Harley-Davidson is an American producer of motorcycles founded in Milwaukee, WI. I am interested in Harley-Davidson because Marquette University's College of Business Administration has started a program where all of their courses study something about Harley-Davidson. Because Harley-Davidson was founded in Milwaukee, WI and that's where their headquarters are, they work very closely with the College of Business Administration and offer full-time positions to a lot of Marquette graduates.
Harley-Davidson's Mission: We ride with our customers and apply this deep connection in every market we serve to create superior value for all of our stakeholders.
Harley-Davidson's Vision: We fulfill dreams inspired by the many roads of the world by providing remarkable motorcycles and extraordinary customer experiences. We fuel the passion for freedom in our customers to express their own identity.
Harley-Davidson's Mission: We ride with our customers and apply this deep connection in every market we serve to create superior value for all of our stakeholders.
Harley-Davidson's Vision: We fulfill dreams inspired by the many roads of the world by providing remarkable motorcycles and extraordinary customer experiences. We fuel the passion for freedom in our customers to express their own identity.
Harley-Davidson History
The First Ten Years
In 1901, William S. Harley, age 21, completed a blueprint drawing of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle. In 1903, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson made available to the public the first production of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The motorcycle was created in a 10 x 15 foot wooden shed. Arthur's brother, Walter, later joined the efforts of William and Arthur. In the following year, 1904, the first Harley-Davidson dealer, C.H. Lang of Chicago, IL., opened for business and sold one of the first three productions of Harley-Davidson bicycles ever made. On July 4, 1905, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle won a 15 mile race in Chicago with a time of 19:02. At the same time in Milwaukee, WI., the first full-time Harley-Davidson employee was hired. In 1906, a new factory was built on Chestnut St. (Chestnut St. later becames Juneau Ave.). The Harley-Davidson staff increased to 6 full-time employees during 1906. In addition, the first motorcycle catalog was produced. In 1907, the fourth and final founder of Harley-Davidson, William A. Davidson, joined the team. In the following year, the first motorcycle was sold and delivered to Detroit, MI. for police duty. A few years later, in 1910, the famed "Bar & Shield" logo was used for the first time (the same logo still used today).
1911-1920
The H-D logo was trademarked at the U.S. Patent Office in 1911. 1912 was a big year for Harley-Davidson. First, construction began on what became the six story headquarters and main factory building at Juneau Ave. in Milwaukee. A separate Parts and Accessories Department was formed within Harley-Davidson. In addition, Harley-Davidson exported motorcycles to Japan, making their first ever sales outside of the U.S. The Harley-Davidson dealer network grew to over 200 nationwide. In 1913, the Racing Department was formed. William Ottaway was the first Assistant Engineer to racing engineer William S. Harley in the Racing Department. In the following year, Harley-Davidson formally entered motorcycle racing. Within a few short years, team Harley-Davidson was referred to informally as the "Wrecking Crew" because of their incredible dominance of the sport. A few years later, in 1917, nearly 1/3 of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles that were produced were sold to the U.S. military. The Quartermasters School, a department of Harley-Davidson devoted to training military mechanics on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, opened for business in July. It later become the Service School. In addition, the sale of Harley-Davidson bicycles began. The bicycles were sold through the Harley-Davidson dealer network. In 1918, almost half of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles produced were sold for use by the U.S. military in World War I. By 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. New H-D motorcycles could be purchased from over 2,000 dealers in 67 countries worldwide.
1921-1959
In 1922, Harley-Davidson riders swept all eight National Championship races. By 1931, all of Harley-Davidson's remaining American competition, except for Indian (Hendee Manufacturing), was gone. Both Indian and Harley-Davidson were the only two American motorcycle manufacturers until 1953. In 1935, the Japanese motorcycle industry was founded as a result of Harley-Davidson licensing blueprints, tools, dies and machinery to the Sankyo Company of Japan. America was plunged into World War II in 1941 and the production of civilian motorcycles at H-D was almost entirely suspended in favor of military production. The Service School was converted back to the Quartermasters School for training of military mechanics. In 1943, Harley-Davidson received the first of its four Army-Navy "E" Awards for excellence in wartime production. Overseas, many American servicemen got their first exposure to H-D motorcycles. In 1945, Harley-Davidson produced almost 60,000 WLA models during the war for military use. World War II ended and production of civilian motorcycles resumed immediately in November. In 1947, H-D purchased a new plant on Capitol Drive. The Capitol Drive plant was used as a large machine shop, shipping the new parts to Juneau Ave. for final assembly. In 1953, Hendee Manufacturing went out of business. Harley-Davidson was no longer the sole U.S. motorcycle manufacturer for the next 46 years.
