Case Study: Harley Davidson saves York operations and protects jobs with Bellevue Communications Group

Harley Davidson saves 2,000 York jobs with Bellevue Communications Group

Harley Davidson faced a significant challenge at its York operations facility, which was no longer competitive or sustainable. The company needed to achieve major cost and efficiency targets, including labor concessions and facility improvements, to avoid relocating the plant and the loss of 2,000 jobs. To help navigate this, Harley Davidson hired Bellevue Communications Group for strategic communications counsel to demonstrate transparency and build a case for the necessary changes.

Bellevue implemented a nuanced communications strategy targeting both internal and external audiences. For employees, they developed management letters, presentation materials for town halls, and email updates. Externally, they managed media outreach, arranged briefings with elected officials, and developed key messages and op-eds. The effort by Bellevue was highly successful, resulting in labor unions agreeing to significant concessions and employees demonstrating a deep understanding of the crisis. This helped secure government support for facility improvements and ultimately saved the plant and protected jobs.

Harley Davidson