Harper Corporation of America Appoints Josh Sigmon as Sales & Technical Manager for Eastern Region of the World

 Charlotte, North Carolina, November 12, 2018—Global anilox roll supplier Harper Corporation of America is dedicated to providing leading innovation and support within the flexographic industry worldwide and has named Josh Sigmon the new Sales & Technical Manager for the Eastern Region of the world. In this role, he will serve the entire Eastern Hemisphere including Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East.  

Sigmon served as Technical Account Manager for the Central Plains Region prior to being appointed to this new role. He will benefit agents, distributors, and customers in the Eastern Hemisphere as the single point person for all of their needs and will provide improved support.

Sigmon possesses a strong educational background with Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees in Graphic Arts & Imaging Technology and Graphic Arts & Imaging Technology with a concentration in Flexography from Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Technologies from the University of Central Missouri. He worked full-time for Harper Corporation of America as a Quality Assurance Inspector while attending CPCC, and full-time for a large format printer while attending the University of Central Missouri.

In addition, Sigmon has won numerous awards in the industry. He participated in the Phoenix Challenge in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, winning three awards in 2017 for design research and execution. He also earned the PICA Award in 2013. His wealth of training and experience have been a strong asset in his work at Harper.

Harper Corporation of America is committed to maintaining its promise to offer the best quality products, technology, and outstanding customer service and support and is confident that Sigmon will uphold this mission while serving the Eastern Hemisphere.

For more information, please contact Jazmin Siancas at 704-588-3371, ext. 4292, or jsiancas@harperimage.com. 

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Harper Corporation of America Recognized with 2012 Best of DePere Award

Charlotte, North Carolina, December 17, 2012—The DePere, Wisconsin, location of global anilox roll supplier Harper Corporation of America has been honored with a 2012 Best of DePere Award in the category of printing trades machinery. The Harper team appreciates this recognition and thanks all of its customers for their support.

The company was selected for the 2012 Best of DePere Award because of the strong work ethic that its team demonstrates. Ensuring customer satisfaction is more than a goal at Harper Corporation—it is a way of business. Additionally, the Harper team works diligently to create flexographic tools and solutions that will assist customers in improving their printing operations. The innovation that has stemmed from the efforts of the professionals at Harper Corporation is groundbreaking, and the technology and products that the company has designed have positively impacted the efficiency, accuracy, and capabilities of its customers.

Harper Corporation of America is honored to receive the 2012 Best of DePere Award and will continue to provide the customer service for which it has become known. The company invites individuals in need of flexographic solutions to contact a Harper representative to learn more about the ways in which the organization has improved the communities in which it is located while providing the highest degree of service to its clientele.

For more information, please contact Jazmin Kluttz at 704-588-3371, ext. 4292, or jkluttz@harperimage.com. 

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Harper Corporation’s Juan Bermudez to Speak at Andina-Pack 2011

Charlotte, North Carolina, October 26, 2011— Global anilox roll supplier Harper Corporation is proud to announce that Juan Bermudez, the Sales and Service Manager for Latin America, will be giving a presentation at Andina-Pack 2011, an international packaging exhibition. Bermudez will also represent Harper Corporation at a booth at the event, which takes place in Bogota, Colombia, November 8-11.

Andina-Pack 2011 is known as one of the most prestigious events in the flexographic industry. The upcoming exhibition will allow industry professionals to discuss and discover integrated solutions for product management that are both competitive and sustainable.

This, the eleventh Andina-Pack event, will host over 700 exhibitors and 20,000 participants. Bermudez will be addressing participants concerning the anilox selection for high definition plate technologies, a topic that will prove both relevant and interesting to many of the event’s guests.

In addition to having its own presence in the form of a booth and Bermudez’s speech, Harper will be represented by its exclusive Colombian distributor, Chemisolutions. With representatives onsite at the Harper Corporation tabletop, Chemisolutions will be able to answer any questions that the event’s attendees may have.

