AUTOMOTIVE
Power Sports and Recreation
World's Most Productive Companies
Power Sports in a Post-Peak Market
The Power Sports and Recreation companies manufacture recreational and powersports vehicles, including motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, jet skis, and personal watercraft. Production typically involves welding a tubular frame, integrating small engines, molding composite body panels, and tuning the suspension system. They sell and market through independent dealer networks, and demand is sensitive to interest rates, credit, and seasonality.
Productivity has been negatively impacted over the last few years as demand has declined from pandemic peaks and higher interest rates/financing costs, while supply chain friction/turbulence has increased. Reduced steady factory cadence and pricing power.
Top 100 World's Most Productive Companies - Power Sports and Recreation
Productivity Snapshot
These ten manufacturers experienced a similar productivity trend to many other industries and peer groups: a surge in productivity from 2020 to 2023, followed by a regression to declining productivity in 2023 and 2024.
- Productivity for the sector grew overall by 8.3% (or less than 1.4% per year) over the last six years. This segment, like the Automotive Industry generally, performed well above the average for manufacturers represented in the IPI, but has returned to stagnation and regression over the last two years.
- All of these companies had negative productivity growth in 2023 and 2024.
- 2024 Productivity declined an average of 7.7% across these companies.
- Harley-Davidson Inc. earned its position within the LNS 2025 World’s Most Productive Companies by growing productivity 18.8% over the last six years, 128% more than the average of the Peer Group. Harley-Davidson’s leading productivity performance is driven by a transformation program “Rewire” cutting its cost base, reducing model complexity, exiting lower-return markets, and right-sizing dealer inventory. Those changes preceded and enabled the “Hardwire” plan’s focus on core heavyweight segments and premium accessories, which are less promotion-dependent than some powersports sub-sectors.
