Harper International implement employee exchange program

Harper Corporation intends to implement an international employee exchange program that will begin next year. The program will see all Harper manufacturing facilities exchanging one person from each department between its global locations for two-week periods.

‘Maintaining our global quality consistency is a key objective for Harper Corporation and it affiliates,’ said Art Ehrenberg, vice president of manufacturing operations. ‘The exchange of personnel is excellent insurance that we will all stay on the same page with regard to processes. Plus, it offers our team members around the world the opportunity to travel and work overseas for practical periods of time.’

This system isn’t entirely new. It’s an extension and formalization of a process in place at Harper since it began manufacturing outside of North Carolina in June 1997. With the start-up of each new facility, Harper has had a senior person on site to review the plant layout, workflow and other manufacturing details. During the laser installation and testing at Harper Graphics, Harper Corporation’s licensed affiliate in Herford, Germany, last year, three people from Harper Corporation’s North Carolina facility were on site: one senior laser operator, one laser specialist and one outside laser consultant. The senior laser operator returned for two weeks this fall to review the operations progress.

In addition, from time to time, key personnel will work at another location for an extended time. For example, Todd Luman, a Harper GraphicSolutions technician based at Harper Corporation’s Charlotte, North Carolina, headquarters location, is currently spending one year working at Harper Graphics in Germany. Luman has a well-rounded background in anilox manufacturing, including QA and laser operations. His current responsibilities include acting as lead laser technician and consulting on several facets of the Harper Graphics manufacturing operation.