1960-1990
In 1960, Harley-Davidson purchased a half interest in Aeronatica-Macchi and formed Aeromacchi Harley-Davidson, a European division. In 1962, Harley-Davidson purchased 60% of the stock in the Tomahawk Boat Manufacturing Company. In 1969, Harley-Davidson merged with the American Machine and Foundry Company (AMF), a longtime producer of leisure products. 1971 marked the first year of Harley-Davidson snowmobile production. Motorcycle production was upgraded when all assembly operations were moved to a modern 400,000 square foot plant in York, PA in the year of 1973. All other H-D production operations remained in Milwaukee and Tomahawk. The Capitol Drive plant in Milwaukee began production of engines. On February 26, 1981, 13 H-D senior executives signed a letter of intent to purchase Harley-Davidson Motor Company from AMF. By mid-June, the buyback was official. In 1983, Harley-Davidson successfully petitioned the International Trade Commission for tariff relief, which was granted April 1, 1983. The tariff, scheduled to end five years later, was placed on all imported Japanese motorcycles. In addition, the Harley Owners Group, fondly referred to as H.O.G., began. Immediately, H.O.G. was the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the world. In 1986, The Motor Company was listed on the American Stock Exchange which marked the first time H-D was publicly traded since the AMF merger in 1969. In addition, to diversify their holdings, Harley-Davidson purchased Holiday Rambler Corporation, a producer of quality motor homes. In the following year, Harley-Davidson was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Also in 1987, Harley-Davidson petitioned the International Trade Commission for early termination of the five year tariffs. Finally, the "Buy Back Program" began. In 1988, the Harley-Davidson Traveling Museum hit the road, displaying memorabilia, classic Harley-Davidson motorcycles and the rich history of the Harley-Davidson rider.
1991 - The Present
In 1991, installation of a $31 million state of the art paint facility began at the York, PA. factory. It was fully operational in 1992. Harley-Davidson celebrated its 90th Anniversary in 1993 with a family reunion. An estimated 100,000 people rode in a parade of motorcycles. Harley-Davidson also bought a minority interest in Buell Motorcycle Company. A new, state of the art Parts and Accessories Distribution Center opened in Franklin, WI. The following year, a new 217,000 square feet Production Development Center opened next to the Capitol Drive plant. This building was dedicated to Willie G. Davidson. A new 330,000 square feet plant in Kansas City also opened. 1998 marked the 95th anniversary of Harley-Davidson and 140,000 plus riders came to Milwaukee to celebrate. H-D opened a new assembly facility in Manaus, Brazil and this marked the first operations of H-D outside of the U.S. Finally, Harley-Davidson bought a remaining 49% interest in Buell Motorcycle Company and Erik Buell was named Chairman of Buell Operations. In 2000, the Rider's Edge Academy of Motorcycling, a beginner's riding course available through H-D and Buell dealerships commenced. In 2006, Harley-Davidson appointed Beijing Feng Huo Lun (FHL) as the first authorized Harley-Davidson dealer on mainland China. On July 12, 2008, the all new H-D Museum opened in Milwaukee. The museum, located at 6th and Canal St., showcased hundreds of classic and custom motorcycles, interactive exhibits and never-before-seen films and photographs. In addition, hundreds of thousands of riders from around the world came to Milwaukee to celebrate Harley-Davidson's 105th anniversary. Finally in 2009, Harley-Davidson announced their expansion into India.
For a photographic history of Harley-Davidson, please click here.
If you would like a full-detailed history of Harley-Davidson, please visit the Harley-Davidson History website.
Visit Harley-Davidson's website or facebook page today!
