American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 168 July 2013 | Seite 8

Saddlemen 2013 Harley-Davidson catalog SADDLEMEN has released its 2013 catalog for Harley-Davidson applications, which features Saddlemen seats, luggage, and accessories for most Harley-Davidson models. The latest edition of the catalog features all of the regular Saddlemen products as well as a multitude of new additions. In addition to several updated applications for 2012 and 2013 bike models, the catalog covers new seats, bags and accessories. Also included in the 2013 catalog is information about Saddlemen’s unique Integrated Design Process, which incorporates several proprietary technologies like shockabsorbing SaddleGel, Black Magic progressive density foam, and SaddleHyde elementsresistant covers. Wandell named Powersports’ Business Executive of the Year KEITH Wandell, who took on the role of Harley-Davidson CEO in 2009, has been named by Powersports Business as its ‘Executive of the Year’ for 2013. During his time in the position of CEO, Wandell has overseen a restructuring of the manufacturing process and production across the business and guided the company towards targeting a non-traditional demographic. As a result of the changes he has spearheaded the Company’s increased income in each of the past three years and grow retail sales and motorcycle revenues in 2011 and 2012. In October 2009, just five months after Wandell took on the CEO role, the Company discontinued the Buell motorcycle line, laying off 80 hourly and 100 salaried employees. At the same time, the company also moved to sell MV Agusta, which had been purchased less than a year before Wandell joined the business. “The Harley-Davidson brand is absolutely the most important thing that we have in our company, and everything that we do has to be delivered in a way that’s true to that brand, that keeps the legacy living on, and the legacy is really all about personal freedom. It’s all about people having the ability to express their own personal freedom through how they dress and how they customize their bikes and how they get together at these rallies and interact with one another,” said Wandell in an interview with Powersports Business. Focusing on the core brand was not the only significant change that Wandell brought about following his appointment. When analyzing Harley’s former year-long level-load production, Wandell drew on his previous two decades of managerial experience at Johnson Controls, a global manufacturer of automotive, power and building solutions. Explaining how he introduced a restructured seasonal demand manufacturing process, Wandell said: “I felt that it was very, very important that we implement a more flexible manufacturing process, so that we could manufacture bikes closer to when the demand was going to be there. In that way, we wouldn’t be loading our dealers up with inventory during slow periods of time and then having shortages, if you will, during busy periods of time.” “We’ve had to go through what we call a major transformation in how we design and develop products and how we manufacture, and it created a lot of change in people’s lives. It was difficult for a lot of people, and you never like to see that happen, but at the same time, you know it has to happen. It’s the right thing, so you just fight through it. But it’s certainly been very challenging,” Wandell concluded. SADDLEMEN Rancho Dominguez, California, USA Tel: [phone] [email protected] www.saddlemen.com 8 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - JULY 2013