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HARLEY-DAVIDSON COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF MV AGUSTA
Company Expands European Presence with Premium Italian Motorcycle Company
Milwaukee, Wis., Aug. 8, 2008 -- Harley-Davidson,
Inc. (NYSE: HOG) today announced the completion of its purchase of the
privately-held Italian motorcycle maker MV Agusta Group. The Company has
acquired 100 percent of MV Agusta Group shares for total consideration of
approximately 70 million euros ($108 million), which includes the
satisfaction of existing bank debt for approximately 45 million euros ($69
million).
"We are thrilled to welcome the MV Agusta
family of customers and employees into the Harley-Davidson family of
premium motorcycle brands," said Harley-Davidson, Inc. Chief
Executive Officer Jim Ziemer. "Our primary focus with this
acquisition is to grow our presence and enhance our position in Europe as
a leader in fulfilling customers' dreams, complementing the
Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycle families," Ziemer said.
Retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles have
grown at a double-digit rate in Europe in each of the last three years, as
the Company has increased its strategic focus on global markets.
MV Agusta Group adds two lines of motorcycles to
the Harley-Davidson, Inc. family: a line of exclusive, premium,
high-performance sport motorcycles sold under the MV Agusta brand; and a
line of lightweight sport motorcycles sold under the Cagiva brand. MV
Agusta's F4-R motorcycle, powered by a 1078cc in-line four-cylinder liquid
cooled engine, is rated at 190 hp.
In conjunction with finalizing the acquisition,
Harley-Davidson has named Matt Levatich as Managing Director of MV Agusta
Group. Levatich, 43, joined Harley-Davidson in 1994 and has served in a
variety of roles, including significant positions in Harley-Davidson
Europe sales and marketing, based in England. He headed Harley-Davidson
materials management as Vice President for four years and most recently
was Vice President and General Manager of Parts and Accessories and Custom
Vehicle Operations.
Company Background
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company for the group of companies
doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC), Buell Motorcycle
Company (Buell), Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) and MV Agusta
Group (MVAG). Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight
motorcycles and offers a line of motorcycle parts, accessories, general
merchandise and related services. HDMC manufactures five families of
motorcycles: Touring, Dyna®, Softail ®, Sportster ® and VRSC(TM). Buell
produces premium sport performance motorcycles and offers a line of
motorcycle parts, accessories, and apparel. HDFS provides wholesale and
retail financing and insurance programs primarily to Harley-Davidson and
Buell dealers and customers. MVAG produces premium, high-performance sport
motorcycles sold under the MV Agusta brand and lightweight sport
motorcycles sold under the Cagiva brand.
Forward-Looking Statements
Harley-Davidson, Inc. intends that certain matters discussed in this
release are "forward-looking statements" intended to qualify for
the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can
generally be identified as such because the context of the statement will
include words such as Harley "believes,"
"anticipates," "expects," "plans," or
"estimates" or words of similar meaning. Similarly, statements
that describe future plans, objectives, outlooks, targets, guidance or
goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements
are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those anticipated as of the date of this
release. Certain risks and uncertainties are described below.
Shareholders, potential investors, and other readers are urged to consider
these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements and cautioned
not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements included in this release are only made as of
the date of this release, and Harley-Davidson, Inc. disclaims any
obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect
subsequent events or circumstances.
In addition, Harley-Davidson financed a portion of
the consideration by borrowing funds and its level of indebtedness
increased as a result, which may cause Harley-Davidson to incur additional
interest expense and limit Harley-Davidson's ability to obtain additional
financing. It could also increase Harley-Davidson's exposure to general
adverse economic and industry conditions and adversely impact
Harley-Davidson, Inc.'s earnings per share. Furthermore, Harley-Davidson
may have challenges successfully integrating or profitably operating the
business of MV Agusta Group.
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