Harley-Davidson to close Kansas City manufacturing plant—Harley-Davidson will close its manufacturing plant in Kansas City, Missouri, following a sharp drop in sales in the final quarter of 2017.

The fourth-quarter of 2017 was not a good one for Harley-Davidson.

The company released its fourth-quarter report this morning (January 30), and said its net income dropped 82 percent in its fiscal fourth quarter to $8.3 million compared to $47.2 million in 2016.

“Harley-Davidson plans to further improve its manufacturing operations and cost structure by commencing a multi-year manufacturing optimization initiative anchored by the consolidation of its motorcycle assembly plant in Kansas City, Mo. into its plant in York, Pa,” a statement from the company read. “The company expects to incur restructuring and other consolidation costs of $170 to $200 million and capital investment of approximately $75 million over the next two years and expects ongoing annual cash savings of $65 to $75 million after 2020.”

The decision to close the Kansas City plant means around 800 workers will be out of a job.

“The decision to consolidate our final assembly plants was made after very careful consideration of our manufacturing footprint and the appropriate capacity given the current business environment. Our Kansas City assembly operations will leave a legacy of safety, quality, collaboration and manufacturing leadership,” said Matt Levatich, president and chief executive officer, Harley-Davidson, Inc.

As for Harley-Davidson share earnings were five cents per share, which is down from 27 cents per share in 2016, although revenue was up to $1.23 billion, compared to $1.11 the previous year.

Part of the reason for the earning drop came via a $53.1 million tax charge relating to President Trump’s enactment of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as a $29.4 pre-tax charge for a product recall.

Overall, Harley-Davidson’s worldwide retail motorcycle sales fell 6.7 percent compared to 2016, with U.S. sales down 8.5 percent and international sales down 3.9 percent.

On the plus side, the company maintained its number one 601+cc motorcycle market share position in countries including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, and India for 2017, with 57 new international dealer points added to the network.

“Our actions to address the current environment through disciplined supply and cost management position us well as we drive to achieve our long-term objectives to build the next generation of Harley- Davidson riders globally,” said Levatich. “We finished 2017 with over 32,000 more Harley-Davidson riders in the U.S. than one year ago, and we delivered another year of strong cash generation and cash returns to our shareholders.”

Source: USA Today

Reports over the weekend indicated that Gibson, the preeminent instrument manufacturer famous for developing some of the most popular early electric guitar models, might go bankrupt as early as this summer. The issue seemed to be an inability to refinance the company’s bonds, which would result in the company being forced to pay an untenable $145 million in bank loans in July. The crisis comes following the departure of the company’s former chief financial officer Bill Lawrence after a tenure of less than a year.

Gibson, which opened in 1902 as a guitar and mandolin manufacturing company, has now issued a statement clarifying that it has “met all current obligations to the bondholders” and that the company is working with an investment bank to find an alternative “credit facility.” The company also says it is confident that all bonds can be “refinanced in the ordinary course of business.” Gibson and its subsidiary companies focus on pro audio equipment as well as a wide variety of musical instrument brands, and according to CEO Henry Juszkiewicz–quoted in the company’s statement–both regions are “profitable” but performing “below the level of success we saw several years ago.”

“We have been monetizing assets like stock holdings, real property and business segments that could not achieve the level of success we expected,” Juszkiewicz continued. “By monetizing these assets, we can reduce debt and generate funds to contribute to business segments that are thriving.” Gibson’s statement offered no details as to which segments of the company’s business they were planning on scaling back.

“With the refinancing and the improvement in operating performance from the actions that we are rolling out, we expect the company to be organized for success and growth for years to come,” Juszkiewicz concluded.