The Strategic Choice

Given these new realities: why should these adaptive engineering firms rely on a Choice Two company with voluminous product-lines, which threatens to overtax their well intentioned staff?

We all face similar choices in many purchasing decisions in our lives, from hardware to home supplies, and most of us find ourselves in both camps: sometimes buying from the expert, and sometimes we shop the one-stop.

The one-stop experience can be misleading, and it won't always yield the lowest cost of ownership over time. There is no guarantee that the pricing will be better from a "Choice Two" (one-stop) firm…only that individual pricing will be obscured in a larger package.

While you may make fewer calls and have "one stop shopping" with a Choice Two company, it's unlikely that they could train enough sales staff - or hire enough experienced engineers - to be expert in 15-plus product lines. Their inside sales desk, while proficient at quoting, cannot equal a Choice One company. Why? Because a Choice One company, with a bullpen full of engineering experts, not only can specify and quote accurately -- but they also understand the relationship between the application and equipment. That's really the difference.

When it comes to fluid engineering, we believe that engineers and system managers need to be acutely aware of the inherent costs and implications of their choice - because it affects their long-term strategy, as well as their long-term viability.

If you have any awareness of Harper International, it will be no surprise to you that we are a "Choice One" firm. For over 30 years we have been committed to incisive, authoritative answers, bullet-proof solutions, and world class products. We don't believe that we can over-extend our lines, be all things to all engineering firms, and maintain this commitment.

Don't be misled. A Choice One firm, like Harper, does not have to cost more. We are comparable to other organizations AND offer a full-support solutions. As your engineering staff becomes more nimble, consider relying on a firm who has increased their engineering staff to help you become more competitive in the new economy.

In an era of Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Costco, is our approach antiquated? We don't think so. The highly-technical demands and long-term consequences of what we do go far beyond buying a load of two-by-fours or a five-pound bag of potato chips. The value that we add shows up in the results our customers get.

The Future of Harper International

We have made some strategic commitments of our own to maintain and develop ourselves as a premier "Choice One" firm, and to better serve our clients in that capacity:

1. Focus on representing and carrying products only in our key expertise areas. We will not sell products without the proper support and advice. If we can't do that, we won't sell it.
2. Carry only the best-of-breed products with proven superiority and lowest total cost of ownership to customers. We will not carry and sell products that we don't believe in.
3. Hire only salespeople who are qualified engineering graduates, technically adept in our expertise areas. Our customers expect and deserve expert support - in this era of diminishing service.

The Harper Team

With this in mind, we present our sales consulting team - committed to the Harper strategy to supply a working solution for every project we accept:

Reggie Lambert
Strong skills in mechanical design and analysis.

Dan Bagnell
A recent engineering graduate from RPI with mechanical design experience, Dan looks forward to working with customers and their systems at all stages - from conception until completion.

Carl Moser
Carl has over 20 years of experience in the water treatment industry. Carl is always available to take questions from engineers and end users.

Tony Innamoroto
Tony is a veteran of the valve and pump business with more than 25 years of sales and customer service experience with industry names like like Flex-Valve, J.T. Lynne, Moonachie, Kinney Vacuum, KNF Neuberger and United Centrifugal Pumps.

Tom Kuehnel and Fred Haines (Harper's Managing Partners)
Hands-on industry experts; both are protégés of Bob Harper…himself, possessing over 40 years experience, only strengthen the equation.

Bob Harper (Our Patron Saint)
Although Bob retired as CEO in 1996, he retains an advisory role and his philosophy of never running away from a problem still guides and empowers Harper International.