Dealernews - December 2008 - (Page 12) SPEED READ MV AGUSTA RAMPS UP PRODUCTION ITALIAN OEM TARGETS THREE AREAS FOR GROWTH VARESE, Italy — Since Harley-Davidson closed the deal on MV Agusta, company leadership has worked to polish the Italian organization in three major areas: the restart of production, development of a broader model range, and growing its dealer base. “Our initial focus has been on the production line, and we’re doing very nicely getting to our planned daily production rates,” Matt Levatich told Dealernews during an interview at the MV Agusta factory in Italy. Levatich, after having served in a variety of roles for H-D both in the United States and Europe, was tapped to serve as president and managing director of MV Agusta Motor SpA. Levatich is one of two employees who came to work at MV Agusta from the Harley-Davidson operation in the United States. The other is Gene Gazzetti, who’s running the manufacturing and the supply chains. Levatich says MV is being reborn much as H-D was in the early 1990s following the employee takeover. He says MV employees worked through the months of August and September to restart production and fulfill orders that had been coming in from throughout the world. The first bikes under H-D ownership rolled off of the line September 29. Now the company is producing about 30 bikes per day. “Product development is a second major project area,” Levatich says. “We’re putting a pretty significant emphasis on product development.” How will MV Agusta and Cagiva jibe with the Buell brand? “They’re a very different product, yet absolutely complementary,” Levatich says. “We don’t want to be chasing the same customers. Buell has established itself in a unique position in the streetfighter arena, and there’s segmentation based on price.” As for Cagiva, which produces only two 125cc models — the Mito and Raptor — Levatich says the brand’s options are unlimited. “Do we develop a line of small-displacement models? Off-road bikes? Cagiva could be a lot of things. Still, our immediate plan is to focus on MV. Thereafter, we’ll see what we want to do with Cagiva. It’s a wonderful opportunity for the business.” The third immediate target for MV is dealer development and the fine-tuning of the distribution system, which, according to Levatich, “also is among the most important ingredients to the new operation.” Is H-D looking to capitalize on MV’s dealer network in Europe to help place Harley-Davidson and Buell product? “It’s our obligation to pick the dealers who’ll do the best job for our product and our customers, and we’re going to select dealers who we feel can do the best job. However, it’s not outlandish to think that we may find a dealer in a city who’ll be able to do that for two of the brands, or even three of the brands.” How about MV racing? “Racing is a necessary component in putting the exclamation mark behind the reputation,” he says. “The heritage of this brand is in the technology proven through racing, but you can’t live off of a 50-year-old reputation for glory. With that said, it’s not an immediate priority. It’s out there as a must-do, but not an immediate do.”— Guido Ebert “We are bringing a new approach to getting out in front of folks who are a good match for powersports. When times are tough, that’s when you have to invest,” said Gene Ponti, 12 DEALERNEWS DECEMBER 2008 marketing director for RideNow Powersports, on the privately held company becoming a sponsor of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The dealer network already sponsors the Arizona Cardinals and the Phoenix Coyotes. This appeared in the Nov. 7 of the Arizona Republic. DEALERNEWS.COM http://www.dealernews.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Dealernews - December 2008 Dealernews - December 2008 Contents From the Editors Inbox Speed Read Joe Delmont Dealernews - December 2008 Dealernews - December 2008 - Dealernews - December 2008 (Page Cover1) Dealernews - December 2008 - Dealernews - December 2008 (Page Cover2) Dealernews - December 2008 - Dealernews - December 2008 (Page 1) Dealernews - December 2008 - Contents (Page 2) Dealernews - December 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Dealernews - December 2008 - Contents (Page 4) Dealernews - December 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Dealernews - December 2008 - Contents (Page 6) Dealernews - December 2008 - Contents (Page 7) Dealernews - December 2008 - From the Editors (Page 8) Dealernews - December 2008 - From the Editors (Page 9) Dealernews - December 2008 - Inbox (Page 10) Dealernews - December 2008 - Inbox (Page 11) Dealernews - December 2008 - Speed Read (Page 12) Dealernews - December 2008 - Speed Read (Page 13) Dealernews - December 2008 - Speed Read (Page 14) Dealernews - December 2008 - Speed Read (Page 15) Dealernews - December 2008 - Speed Read (Page 16) Dealernews - December 2008 - Speed Read (Page 17) Dealernews - December 2008 - Speed Read (Page 18) Dealernews - December 2008 - Speed Read (Page 19) Dealernews - December 2008 - Speed Read (Page 20) Dealernews - December 2008 - Speed Read (Page 21) Dealernews - December 2008 - Joe Delmont (Page 22) Dealernews - December 2008 - Joe Delmont (Page 23) Dealernews - December 2008 - Joe Delmont (Page 24) Dealernews - December 2008 - Joe Delmont (Page 25) Dealernews - December 2008 - Joe Delmont (Page 26) Dealernews - December 2008 - Joe Delmont (Page 27) Dealernews - December 2008 - Joe Delmont (Page 28) Dealernews - December 2008 - Joe Delmont (Page Cover3) Dealernews - December 2008 - Joe Delmont (Page Cover4)
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