Harley-Davidson Leadership
Harley-Davidson has a very unique leadership structure that is very uncommon among organizations. Harley-Davidson uses an informal leadership structure. For a picture of Harley-Davidson's leadership structure, please click here. I am very interested in learning more about informal leadership structures. Please read my case study to learn more about the informal leadership structure and how it compares to the formal leadership structure.
References:
This information was taken from the Harley-Davidson website, http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/H-D_History/history.html?locale=en_US&bmLocale=en_US, on 3/25/12.
In 1901, William S. Harley, age 21, completed a blueprint drawing of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle. In 1903, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson made available to the public the first production of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The motorcycle was created in a 10 x 15 foot wooden shed. Arthur's brother, Walter, later joined the efforts of William and Arthur. In the following year, 1904, the first Harley-Davidson dealer, C.H. Lang of Chicago, IL., opened for business and sold one of the first three productions of Harley-Davidson bicycles ever made. On July 4, 1905, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle won a 15 mile race in Chicago with a time of 19:02. At the same time in Milwaukee, WI., the first full-time Harley-Davidson employee was hired. In 1906, a new factory was built on Chestnut St. (Chestnut St. later becames Juneau Ave.). The Harley-Davidson staff increased to 6 full-time employees during 1906. In addition, the first motorcycle catalog was produced. In 1907, the fourth and final founder of Harley-Davidson, William A. Davidson, joined the team. In the following year, the first motorcycle was sold and delivered to Detroit, MI. for police duty. A few years later, in 1910, the famed "Bar & Shield" logo was used for the first time (the same logo still used today).
1911-1920
The H-D logo was trademarked at the U.S. Patent Office in 1911. 1912 was a big year for Harley-Davidson. First, construction began on what became the six story headquarters and main factory building at Juneau Ave. in Milwaukee. A separate Parts and Accessories Department was formed within Harley-Davidson. In addition, Harley-Davidson exported motorcycles to Japan, making their first ever sales outside of the U.S. The Harley-Davidson dealer network grew to over 200 nationwide. In 1913, the Racing Department was formed. William Ottaway was the first Assistant Engineer to racing engineer William S. Harley in the Racing Department. In the following year, Harley-Davidson formally entered motorcycle racing. Within a few short years, team Harley-Davidson was referred to informally as the "Wrecking Crew" because of their incredible dominance of the sport. A few years later, in 1917, nearly 1/3 of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles that were produced were sold to the U.S. military. The Quartermasters School, a department of Harley-Davidson devoted to training military mechanics on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, opened for business in July. It later become the Service School. In addition, the sale of Harley-Davidson bicycles began. The bicycles were sold through the Harley-Davidson dealer network. In 1918, almost half of all Harley-Davidson motorcycles produced were sold for use by the U.S. military in World War I. By 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. New H-D motorcycles could be purchased from over 2,000 dealers in 67 countries worldwide.
1921-1959
In 1922, Harley-Davidson riders swept all eight National Championship races. By 1931, all of Harley-Davidson's remaining American competition, except for Indian (Hendee Manufacturing), was gone. Both Indian and Harley-Davidson were the only two American motorcycle manufacturers until 1953. In 1935, the Japanese motorcycle industry was founded as a result of Harley-Davidson licensing blueprints, tools, dies and machinery to the Sankyo Company of Japan. America was plunged into World War II in 1941 and the production of civilian motorcycles at H-D was almost entirely suspended in favor of military production. The Service School was converted back to the Quartermasters School for training of military mechanics. In 1943, Harley-Davidson received the first of its four Army-Navy "E" Awards for excellence in wartime production. Overseas, many American servicemen got their first exposure to H-D motorcycles. In 1945, Harley-Davidson produced almost 60,000 WLA models during the war for military use. World War II ended and production of civilian motorcycles resumed immediately in November. In 1947, H-D purchased a new plant on Capitol Drive. The Capitol Drive plant was used as a large machine shop, shipping the new parts to Juneau Ave. for final assembly. In 1953, Hendee Manufacturing went out of business. Harley-Davidson was no longer the sole U.S. motorcycle manufacturer for the next 46 years.
