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T H E O N LY M A G A Z I N E F O R T H E W O R L D W I D E V- T W I N PA R T S , A C C E S S O RY A N D P E R F O R M A N C E I N D U S T RY
Strong international growth boosts Harley in 2014 as US motorcycle sales disappoint N line with its lowered forecasts for the second half of last year, HarleyDavidson's full-year motorcycle sales were up, but only by a disappointing 1.3 percent in the United States in 2014 - which translates into 171,079 motorcycles sold (63.8 percent of total production), an increase of just 2,216 additional bikes. Overall, Harley's worldwide motorcycle sales are up by +2.7 percent, but the good news, in motorcycles sales terms (as opposed to shipments, and as opposed to the corporation's financial performance), comes from their international sales, which dramatically improves their overall performance picture. Total international sales are now a massive 96,920 motorcycles, up by 9.2 percent and accounting for 36.2 percent of total production. Harley's Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region leads the way with 45,323 motorcycles sold (+6.4 percent), 38,491 of which were sold in Europe itself (+6.7 percent). The Asia/Pacific region was up by 11.8
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percent with 30,074 motorcycles sold (of which 10,775 went to Japanese customers); Harley's Latin American markets were up by +2.1 percent (11,652 motorcycles sold). As AMD’s regular dealer surveys conducted for us
international sales 36.2 percent of total production by Milwaukee based analyst R.W. Baird had suggested might be the case last year, Harley's Canadian dealers sold 10.8 percent fewer motorcycles than in 2013 (9,871). Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Wandell is nonetheless upbeat in his investor community briefings, preferring to point instead to balance sheet and demographic improvements, while acknowledging the Company's international strength. "Harley-Davidson achieved a great year
of financial performance in 2014, with double-digit earnings growth, revenue topping $6 billion and continued strong improvement in margins. "We also continued to broaden our customer base and expand the reach of our brand through unrivaled products and experiences. In international markets, our dealers in Asia Pacific, EMEA and Latin America posted their highest new motorcycle sales on record for each region, delivering on our expectation for international sales to grow at a faster rate than U.S. sales. And in the U.S., for the third straight year, sales to our outreach customers grew at more than twice the rate of sales to core customers." "Our success is the result of a clear focus on managing the Company for the long term, building on our well-established strategies and driving continuous improvement in every aspect of our business," Wandell said. Full-year 2014 diluted earnings per share increased 18.3 percent to $3.88 compared to diluted EPS of $3.28 in 2013. Net income was $844.6 million on Continues on page 6 >>>
After winning the Modified Harley class at the 2013 World Championship of Custom Bike Building Winston Yeh returned to the competition in 2014 to compete in the Freestyle class with Graphite Speedster
FEB 2015 ISSUE #187
NEWS 143 reasons to be cheerful
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