For further information, please contact Jazmin Kluttz at 704-588-3371 or jkluttz@harperimage.com.

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Pete Hartman of Harper Corporation Announces Retirement

Charlotte, North Carolina, March 13, 2012—Pete Hartman, current Vice President of Sales at global anilox roll supplier Harper Corporation, has announced his retirement effective March 12, 2012. Hartman has been in the industry for the past 42 years. He first joined Harper in June of 1992 and has served in various roles since, most recently as Vice President of Sales.

“Pete has provided the leadership necessary to thrive in challenging times,” said Lee Kluttz, Vice President of Operations. “He has done so much for Harper and the industry. We wish him well in his retirement.”

For more information, please contact Jazmin Kluttz at 704-588-3371, ext. 4292, or jkluttz@harperimage.com.

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Charlotte Chamber Recognizes Manufacturing Champion

Charlotte, N.C., October 10, 2007 – Before a packed banquet audience of nearly 650, the Charlotte Chamber honored Ron and Katherine Harper, founders of global anilox supplier Harper Corporation of America, as the Charlotte Chamber’s 2007 Manufacturing Champions at an elegant awards gala at the Westin Charlotte on September 11.

Nominated by the Charlotte Chamber’s Manufacturers Council for their ingenuity in manufacturing and their commitment to professional education, the Harpers join the ranks of distinguished manufacturing champions recognized by the Chamber in the past, including Ruth Shaw of Duke Energy and Dan Dimico of Nucor Corporation.

The gala, sponsored by Wachovia, brought together the region’s most distinguished entrepreneurs and innovative businesspeople. The Harpers’ award, a one-of-a-kind vase, is a piece of art created by North Carolina glassblowing artist Kenny Pieper.

Ron and Katherine Harper’s dedication to trade education is a longstanding one. In 1990, the couple recognized the need for more high school vocational programs, and with the donation of their time, attention and funding, they paved the way to establish a flexographic printing program at South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte. Since then, they have been instrumental in setting up educational programs at other area schools. Today 21 high schools and 32 colleges in the U.S., Canada and Argentina have vocational programs based on the ones the Harpers helped initiate.

Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) in Charlotte and Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., are also beneficiaries of the Harpers’ commitment to education. CPCC’s southwest campus is called the Harper Campus. On Appalachian State University’s campus, the building that houses the school’s graphics education program and administrative offices is Katherine Harper Hall.

The Harpers also helped found and continue to offer critical support and guidance to the Phoenix Challenge Foundation. Based in the Charlotte area, the foundation is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting flexography education. It sponsors the annual International Phoenix Challenge Flexo Skills Competition at the Harper National Flexographic Center at CPCC’s Harper Campus. Each year, teams of high school flexo students and their teachers from throughout the U.S. and Canada compete in this two-day skill-based competition, which is recognized throughout the industry as an important beacon for the industry’s future. Winners are eligible for scholarships funded by the Phoenix Challenge Foundation to encourage students to pursue further education and a career in flexography.

Through the Phoenix Challenge Foundation, the Harpers also established the Katherine Harper Teachers’ Education Fund to help address the need for broader and more intensive flexo education for instructors.

For further information, please contact Jazmin Kluttz at 704-588-3371 or jkluttz@harperimage.com.

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Lee Kluttz Promoted to Vice President of Operations at Harper Corporation of America

Charlotte, North Carolina, November 21, 2011—Global anilox roll supplier Harper Corporation is proud to announce that Ronald "Lee" Harper Kluttz has been promoted to Vice President of Operations.

The grandson of company founders, Ron and Katherine Harper, Kluttz is the son of Harper President Margie Kluttz. He has worked for Harper Corporation of America for 20 years, since 1991, serving as an important part of the professional team.

"My passion, vision, goal, and focus are to continue to build on the well-deserved legacy of the Harper name," commented Kluttz. "We will stay focused on the ideals of the founders, Ron and Katherine Harper, by continuing to supply leading products and quality services to our customers and the industry." 

