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HARLEY-Davidson is setting its sights on a vacant warehouse as it grapples with a shaky future.
The iconic motorcycle brand wants to transform a 160,000-square-foot space into storage for bikes, parts, and museum pieces.
The warehouse will be located in Wauwatosa, which is approximately five miles outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
The Wauwatosa Common Council held a public hearing on April 22 to discuss a permit for the warehouse.
No residents spoke up during the meeting, and the council is expected to approve the permit soon.
The warehouse will house motorcycles, archival items, and even a photo studio, while a space for up to 30 mechanics will be available.
The facility will operate Monday through Friday, 7 am to 5 pm, with a typical staff of 12 to 15 employees.
The move comes as Harley-Davidson faces pressure for a leadership change.
A recent resignation by a director, who sharply criticized the company, has sparked calls for fresh leadership to steer the company through its ongoing struggles.
HARLEY TURMOIL
The iconic motorcycle brand, which has been part of American culture since 1903, has faced increasing challenges in recent years, including corporate turmoil.
Board member Jared Dourdeville expressed serious concerns about the business before stepping down from his position earlier this month.
In a scathing letter to the board, Dourdeville, who represented Harley’s second-largest shareholder H Partners, criticized the company for “severe underperformance” and “cultural depletion.”
He demanded the immediate resignation of CEO Jochen Zeitz and two other directors, accusing them of driving the brand into chaos.
The April 1 letter pulled no punches, tearing into Harley’s work-from-home policy, high turnover, and loss of key senior leaders.
Dourdeville stepped down just days after sending the letter and ahead of a meeting where his demands were set to be discussed.
His dramatic departure comes on the heels of Zeitz announcing he’d retire once a new CEO is chosen.
Harley-Davidson’s uncertain future
- May 2020: Jochen Zeitz replaces Matthew Levatich as the company’s CEO
- April 2021: Zeitz implements the “Hardwire” five-year plan, in which the company focused on revamping its core touring line-up and focused on online sales through the HD-1 Marketplace
- April 2021: Harley-Davidson lost millions after it was threatened by a 56% tariff from the EU, which never came to fruition, Reuters reported
- December 2024: In the fourth quarter, the company reported a loss of $117 million, with domestic market share shrinking by 13 percent in the same period
- February 2025: The trade war between Europe and the Trump administration leads Harley-Davidson’s CEO to say the company would “fight aggressively” against any tariffs, Milwaukee Journal reported
- April 1, 2025: Board member Jared Dourdeville wrote a letter announcing he would resign from the board and called for Zeitz to retire, blaming him for the “cultural” depletion of the company
- April 8, 2025: Zeitz announced he planned to step down and will remain the CEO until a replacement is found
Zeitz, who’s been in charge since 2020, announced his retirement on April 8 after five years leading the company.
The brand is now searching for a successor.
HARLEY EYES $1 BILLION SALE
Meanwhile, the motocycle giant is considering the sale of its financing division,
Meanwhile, the motorcycle giant is considering the sale of its financing division, Harley-Davidson Financial Services, for a potential $1 billion or more.
This includes regional banks, private equity firms and private credit players.
According to Business Times, weak sales growth, sluggish stock prices, and intense competition from rivals like Honda and BMW have shaken investor confidence.
The decision to close its financial arm isn’t final, but the company has started gauging market to see if there’s any potential buyer.
Harley-Davidson stocks plummeted 9.3% to close at $21.49 in New York on April 10, giving the company a market value of $2.7 billion.
The value of its stocks nearly halved last year, plunging 48%, a situation that has likely been exacerbated by Trump’s tariff war.
Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) helps the company’s dealers finance their inventory and consumers finance the purchase of its bikes and LiveWire motorcycles.
Easing the way onto two wheels, the division also works with third parties to provide motorcycle insurance.
