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 additional information, please contact Margaret Harper Kluttz at
704.588.3371 or mkluttz@harperimage.com.
