultural, demographic forces, governmental, political forces, legal forces, and the competitive forces. The three statics of Harley-Davidson’s is; revenue, growth rate, and number of units that are sold. The manufacturer of the United States

Internal Strengths and Weaknesses The strengths of Harley-Davidson include: 1. The company is very profitable in customization of the bikes. 2. The company is the only major heavyweight manufacturer of bikes in the United States. 3. The HOG (Harley Owners Group) is the largest motorcycle sponsored organization. 4. The company operates in two segments, the motorcycle & related products and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. 5. The company has a very strong brand name 6. The company is also known

However in the markets they do serve they desire a relationship that evident in Harley riders. This is most evidenced by the participation in the Harley-Davidson Owners Group (H.O.G.). “The HOG worldwide membership had grown to 900,000 at the end of 2004 . . . in contrast Honda’s Gold Wing Road rides had 75,000 members” (Nolan & Kotha, 2007). The final part of the statement is just a reassurance to investors

Date: 7th April 2011 * Contents * Abstract…………………………………………………………………………..3 * JIT Principles…………………………………………………………………….3/4/5 * Risk……………………………………………………………………………….5 * Inventory Management…………………………………………………………7/8 * Supply side & Economic Scenario……………………………………………………….9 * Summary………………………………………………………………………..9 * References………………………………………………………………………10 Abstract The strength of Harley-Davidson 's brand and dominant market position give the firm a wide moat, in

excess capacity, reducing administrative costs and non-core business operations, Harley-Davidson believes these steps of restructuring will reflect between $240 million and $260 million in annual ongoing savings (HD1, 2010). Nonetheless, excusing the decline in numbers, Harley-Davidson’s Annual Report (2009) states, since 1993, the company has paid a dividend every year (Harley-Davidson, 2010a). Management Team A long standing business practice at Harley-Davidson is “Excellent Corporate Governance”

Harley’s High Levels of Customer Value Harley Davidson brings a commitment of exceptional customer experiences to everything that they do from the innovation of their products, to the precision of their manufacturing, culminating with their strong supplier and dealer network (http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/company.html). Harley Davidson knows there is a strong future for their traditional products. An electric Harley-Davidson motorcycle is one of the ways they are exploring

However, Harley-Davidson is an American icon with a strong image of quality and 'freedom' on the open road over the years. MarketingStrategy One of the largest marketing strategies for Harley-Davidson was the creation of HOG (Harley Owners Group). This allows owners to share experiences and network through rides, rallies, and other events. Another successful marketing strategy Harley created in 2000 is Rider's Edge which provides lessons for basic and advanced motorcycling skills. About 35% of the

culminated in hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists rallying last summer on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1929, there were 241 motorcycle manufacturers in the US. After the Depression, only two remained: Harley and Indian. By 1953, Indian went out of business, leaving Harley-Davidson