Harley-DavidsonNews

Milwaukee Harley-Davidson gets new owner

Windy City Motorcycle Group, a privately held motorcycle company, has purchased Milwaukee Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The group also owns and operates other Harley-Davidson dealerships in Illinois.

“I think Harley-Davidson understands that a sophisticated, multi-store dealer/operator has the ability to provide far more superior customer service by being able to invest more heavily in infrastructure, operations, employee training and customer support mechanisms,” said COO Justin Johnson. “And while the single store operator has certain benefits, it is very tough to remain viable in the modern economy and to provide the level of customer service and experience that our dedicated and loyal customers have grown to demand and deserve. We bring owner operators into our family of dealerships so the riders and market get the best of both worlds, personal involvement and sophistication.”

Windy City Motorcycle Group is actively pursuing other acquisitions, but is excited to bring Milwaukee Harley-Davidson back to prominence in Milwaukee.

“We will not grow just for the sake of growth,” principal Ozzie Giglio said. “We will add to our family of dealerships only when there is a clear synergy, and Milwaukee makes all the sense in the world to us. Our priority is providing world-class customer experiences.”

Giglio suggests that economies of scale allow the group to control operating costs, hold or reduce margins on sales while maintaining acceptable profitability, all of which benefits their valued customers in the end.

“We are riders and customers of the H-D brand also, and frankly that is what led us to purchase our first dealership in 2001; to offer fair and honest pricing to consumers like ourselves and provide a super fun and friendly place for riders to call home,” said Giglio’s wife, Jill. “Milwaukee H-D will be no different. Our simple philosophy of ‘be fair and be nice’ and always put the customer first is how we’ve grown to owning multiple dealerships, and has also allowed us to employ over 250 people now, which we are very proud of. Being able to provide for our people and their families, which also supports the local communities in which our dealerships reside, makes this all that more exhilarating.”

“Our Group has long looked forward to the opportunity to enter the Milwaukee marketplace as it is rich with heritage for the brand, has a tremendous riding base, and welcomes the opportunity to tie their strong philosophy for unmatched customer service to this iconic brand, the iconic Milwaukee Harley-Davidson name, and the great group of loyal Harley-Davidson riders the market is so fortunate to have,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be a whole new Milwaukee Harley-Davidson focused on the bikes, the riders, great events, big inventories, and a great team of professionals to deliver unmatched customer experiences.”

The Windy City Motorcycle Group, headquartered in Saint Charles, Illinois, employs over 250 people and was founded in 2001 by Jill and Ozzie Giglio, natives of the western suburbs of Chicago and avid Harley-Davidson riders. Ozzie, Jill and the entire group are super excited to add Milwaukee H-D to their group, from which they already serve tens of thousands of riders in the Chicagoland and southern Wisconsin areas.

“We’re looking forward to making a lot of new friends in the Milwaukee market,” Ozzie said.

Now with nine dealerships, Windy City Motorcycle Group has become the third-largest dealership group in the U.S., behind RideNow Powersports and Freedom Powersports. Windy City’s Illinois lineup includes Wild Fire Harley-Davidson (Villa Park); City Limits Harley-Davidson (Palatine); Illinois Harley-Davidson (Countryside); Fox River Harley-Davidson (St. Charles); Windy City Harley-Davidson, Chicago (O’Hare Airport); Windy City Triumph (St. Charles); Starved Rock Harley-Davidson (Ottawa); and DeKalb Harley-Davidson (DeKalb).

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