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Path Of Progress

Path of Progress Intern Feature: Brandon Williams
Posted on: May 5, 2022
How did your internship experience at Harbor prepare you for your professional career?
As an intern here at Harbor I was fortunate enough to work on the implementation of a new Warehouse Management System. Working on a project that is so impactful to the daily operations at Harbor I had the opportunity collaborate with several different departments to understand how each department and every individual at Harbor work together to achieve their goals. After school I was unsure on the direction I wanted to take my career, my time as Intern gave me the opportunity to explore my options for a career path and go in the direction that I found best for me. I have been with Harbor for 5 years now and they have been great about allowing individuals to take control of their career path and goals.
What was the most important thing you learned from your time interning?
As an intern I was very excited to work and collaborate with so many different people in the company. During my internship I quickly learned the importance of communication and working together as a team to achieve our goals.
What roles have you’ve held at Harbor?
-Information Technology/Logistics Intern
-Business Analyst
-Enterprise Systems Analyst
-Software Developer
What is the most important piece of advice for having a successful career at Harbor?
Be accepting and excited about change, to be a successful business you go through a lot of change and improvements over time. Harbor has grown a ton over the years, and it has been fun to be a part of the growth and work with so many people that have years of knowledge and experience. Being prepared to take on the challenges of growth will set you up for a successful career at Harbor.
Path Of Progress

Path of Progress Intern Feature: Ryan Rieta
Posted on: April 19, 2022
How did your internship experience at Harbor prepare you for your professional career?
The internship experience helped me learn the importance of building an effective report that everyone can understand. I learned that it’s not about how much data you have, but rather it’s about how can you make the data accessible to everyone. Having numbers is a great tool to have but unless you are able to break it down for others to use then it will not be useful. In my current role I am always building and maintaining reports that are used across multiple departments. Each time I build a new report I always pull from my past experiences as an intern.
What was the most important thing you learned from your time interning?
The most valuable thing I learned was how each department fits within the operation. The internship program allowed me to meet with many people in different roles in the business. I spoke and learned from people in just about every department. Understanding how every department worked helped me see the entire picture of the operation.
What roles have you held at Harbor?
Order Selector pick mods for two summersOperations InternQuality Assurance CoordinatorQuality Assurance and Safety Coordinator (Same position as above, but just added workplace safety to my role)
What is the most important piece of advice for having a successful career at Harbor?
The most important piece of advice that I can give someone would be to never be afraid of making a mistake. Harbor is a great working environment that will allow you to used missed opportunities as a chance to grow and learn in your career.
Path Of Progress

Path of Progress Intern Feature: Alex Johnson
Posted on: April 19, 2022
How did your internship experience at Harbor prepare you for your professional career?
My internship at Harbor allowed me to have a hands-on experience applying the knowledge from both what I had learned in school, along with new knowledge I gained during the internship. Collaborating with different departments gave me the chance to ask questions and learn about different roles and responsibilities within the company. An important component of an internship is to learn from others around you and everyone at Harbor is willing to put their current "to do's" down to talk or let you shadow them if you are interested. Harbor puts you in a position to grow both your hard and soft skills through different day-to-day tasks, projects, and activities that will help build a foundation for your career.
What was the most important thing you learned from your time interning?
I was able to increase my comprehension of the supply chain and get a more in-depth understanding of all the components. Throughout my internship, I learned how vital each role is to get the right product to the customer at the right place, the right price, the right time, and the right quantity.
What roles you've held at Harbor?
Procurement InternReplenishment BuyerItem and Pricing SpecialistLogistics Manager
What is the most important piece of advice for having a successful career at Harbor?
Always be willing to take on a challenge. Many opportunities will arise as Harbor continues to grow that will allow you to improve not only yourself but the company as well. Do not be afraid to take something on that is asked of you even if you don't know the answer right away. Reach out to those around you to piece together a solution as there are many talented people within the Harbor family with years of industry experience.
Path Of Progress