1960-1990
In 1960, Harley-Davidson purchased a half interest in Aeronatica-Macchi and formed Aeromacchi Harley-Davidson, a European division. In 1962, Harley-Davidson purchased 60% of the stock in the Tomahawk Boat Manufacturing Company. In 1969, Harley-Davidson merged with the American Machine and Foundry Company (AMF), a longtime producer of leisure products. 1971 marked the first year of Harley-Davidson snowmobile production. Motorcycle production was upgraded when all assembly operations were moved to a modern 400,000 square foot plant in York, PA in the year of 1973. All other H-D production operations remained in Milwaukee and Tomahawk. The Capitol Drive plant in Milwaukee began production of engines. On February 26, 1981, 13 H-D senior executives signed a letter of intent to purchase Harley-Davidson Motor Company from AMF. By mid-June, the buyback was official. In 1983, Harley-Davidson successfully petitioned the International Trade Commission for tariff relief, which was granted April 1, 1983. The tariff, scheduled to end five years later, was placed on all imported Japanese motorcycles. In addition, the Harley Owners Group, fondly referred to as H.O.G., began. Immediately, H.O.G. was the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the world. In 1986, The Motor Company was listed on the American Stock Exchange which marked the first time H-D was publicly traded since the AMF merger in 1969. In addition, to diversify their holdings, Harley-Davidson purchased Holiday Rambler Corporation, a producer of quality motor homes. In the following year, Harley-Davidson was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Also in 1987, Harley-Davidson petitioned the International Trade Commission for early termination of the five year tariffs. Finally, the "Buy Back Program" began. In 1988, the Harley-Davidson Traveling Museum hit the road, displaying memorabilia, classic Harley-Davidson motorcycles and the rich history of the Harley-Davidson rider.
1991 - The Present
In 1991, installation of a $31 million state of the art paint facility began at the York, PA. factory. It was fully operational in 1992. Harley-Davidson celebrated its 90th Anniversary in 1993 with a family reunion. An estimated 100,000 people rode in a parade of motorcycles. Harley-Davidson also bought a minority interest in Buell Motorcycle Company. A new, state of the art Parts and Accessories Distribution Center opened in Franklin, WI. The following year, a new 217,000 square feet Production Development Center opened next to the Capitol Drive plant. This building was dedicated to Willie G. Davidson. A new 330,000 square feet plant in Kansas City also opened. 1998 marked the 95th anniversary of Harley-Davidson and 140,000 plus riders came to Milwaukee to celebrate. H-D opened a new assembly facility in Manaus, Brazil and this marked the first operations of H-D outside of the U.S. Finally, Harley-Davidson bought a remaining 49% interest in Buell Motorcycle Company and Erik Buell was named Chairman of Buell Operations. In 2000, the Rider's Edge Academy of Motorcycling, a beginner's riding course available through H-D and Buell dealerships commenced. In 2006, Harley-Davidson appointed Beijing Feng Huo Lun (FHL) as the first authorized Harley-Davidson dealer on mainland China. On July 12, 2008, the all new H-D Museum opened in Milwaukee. The museum, located at 6th and Canal St., showcased hundreds of classic and custom motorcycles, interactive exhibits and never-before-seen films and photographs. In addition, hundreds of thousands of riders from around the world came to Milwaukee to celebrate Harley-Davidson's 105th anniversary. Finally in 2009, Harley-Davidson announced their expansion into India.
For a photographic history of Harley-Davidson, please click here.
If you would like a full-detailed history of Harley-Davidson, please visit the Harley-Davidson History website.
Visit Harley-Davidson's website or facebook page today!
Harley-Davidson Leadership
Harley-Davidson has a very unique leadership structure that is very uncommon among organizations. Harley-Davidson uses an informal leadership structure. For a picture of Harley-Davidson's leadership structure, please click here. I am very interested in learning more about informal leadership structures. Please read my case study to learn more about the informal leadership structure and how it compares to the formal leadership structure.
References:
This information was taken from the Harley-Davidson website, http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/H-D_History/history.html?locale=en_US&bmLocale=en_US, on 3/25/12.