When he first began his career at Harper Corporation, Kluttz worked in the Cleaner Hands division. He has since been a part of several other departments and held a variety of positions, including blast operator, member of Harper GraphicSolutions™, plant supervisor, customer service manager, plant manager, and Vice President of Manufacturing Operations.

In his new position, Kluttz will be responsible for the daily operations of Harper Corporation in both Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Harper Corporation of America is a leader in the flexographic industry, as it produces and restores more anilox rolls than any other company. Through this promotion, Kluttz will further contribute to the success of the company while expanding its capabilities. He has already participated in Harper Corporation's ground-breaking use of lasers during the production of anilox rolls, and will be an important figure as the company continues to create innovative, green products.

For more information, please contact Jazmin Kluttz at 704-588-3371, ext. 4292, or jkluttz@harperimage.com. 

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Harper Welcomes Brad Windsor and Shawn Scheel

Charlotte, North Carolina, March 22, 2016—Global anilox roll supplier Harper Corporation of America is proud to announce that Brad Windsor and Shawn Scheel have joined the Harper team. Both posses more than 20 years of experience in the industry and bring with them a wealth of knowledge that will benefit the company and its customers.

Windsor joins Harper with 23 years of experience as a flexographic printing professional. He has worked his way up through the industry from mounting plates and running presses and laminators to serving as a leader in supervisory and managerial roles. He has developed a wide range of expertise that includes wide web and narrow web printing. Windsor has built his knowledge and skills at companies such as Bemis, Printpack, and Accredo Packaging and looks forward to the opportunity to continue learning and developing innovative ideas within the flexographic industry at Harper. In his new position, he will be responsible for providing technical service to wide web and narrow web customers throughout the Central Plains and Southwestern states.

Scheel lives in Kansas City and comes to Harper with more than 20 years of experience in the flexographic industry. Throughout his career he has provided technical support for application, color management, and problem solving for printing ink. Prior to joining Harper, Scheel worked for Actega Inks as an Application Specialist and supported clients throughout the United States. As part of Harper Corporation, Scheel is accountable for anilox roll sales to wide web customers throughout the Central Plains and Southwestern states. 

Harper Corporation of America is pleased to welcome Windsor and Scheel to the company and is confident that they will be valuable additions to the team and provide exceptional service and support to customers. 

For more information, please contact Jazmin Siancas at 704-588-3371, ext. 4292, or jsiancas@harperimage.com. 

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Harper Corporation of America an Exhibitor at 2019 Converters Expo

 

Charlotte, North Carolina, March 20, 2019—Global anilox roll supplier Harper Corporation of America is excited to return once again as an exhibitor at the 12th annual Converters Expo in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This one-day event is expected to attract more than 700 attendees and provides an excellent opportunity for industry professionals to network and explore the latest trends and advancements in manufacturing and flexographic printing and packaging.

Attendees will have the chance to learn about the newest testing and prototyping equipment, discuss disposables, and collaborate with converters, buyers, and suppliers of film, plastics, paper, and nonwovens. Harper Corporation of America will have representatives on site to answer questions and speak with attendees about the company’s advanced technology, products, and equipment.

Harper Corporation of America invites interested individuals to visit the company's booth, number 24, at the event. The 2019 Converters Expo will be held Wednesday, March 27-28, 2019 at the Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay, Wisconsin..

For more information, please contact Jazmin Siancas at 704-588-3371, ext. 4292, or jsiancas@harperimage.com. 

  

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Harper Corporation of America Celebrates Extremely Large Turnout at Tennessee Expo & Solutions Tour Event

 Charlotte, North Carolina, August 24, 2018—Global anilox roll supplier Harper Corporation of America hosted its most recent Harper Expo & Solutions Tour event in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it was met with a huge crowd of attendees. The event exceeded capacity leaving just a few standing room only spots in the back.

