Vaughn Beals
Vaughn L. Beals, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1928[1] Massachusetts, United States[1] |
| Known for | President, Harley-Davidson |
| Awards | Automotive Hall of Fame distinguished service citation[2] Motorcycle Hall of Fame (2008)[3] |
Vaughn L. Beals, Jr. was Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson between 1981 and 1989, and chairman from 1981 to 1996.[3] He was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2008.[3]
Education and career prior to 1981
Beals earned bachelor's and master's degrees in aeronautical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[1][4] He worked at North American Aviation and Cummins as engineer and executive.[5] He was CEO, chairman, and president of Formac (Washington Iron Works) in Seattle, a company that made large engines and logging equipment.[4][6]
He worked at American Machine and Foundry (AMF), becoming vice-president of the division that operated Harley-Davidson (bought by AMF in 1969).
Harley-Davidson buyout and leadership
In 1981, Beals and 12 other investors, including Willie G. Davidson, initiated a management buyout. Harley was bought from AMF for $65 million.[7][8][9][10]
During his leadership of Harley, he initiated the use of just-in-time delivery and other manufacturing reforms, after seeing these practices in use at the Honda Marysville Motorcycle Plant in Ohio.[11] He also directed creation of Harley Owners Group in 1983, today the world's largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club.[12]
Philanthropy
In 2004, Beals and his wife Eleanore Woods Beals, an alumna, established the Woods-Beals endowed chair at Buffalo State College. It was the institution's first endowed chair.[13][14]
References
- ^ a b c "Vaughn Beals, Jr.", Great American Business Leaders of the 20th Century, Harvard Business School, retrieved 2013-03-18
- ^ "Awards — Distinguished Service Citation". Automotive Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
- ^ a b c Vaughn Beals at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame
- ^ a b "Vaughn L. Beals, Jr.: Chairman, Harley-Davidson, Inc". Wisconsin Business Gallery. UW Milwaukee. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
- ^ Greg Field (2002). "Leader of the Pack: Vaughn Beals". In Darwin Holmstrom (ed.). The Harley-Davidson Century. St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing. ISBN 0-7603-1155-2.
- ^ H. ERICH HEINEMANN (2 July 1973), "Soaring Economy Is Sparking Debate Over Its Consequences and Duration", The New York Times, p. 1
- ^ Smithsonian magazine, August 2003, pg. 36 – "Wild Thing", Robert F. Howe
- ^ Harley-Davidson timeline: 1980s, Harley-Davidson Museum, retrieved 2013-03-17
- ^ 2 YEARS OF LOSSES AT HARLEY-DAVIDSON, The New York Times, 26 January 1983, p. D.5,
Vaughn and a group that included two sons of the founder of Harley-Davidson bought the company for $65 million.
- ^ Jeff Bailey (20 March 1987), "Beals Takes Harley-Davidson on New Road", Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition, p. 1
- ^ Kotha, S. & Dutton, J. Transformation at Harley-Davidson. In Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach by C. Hill & G. Jones, Fourth Edition, Houghton-Mifflin 1997. Also reprinted in Managing Organizations and People: Cases in Management Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, by Schuler, R. & Buller, P. South-Western Publishers, Spring 1999.
- ^ Matthew Ragas (2002). The Power of Cult Branding: How 9 Magnetic Brands Turned Customers Into Loyal Followers (and Yours Can Too!). Prima Venture. ISBN 0761536949.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthor=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Woods-Beals Endowed Chair, Buffalo State Center for Excellence in Rural and Urban Education, retrieved 2013-03-18
- ^ Woods-Beals Endowed Chair for Excellence in Urban and Rural Education, Buffalo State College, retrieved 2013-03-18
External links
- AMA Motorycle Hall of Famer Vaughn Beals on YouTube, uploaded by AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame