Author |
Message |
Badlionsfan
| Posted on Saturday, September 11, 2010 - 10:38 pm: |
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No, the P is the last letter of the LMNOP package designation. Let's Make No Organizational Progress. It'll be my motto as CEO. |
Delta_one
| Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2010 - 04:11 am: |
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Let's Make No Organizational Progress. It'll be my motto as CEO. sorry you cant have that because its already taken by the current CEO |
Mr_grumpy
| Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2010 - 07:51 am: |
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Learn to play golf! |
Ducxl
| Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2010 - 08:19 am: |
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What do they call it? A stock buy back? I'd take the MOCO OFF (read:OFF) of the New York stock exchange and go PRIVATE and run my Damn company the way I WANT TO and be relieved of having to answer to shareholders. I'd put the passion back into manufacturing American motorcycles. And i'd WORK ON THE LINE and be an inspiration to labor Ooohhh what a hangover (Message edited by Ducxl on September 12, 2010) |
Just_ziptab
| Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2010 - 10:36 am: |
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Ducxl..................THAT'S THE CORRECT ANSWER!!!! |
Ft_bstrd
| Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2010 - 10:54 am: |
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It's easy to say that shareholders are the problem, but HD would have been dead over a year ago without the stock. Although there was no direct collateralization of HD stock in Warren Buffet's deal, receiving stock in the event of loan default is expected. Without the stock, being publicly traded, I doubt old Warren would be willing to pony up. |
Just_ziptab
| Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2010 - 11:53 am: |
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So how do other companies survive that aren't public? |
Swordsman
| Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2010 - 06:27 pm: |
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They don't screw up so F'n bad in the first place. |
Ft_bstrd
| Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2010 - 08:45 pm: |
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Once you reach a particular size it is difficult to raise capital without the public stock offering. Public stock offerings also offer benefits with regard to compensation packages (for both employees and CEOs alike), acquisitions, lending, valuation, disclosure, etc. It's easy to say that the company would be better off if it weren't having to be beholden to the stock holders, but you know what, the stock holders is us. We are those evil stockholders either directly (stock, bonds, or mutual funds) or indirectly (union, public or private pension funds). Individuals who's value has risen as a result of good company performance capitalize on that growth and buy goods and services or use those assets to invest in other opportunities like starting a company. Being publicly traded isn't the problem. Being short sighted and making poor business decisions is the problem. Those negative attributes are not unique to publicly traded companies. |
Swordsman
| Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2010 - 08:46 pm: |
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Yeah, I would think that stockholders wouldn't care WHAT you did with the company so long as it was making money and improving. |
Blake
| Posted on Monday, September 13, 2010 - 10:30 am: |
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I would issue a public apology to Erik Buell and all the former Buell Motorcycle employees for all the heavy-handed meddling and idiotic mandates imposed upon Buell by H-D/HDI. I would elaborate on each blunder and provide estimates of the effect of each blunder on market share and profitability. It would be eye-opening. Then I would beg Erik to rejoin HDI but as CEO/CTE of a new Buell Sport Bike Company (BSBC) or maybe "Moto-Buell" with full authority to develop any new models of motorcycle as he wishes employing any parts/sources he wishes. Initially, I'd provide Moto-Buell a good racing/marketing budget in return for detailed long range market planning. Moto-Buell would be stand alone with zero beholding to H-D. All Buell customer service would be entirely handled by Buell. Dealership and distribution issues would be under total authority of Buell. There would be no more prerequisite for Buell dealers to be H-D dealerships. Anyone who wants to sell the brand and who meets the required dealership standards of quality could sell the brand as per BSBC's wishes. At some point I would consider licensing an H-D line of Buell air-cooled machines rebadged as "Sportster" models. The current Sportster would be named something different. I'd help Buell develop their own engine and their own engine manufacturing capability if that is something Erik in which would be interested. I would mandate quality and performance over price point. I would fire everyone in HDI or H-D who isn't cooperative and on-board with the new Buell Sport Bike company. I would present a clear marketing plan to the shareholders that would blow them away and have them cheering for the investment in the new Buell Sport Bike company, an independent but totally owned subsidiary of HDI. Erik Buell would sit on the HDI and H-D Boards. |
Blake
| Posted on Monday, September 13, 2010 - 10:34 am: |
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I would suggest to Erik that he locate his new Buell factory in a right-to-work state, preferably in the South where year-round riding is possible. |
Ft_bstrd
| Posted on Monday, September 13, 2010 - 10:39 am: |
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C'mon Tennessee!!!!!!! You know we got good roads and no personal income tax, right? |
Court
| Posted on Monday, September 13, 2010 - 01:11 pm: |
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Blake is on the right track. I've avoided this thread for fear it would become an HD bashing. I seriously think there is a chance the Harley-Davidson could be steered back to something like it's former status. I don't think the current management can do it. Neither do any of the seasoned and experienced Harley-Davidson execs who have fled. Some of motorcycling' brightest days are in the not too distant future. . . . be interesting to see who has the vision and foresight to be a serious player. Erik Buell came out of the HD/Buell split in far better shape than HD did. |
Hootowl
| Posted on Monday, September 13, 2010 - 01:28 pm: |
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"I seriously think there is a chance the Harley-Davidson could be steered back to something like it's former status" "I don't think the current management can do it." Course not. They can't steer a motorcycle, how are they going to steer a motorcycle company? |
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