Motorcycle Industry Council Named one of California's Best Places to Work

IRVINE, Calif., March 4, 2008 - The Motorcycle Industry Council is one of the Golden State's very best employers, according to the study known as California's Best Places to Work. The MIC took first place in the small companies category of the 2007 recognition program sponsored by Employers Group, the nation's largest and oldest non-profit employer association for human resource management. On behalf of Employers Group, Olympic swimming gold-medalist and motivational speaker John Naber announced the results and presented trophies at a ceremony on Feb. 28 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

"We strive to be among the best places to work, in California and anywhere else," said MIC President Tim Buche. "Motorcycling is about passion and freedom and feeding the soul. While we operate and manage a real business here, that sense of personal fulfillment and sharing a great experience remains at the root of everything we do. We have a tremendously supportive group of members and funders who want us to succeed, and a dedicated staff focused on serving them, our customers and fellow riders."

The two-part survey included measurement of 125 criteria, to determine semi-finalists, and then a random, anonymous poll to select first through fifth place in four categories: growing companies, small companies, medium companies and large companies. Out of more than 400 entrants, other winners included Cox Communications, in the large company category, the Lockheed Federal Credit Union, for medium companies, and MortgageIT for growing companies. Other honorees included Fandango and Sun Microsystems.

"Above all, a collective passion for powersports products, and promoting their safe use, makes the MIC a great place to work," Buche said. "As a business, we're about excellence. Our hiring practices seek to find the most talented people possible, and then set them to work in areas where their skills can shine and add real value to our funding members. At the same time, we foster cooperation, encouraging team efforts and recognizing group success, not just individual stars. We provide the opportunity to succeed, and we strive to be fair about sharing that success as well as our burdens."

The MIC promotes, preserves and protects both the public interests of riders everywhere and the business activities involved in the world of motorcycling. Many MIC associates are deeply involved with motorcycles and ATVs both during the workday and after hours. And for those riders, the MIC offers strong benefits, such as discounts on parts and accessories, and a motorcycle-maintenance program that completely covers upkeep cost. Motorcycle commuters are allowed to wear casual clothes in the office, making it easier to change out of riding gear. The MIC shares other things, too, small and large, from group gatherings to group rides and free RiderCourses from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and the ATV Safety Institute.

The timeline of the Motorcycle Industry Council stretches back to 1914, and the early days of two-wheeling, when the Motorcycle Manufacturers' Association was incorporated in New York City. The association added scooters to its name in 1965 and soon merged with the Motorcycle Safety Council. In the 1970s, the group finally became the Motorcycle Industry Council, moving to Washington, D.C., and opening an office in Southern California, the area then emerging as the hub of the motorcycle business. The MIC began its sales statistics program, started representing the aftermarket and was soon surveying its customers about motorcycle usage.

The D.C. staff moved to Arlington, Va., becoming the Government Relations Office, while the MIC headquarters moved to its current location in Irvine, Calif., in 1988. Today, there are 77 California-based MIC staff and more than 300 dues-paying members.

The Motorcycle Industry Council is a not-for-profit, national trade association representing manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/ATV parts and accessories and members of allied trades, located in Irvine, Calif.