Harper Corporation of America was thrilled to see such vast interest and be able to provide participants with high-quality, applicable information they could take back to their respective companies. The feedback from attendees was very positive with one individual noting, “The event was very informative; I learned from different aspects of printing that I could discuss and initiate with co-workers and management.”

Another participant expressed that the “tabletops were informative with great information,” while someone else stated, “Great tour; good info from all speakers.” In addition to Harper Corporation and Harper GraphicSolutions representatives, there were also speakers from MacDermid, Eaglewood Technologies, Nazdar, and Phoseon Technology.

The final stop on the 2018 Harper Expo & Solutions Tour will be in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota on Thursday, October 25, 2018 at the Embassy Suites Minneapolis North. Presenters will include Harper Corporation of America, Harper GraphicSolutions, Flexo Wash, GEW Limited, Meca Solutions, and Enercon Industries.

Harper Corporation of America encourages individuals to register early to reserve a spot as the event is expected to fill up quickly. To register online, visit http://www.harperimage.com/roadshows/Brooklyn-Center-MN/632. 

For more information, please contact Jazmin Siancas at 704-588-3371, ext. 4292, or jsiancas@harperimage.com.     

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Harper Corporation of America Remembers Katherine Harper

Charlotte, North Carolina, May 6, 2013—Global anilox roll supplier Harper Corporation of America is saddened to announce the passing of Mrs. Katherine Harper, 80, of Stanley, who joined her Lord in Heaven on May 3, 2014.

Mrs. Harper was born August 23, 1933 to James and Margaret Hodges of Charlotte. She spent her childhood at her home on Kenilworth Avenue in Charlotte, and in her father’s downtown restaurant, Jim’s Grill. Mrs. Harper graduated from Charlotte’s O’Donoghue Catholic High School in 1951, and met Ron Harper, the love of her life, later that year in Wilmington, N.C.  Katherine and her husband Ron raised a family of five children and spent nearly 40 years of their married life working together in the printing industry.  In 1971, they founded their own manufacturing company, Harper Corporation of America, with manufacturing facilities in Charlotte, NC and DePere, WI, as well as a licensee in Bangkok, Thailand – Harper/Asia Pacific – which Katherine was the President of for 36 years until her retirement in 2006.  They formed a joint venture, Harper/Love Adhesives Corp. with an N.B. Love Adhesives – Australia, as well as Harper Machinery Corp. (which they sold in 1989).  Katherine and Ron worked successfully as a team, side-by-side in their companies.

A loving devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, entrepreneur, business woman, and philanthropist, Mrs. Harper was a compassionate, poised, and inspiring woman. Her ready smile and warm hugs will be deeply missed by those who knew her.

In addition to a devoted and loving family, Mrs. Harper leaves a legacy of business success and extensive philanthropy. During her career, she served on – and led – many boards and committees in flexographic technical associations – often as the first woman to do so. The Business Journalrecognized her as Business Woman of the Year in 1999.

Mrs. Harper also has worked extensively in government. North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt appointed her to the N.C. Banking Commission (1983-1985), the N.C. Advisory Board for Workforce Development (1990-1992), and the N.C. Small Business Council (1993-1997). The U.S. Secretary of Commerce appointed Mrs. Harper to the U.S. Export Council of North Carolina (1995 – 2000), and she received the Governor’s Excellence in Workforce Development Award in 1995. Mrs. Harper served as Gov. Jim Hunt’s Mecklenburg County Finance Chair for his Senate campaign in 1984, and ran for the U.S. Senate herself in 1986.

Mrs. Harper’s dedication to philanthropy, alongside with her late husband, Ron, particularly in flexo education, made her truly legendary. Evidence of it is visible in the myriad of institutions and endowments that bear her name: Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) is home to a Harper Campus and the Harper National Flexographic Center. The college also manages a Ron and Katherine Harper Scholarship Fund. Appalachian State University in Boone is home to Katherine Harper Hall and the Harper Flexographic Museum.

