Excelsior-Henderson Gears Up

EXCELSIOR-HENDERSON GEARS UP

WHEN LAST WE VISITED Excelsior-Henderson in April, 1997, company founders Dan and Dave Hanlon were just breaking ground on their $30 million headquarters in Bell Plaine, Minnesota. Now, the 160,000square-foot facility is complete, and the growing staff is readying for production.

According to independent analysts, the company has sufficient funds to begin building its heavyweight cruiser, the Super X. “People like motorcycles,” says Chief Financial Officer Tom Rootness, “which makes raising money easier.” Rootness adds that Excelsior-Henderson will need to sell approximately 4000 bikes (at about $17,000 a pop) per year to break even. “That will be in about 12 months,” he says confidently.

Not all aspects of assembly were in place during our lateFebruary visit, but engineering/manufacturing VP Allan Hurd says production will be “a very tidy process.” Resplendent in a collared shirt, black jeans, boots and a Jack Daniel’s belt buckle (!), Hurd appears to have made a smooth transition from Merry Olde England, where he headed Triumph’s relaunch, to America’s heartland.

Asked if the Super X would be entirely Americanmade, Dave Hanlon replies,

“We want as much American content as possible, but we want to build a premium motorcycle. Unfortunately, some components, like electronics, aren’t available here, so you have to go off-shore.” Currently, Excelsior-Henderson has 55 confirmed dealers, many of whom also sell Harley-Davidsons. Plans call for at least 100 dealers by the start of production, which is scheduled for October.

Matthew Miles