“Harley-Davidson To Sell Motorcycles In India - WPXI” plus 3 more

Harley-Davidson To Sell Motorcycles In India - WPXI
Slovenia Retail Sales Remain Stable In July - RTT News
TTEngines Positioned to Capitalize on Offshore Opportunities - Market Wire
CTC trains new breed of auto mechanic - Frederick News-Post

Harley-Davidson To Sell Motorcycles In India - WPXI

Posted: 27 Aug 2009 04:53 AM PDT

Motorcycle Maker Aims For Rising Middle Class

Posted: 7:57 am EDT August 27, 2009Updated: 12:41 pm EDT August 27, 2009

NEW YORK -- Harley-Davidson Inc. said Thursday it will begin selling motorcycles next year in India, the world's second-largest motorcycle market, where the company hopes its iconic, heavyweight bikes will find a niche among the country's rising middle class.

The Milwaukee-based company said it has established a subsidiary near Delhi and has begun scouting the country for dealers.

"Given the rapid development of India's economy and physical infrastructure, this is exactly the right time to bring the world's greatest motorcycles to one of the world's largest motorcycling nations," said Mark Levatich, Harley's chief operating officer, in a statement.

India is the world's largest market for motorcycles behind China, but it is overwhelmingly dominated by smaller, inexpensive bikes used primarily for transportation, said Dilip Chenoy, director general of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

It is also a market dominated by several well-entrenched Japanese and Indian manufacturers. Hero Honda, a joint-venture between Japan's Honda Motor Co. and India's Hero Group, holds the biggest market share among two-wheelers. Honda, Suzuki and Indian motorbike maker Bajaj Auto are also major players.

Still, Harley said the country's growing economy, rising middle class and expanded highway construction has created a market for leisure motorcycle riders.

"Motorbikes, scooters in India are family commuting bikes," Chenoy said. "They tend to be more robustly built and the focus is on fuel economy, but there is an increasing market for leisure and high-end bikes which is beginning to happen here in India."

The company said it has begun identifying initial dealers in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Punjab State.

Harley's entry in India marks a major win for the motorcycle maker, which has been vying for a foothold in that market for years. The country of more than 1 billion people has experienced roaring growth in recent years, though its economy has cooled in the downturn. Growth for the fiscal year ended March slowed to 6.7 percent from 9 percent the previous year.

The company first launched plans to enter the Indian market in 2007, but the venture was delayed by two obstacles: emissions standards that hindered sales of heavyweight bikes and tariffs on imported motorcycles as high as 60 percent.

Spokesman Bob Klein said a change in Indian emissions standards has paved the way for the company's entry. He said the tariffs remain in place, but the company views demand as strong enough to overcome them.

Levatich said the company would continue to push for lower tariffs but did not want to risk missing out on the rapidly growing market.

"Waiting and continuing to work the tariff issue would have risked the market further developing within the leisure segment without our participation," Levatich said.

Harley has been pushing hard in recent years into overseas markets, where it hopes rising incomes and the company's strong brand identity will lure new customers and help offset flagging sales at home.

In 2008, motorcycle shipments in the U.S. fell 15 percent to 206,000 units while international shipments climbed 9 percent to 97,000. Harley shipped 32 percent of its motorcycles overseas in 2008, up from 27 percent in 2007.

The Asia-Pacific markets in particular have grown in importance for Harley. The company has been opening dealerships in China in recent years and has also sought to enter the Vietnamese market.

Tim Hoelter, Harley's vice president of government affairs, said the company still hopes to enter the Vietnamese market, but it continues to be hindered by tariffs as high as 90 percent.

Last year, Harley's then-CEO Jim Ziemer said in an interview "it'd be nice if we eventually get to a 50-50 split" between domestic and international sales. The company currently sells bikes in more than 70 countries.

Shares of Harley-Davidson rose 28 cents to $22.23 in midday trading on Thursday. The stock has gained 29 percent since the start of the year, as investors begin to see a recovery in demand after a wrenching drop in sales during the U.S. recession.

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Slovenia Retail Sales Remain Stable In July - RTT News

Posted: 28 Aug 2009 02:22 AM PDT

Slovenia Retail Sales Remain Stable In July
8/28/2009 5:25 AM ET

(RTTNews) - Friday, the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia announced that the retail sales without value added tax, remained unchanged on a monthly basis in July, compared with a 1.7% increase in the previous month.

On an annual basis, retail sales dropped 10.6% July, following a 9.4% fall in the previous month.

Retail sales, excluding automotive fuel increased decreased 5.7% on an annual basis in July, and it was up 1.2% compared to the previous month. Similarly, retail sales with food, beverages and tobacco, was down 3.7% annually and increased 1.9% on a monthly basis.

Meanwhile, turnover in wholesale, retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles decreased 25% year-on-year in July, and it increased 0.1% compared to the preceding month.

by RTT Staff Writer

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

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TTEngines Positioned to Capitalize on Offshore Opportunities - Market Wire

Posted: 28 Aug 2009 04:59 AM PDT

SOURCE: Turbine Truck Engines, Inc.

2009 Marks Dramatic Shift in Global Automotive Markets

Turbine Truck Engines Website

DELAND, FL--(Marketwire - August 28, 2009) - Turbine Truck Engines, Inc. ("TTE") ( OTCBB : TTEG) -- In the early '70s, Detroit's Big Three produced about 5% of the Gross National Product of the United States. In 2009, it will be less than 2%, and this year for the first time, European and Japanese automakers will sell more vehicles in the U.S. than the Big Three.