The Flexo Trade School in Fort Mill, South Carolina, boasts a state-of-the-art Harper Lab of Flexography. DiTrolio Flexographic Institute in Chicago features the Ron and Katherine Harper Flexo Lab.

Other enduring testaments to Mrs. Harper’s generosity are the Harper Endowment at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California; the Harper Scholarship Fund and the Harper Flexo Technology Wing at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin; and the Ron and Katherine Harper Scholarship Fund and Harper Center of Graphics Technology at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Phoenix Challenge Foundation offers a Katherine Harper Teacher’s Education Fund. The Foundation of the Flexographic Technical Association in Ronkonkoma, New York, also offers a Ron & Katherine Harper Scholarship.

Mrs. Harper was the first female chairman of the Foundation of the Flexographic Technical Association International Forum and also the first female to chair an International Conference for the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry. In 2007, Mr. and Mrs. Harper became the founding sponsors of the FTA Technical Education Services Team (TEST) program, an extensive industry educational initiative.

She was a board member of the Appalachian State University Foundation as well as the Central Piedmont Community College Foundation. CPCC honored her with the Ben Franklin Award in 1996, and three years later, she won the Flexographic Technical Association’s (FTA) President’s Award. In October 2007, Appalachian State University`s Chancellor, Ken Peacock, bestowed honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degrees upon both Mr. and Mrs. Harper.

During a lifetime of 75 years in Charlotte and then Stanley, Mrs. Harper contributed to the community in numerous other ways. She served St. Patrick Church as president of the Ladies Guild, and conducted numerous fund raising activities for the Catholic school system. She served A Child’s Place as a member of the advisory board. Her ardent support for the Greater Carolinas Chapter of the American Red Cross moved the organization to name a facility that improves response time to citizens in crisis the Katherine Harper Disaster Staging Area, and appoint her the honorary co-chair of the Tiffany Circle, a Red Cross-sponsored organization of successful business women.

For her generosity and commitment to community service and philanthropy, Mrs. Harper was selected as Charlotte’s 2007 Woman of Spirit, and she and her husband were named 2007 Manufacturing Champions by the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. That same year the couple also was honored with Printing Industries of America’s Excellence In Education Award.

In 2008, the American Technical Education Association presented the Harpers with the Silver Star of Excellence Award, the National Technical Honor Society inducted them both into its Hall of Fame, and the Flexographic Technical Association honored them with the Educational Leadership Award.

Mrs. Harper made a great impact in Gaston County with husband Ron Harper in leading the program to place a Smart Board in every classroom in the county. The Harper’s contribution to the Smart Board program exceeded two million dollars. Mrs. and Mr. Harper led the drive for a community park in Stanley that opened in 2012 and is named Harper Park.

In her memoir, The Longer I Live, the More I Learn, Mrs. Harper wrote that she wished to be remembered "as someone who had experienced and shared the love of God in this life."

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Ron Harper on April 14, 2012. She is survived by her sons Daniel Harper, Jim (Heather) Harper, and Christopher Harper; daughters Margie (Hal) Kluttz and Georgia (Derek) Patterson; twenty grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren; and brothers-in-law Dick (Norma) Harper, Gary (Mona) Harper, and Steve (Linda) Harper. A special thanks to Candi Lethcoe, Kim Jones, Morgan Foxx and all of the caregivers with Stress Free Home Care for their dedication and tender loving care.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Carothers Funeral Home, 412 South Main Street, Stanley, NC on Friday, May 9, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. 

Friday, May 9th….We will have a "Gathering" of Family and Friends at the First Baptist Church – 409 Old Mount Holly Road, Stanley – after the Celebration of Life Service. First Baptist is about 2-3 minutes from Carothers Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: Gaston Hospice, P.O. Box 3984, Gastonia, NC 28054; or Alzheimer's Association Western Carolina Chapter, 3800 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, NC 28215.

For more information, please contact Jazmin Cordero at 704-588-3371, ext. 4292, or jcordero@harperimage.com.

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