Harley-Davidson allowing private equity to invest in dealerships: report
An article by The Motley Fool titled “Harley-Davidson Invites Wall Street Into Its Dealership” reports that Harley-Davidson has reversed a previous mandate that “prohibited private equity firms from owning its dealerships.”
The report also notes that in a December webinar to dealers, “Harley-Davidson revealed that not only can a dealer buy as many as 10 dealerships now [up from a previous limit of 6 and still required to be in the top 33 percent for dealership performance to be considered], but private equity will also be able to invest in dealerships.”
The article goes on to say “that’s a significant change, because it means that individuals no longer need to be majority owners, and the owner no longer has to be on site at the dealership.”