On the Pacific Rim, experts predict that over 11 million cars will be sold in China in 2009, eclipsing sales of all brands in the United States and, over the next 20 years, China is expected to lead the world in motor vehicle sales. Glimpses of the statistics underscore those predictions; over 85% of the adult population of China does not own a car, and with a population exceeding 1.3 billion, the potential market is massive. Further, the Chinese are excited about cars. Past hindrances to personal travel are being minimized and, to facilitate transportation, the country is expected to build over 30,000 miles of highways over the next decade. Economic restraints will cause most Chinese to purchase smaller cars and motorcycles. Alternatively, there is a keen interest in luxury vehicles amongst the upwardly mobile that prefer not only the comfort and safety that larger vehicles offer, but also projects a visual public reference regarding their individual accomplishments.

To power these vehicles, manufacturers are looking for engines that satisfy consumer preferences, government mandates, and environmental concerns. Electric and hydrogen motors have great appeal, but widespread use is limited by engineering challenges and the production and distribution of those energies. On the immediate horizon, an engine is under development that may well provide the bridge the global market needs to advance to an eco-friendly, economically viable resolution. The Detonation Cycle Gas Turbine engine (DCGT) is a unique power plant that delivers improved fuel efficiency and dramatically reduces harmful emissions. Originally designed by the distinguished scientist and inventor, Robert Scragg, the engine is in its final stages of development and its developer, TTE, anticipates it will be mass-produced as early as 2011. Michael Rouse, President and CEO of TTE, recently said, "Our cutting edge technology offers a solution that we think can relieve the current energy, and ecological, woes of the global marketplace."

About Turbine Truck Engines, Inc.

Turbine Truck Engines, Inc. is a technology company focused on the development, manufacture, and testing of its New Energy and Environmental Efficient Truck Engine intended for mass market in the United States and abroad. This new engine design can utilize any known fuel source (gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas, hydrogen, methanol, ethanol, or LPG) or fuel mixture, yet needs zero coolant, lube, oil, filters, or pumps. The unique, lightweight turbine design has few moving parts, significantly reducing maintenance costs. The innovative cycle detonation process produces a complete combustion of fuel-oxidation mixtures, resulting in greater fuel economy and fewer harmful exhaust emissions. For more information concerning Turbine Truck Engines, Inc. visit our website at www.ttengines.com.

Safe Harbor: This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the operations, performance, development, and results of the company's business include, but are not limited to, fluctuations in financial results, availability and customer acceptance of our products and services, the impact of competitive products, services, and pricing, general market trends and conditions, and other risks detailed in the company's SEC reports.

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CTC trains new breed of auto mechanic - Frederick News-Post

Posted: 27 Aug 2009 11:01 PM PDT

With apologies to Oldsmobile -- wait, Oldsmobiles aren't even made anymore -- today's automotive tech classes are not your grandfather's auto shop classes.

The days of points, plugs and condenser tuneups are long gone. Auto technicians are a high-tech bunch who use computers to diagnose auto illnesses. And modern vehicles have on-board computers that have replaced many mechanical systems.

To keep up with the ever-changing modern automobile, automotive repair classes have changed drastically, and so has the image of a mechanic.

"Twenty years ago, a kid who liked tinkering on cars in his backyard could come here, take classes and get a job," Greg Solberg, principal of Frederick County's Career and Technology Center, said last week. "Today, it's hard to get even an entry-level job without ASE certifications."

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence awards the automotive industry's benchmark certification.

Juniors and seniors enrolled in Frederick County public high schools can apply for admission to any of CTC's 24 programs.

The automotive program has room for 72 students each year, with automotive instructors Richard Smith and Gary Wilfong sharing teaching duties.

The school system has made a large financial investment in the program over the last seven years or so, Wilfong said.

"The students have the latest tools and equipment here," he said. "The county has been very gracious and has spent a lot of money to get this place up to date."

First-year students concentrate on automotive fundamentals, steering and suspension, and brake systems, according to Wilfong.

"They become familiar with the car's basics, and learn about hand tools and safety," he said. "The second year, most of the focus is on electrical components and electronic systems and engine performance."

In the second year, students progress from basic engine operation through a car's many different systems, Wilfong said.

At the end of the two-year program, qualified students receive the ASE Student Achievement certification.

"A mechanic has to have two years of hands-on experience to sit for the ASE test, and our graduates get one of those years here," Wilfong said. "Our kids only have to work one year to be eligible for ASE certification."

Wilfong said he and Smith stress the importance of certification for several reasons.

"Certification determines pay levels in many cases, and also determines hireability," Wilfong said. "But from an educator's point of view, more than that, it points to a level of commitment on the part of the students, a level of determination."

CTC has had the best passing rate on ASE student tests in Maryland for the last two years. Wilfong said that success attests to the quality of both the students and the instructional program at CTC.

The school's automotive graduates are working in car dealerships and independent repair shops, for fleet service companies, and on heavy equipment and recreational and sport vehicles like motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles.

"And we have articulation agreements with many postsecondary institutions," Wilfong said. The kids earn college credits for the work they do here.

The program has had its stars over the years, and also attracts a couple of females each year.

"The program is open to everyone," Wilfong said. "Every year, when we talk to middle school students, I make sure I tell the girls it can be for them, too."

The instructor said he likes to tell his kids at the beginning of every year that CTC has the best automotive program in the country.

"They look at me and say 'yeah,'" Wilfong said. "But I tell them that's how we feel about it and that's how they should feel about it."