Harley-Davidson lay-offs2nd September 2016 Touring | Trike | Softail | Dyna | Sportster | Jobs ◄PREVIOUS STORY NEXT STORY► 
Around 200 Harley-Davidson employees are facing lay-offs as from the fourth quarter of 2016, meaning this autumn. The problem is simply that H-D has been facing lower than anticipated domestic sales and needs to downsize, or if you prefer, right-size. The job losses will happen at various US plants including York, Pennsylvania which has around 950 employees. Roughly 117 workers will be lost. At Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin where approximately 1,000 people are employed there will be further unspecified jobs losses. And at Tomahawk, Wisconsin around 35 employees will go. Further lay-off details are still sketchy which perhaps suggests that the company is still working out how to minimise impact whilst appeasing the unions. York, Pennsylvania The York, Pennsylvania plant came on stream in 1973. It's an assembly building that handles Touring, Trike and Softail models. More than 60 percent of the firm's motorcycles are built at York. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin The Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin facility at Pilgrim Road produces engines and transmissions for Touring, Softail, Dyna and Sportster models. Engines and transmissions for CKD (Complete Knockdown Kits) are also produced here for final assembly at Harley-Davidson plants in India and Brazil. Tomahawk, Wisconsin  The Tomahawk, Wisconsin plant (actually two facilities) was purchased by Harley-Davidson in 1963. It was a boat building firm with fibreglass expertise.
H-D needed that expertise in order to rationalise and improve production of its fairings, panniers and sidecar bodies. Harley-Davidson currently maintains 14 manufacturing operations or support locations worldwide. There's no word on whether or not these laid-off employees will be re-hired at any time in the foreseeable future. Nor is there any word on any forthcoming job losses overseas. Generally, cruiser and tourer sales in the USA have declined in 2016. ◄PREVIOUS STORY NEXT STORY► | 
