What's with this scuttlebutt??? Harley might abandon Milwaukee!

MILWAUKEE — It's the roar that made Milwaukee famous — the distinctive throaty rumble of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. But that much-loved racket could be rumbling away to another state if the company cannot bring down its labor costs.

 

I don't see a date on that article but I think it's old. HD renotiated labor contracts and is staying in Milwaukee.

 

Companies seem to be moving away from our state. GM left Janesville a few years ago which lead to numerous other companies shutting their doors and many jobs lost. I think they are positioning themselves to get tax breaks or incentives to stay in WI. It will be interesting to see what happens.

 

From a local news site today. http://www.channel3000.com/news/24508913/detail.html

 

I will take a wild *** guess here now and state that the MoCo will NEVER leave Wisconsin. They may indeed at some point relocate manufacturing in order to combat labor costs but corporate HQ will always remain in Milwaukee so they can continue the tradition and the marketing bragging rights. Only the engines are mfged
there now along with the small fiberglass plant in Tomahawk so it wouldnt take much to move it ALL to some other state OR COUNTRY. I visited the Kansas City plant a few years ago and while on the tour we passed about a dozen frame welding booths. The last three booths were robots! Wonder how many are robots NOW!

 

I feel the same way.

 

I dunno - every piece I`ve bought including clothes/boots - dress up chrome parts is made in China - they are slowly becoming an assembly facility and farming out the actual manufacture to China.

 

I heard they're moving to Texas. no unions and cheaper operating costs.

 

The bottom line says it all, "they will consider incentive to keep the jobs in Milwaukee" .....it's just a money grab, what a bunch of *** holes.

 

Don't they make all the bikes either in Kansas City or York, PA? All these articles make it seem like they build the bikes in Milwaukee, but it's just engines now, isn't it?