The Harley-Davidson factory tours of the Kansas City, Capitol Drive and York manufacturing plants were honored with the 2006 Best-in-Class Public Tours award for a mid-size tour program at the Guest Relations Association annual conference in Illinois.
The Guest Relations Association consists of companies across all industries who host customers and visitors through a unique experience in the form of a tour of their museum, factory or visitor center.
"To be recognized as a leader in the tour industry is a tremendous honor," said Diana Heikkinen, tour center manager for the company's Capitol Drive plant in Wauwatosa, Wis. "Our tours provide visitors with an understanding of Harley-Davidson's people, processes, products and community involvement. We enjoy sharing our passion, but we recognize that we can always continue to improve."
Attendees of the four-day conference also visited Milwaukee one day to tour the Harley-Davidson Motor Company Archives at the Juneau Avenue location and to listen to a presentation from Stacey Schiesl, director of the Harley-Davidson Museum.
In 2005, more than 100,000 visitors participated in Harley-Davidson factory tours.