Path of Progress: Jacob Ritchie
Posted on: April 7, 2020
Jacob started at Harbor two years ago in the role of Delivery Driver.
In his time with the company, he has transitioned to a leadership role,
becoming a Driver Supervisor. His prior experience and work ethic have
helped him to succeed at Harbor.
Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now?
J: Coming from the military and being in a supervisory role there
made the transition smooth. Being in a leadership role isn’t easy by any
means, but having experience definitely makes a difference.
Q: How long have you been with Harbor?
J: I have been with Harbor for 1 year and 11 months.
Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor?
J: Continue learning and improve everyday. You might be good at what
you do but always ask yourself where can I suceed or get better.
Q: What roles have you held at Harbor?
J: I have been a Driver and Driver Supervisor here at Harbor.
Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor?
J: A good work ethic is key. Showing up at the right time ready to work and get the job done as efficiently as possible.
Path Of Progress

Path Of Progress: Hunter Nooney
Posted on: March 20, 2020
Hunter started at Harbor in 2018 as an Order Selector. Through his
passion of learning new things and hard work, he transitioned to his
current role of Freezer/Cooler Supervisor. Hunter shared some thoughts
on his path of progress during his time at Harbor.
Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now?
H: My first role at Harbor was as an Order Selector, but I was given
the opportunity to work in different departments throughout the
warehouse. I also went out on routes with the Drivers for a week. With
the cross-training that I had received I was able to float between
different departments and help out where needed.
After working for a few months I was offered the role of Order
Selection Trainer. In this role I was partially responsible for the
onboarding of new hires and helping them get acclimated to the flow of
work in the warehouse. This position also helped me practice my
leadership skills and begin to learn even more about the company. In
addition to training new hires I was able to help Supervisors with some
of their day-to-day tasks and learn more about what specifically went in
to their job.
Management was very supportive of my desire to learn more about the
company and to develop my leadership skills. The support from Operations
leadership and my desire to learn more about Harbor is what allowed me
to reach my current position.
Q: How long have you been with Harbor?
H: I have been with Harbor since 11/08/2018.
Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor?
H: My advice for advancing your career at Harbor is to adhere to the
company values of genuine, motivated, resourceful, and friendly.
Q: What roles have you held at Harbor?
H: I have been an Order Selector in various departments, an Order
Selection Trainer, and my present role as the Freezer/Cooler Supervisor.
Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor?
H: I think the most important quality to have is the desire to learn new things about Harbor and how it operates.
Path Of Progress

Path of Progress: Kristina Merritt
Posted on: March 20, 2020
Kristina joined the Harbor team in 2017 as our Accounts Payable Lead.
Since joining our accounting department, she’s been a part of their
department’s growth, eventually transitioning to her current role of
Accounts Payable Supervisor.
Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now?
K: My initial role at Harbor began with a newly established position
to support our AP team. I had over 10 years of diverse accounting
experience across many different industries. Harbor saw potential to
strengthen our AP team structure by hiring me as a lead.
Q: How long have you been with Harbor?
K: I have been with Harbor for almost three years. I often look back
at where our team transitioned to modern, paperless workflow
management, creating a huge turning point for our team within my first
year.
Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor?
K: I believe in order to truly advance your career at Harbor you need
to be very versatile and resourceful. Career advancement requires
outside of the box thinking, being capable of wearing multiple ‘hats’,
and ability to cross departmental lines to expand your knowledge and
growth. If you are someone who is determined to find the answers you
seek, then Harbor is the right fit.
Q: What roles have you held at Harbor?
K: I began as an AP lead for the accounting team in 2017. Our
enterprise has grown exponentially since then, creating the opportunity
to lead further, by being promoted a year later as manager for our AP
team.
Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor?
K: Harbor carries unique opportunities to those who are motivated to
be in the driver seat of their own success. If you are they type that
can overcome any obstacle, likes fast paced, collaborative, team
environments then your career at Harbor can, and will mature. Although
we have become a large enterprise, the family dynamic at Harbor is quite
unique and beyond commendable. Simply put, this unique motivator puts
success in the hands of the individual and their teams. In twenty
years, I have not found in any other public or private enterprise that
can compare to Harbor.
Path Of Progress

Path Of Progress: Joy Stidd
Posted on: March 16, 2020
Joy started at Harbor in 2015 as a Credit Clerk. Through her years at
Harbor, she’s worked in different roles within Customer Service
eventually transitioning to her current role of Customer Service &
Sales Support Lead.
Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now?
J: I made the effort to become an authority in my roles at Harbor. I
learned everything I could about how the Customer Service Department
works and how we interacted with other departments across the company. I
want to be the best at what I do, and I never stopped learning. I made
sure my supervisor was aware that I wanted more and was willing to put
in the time and effort it would take to move forward.
Q: How long have you been with Harbor?
J: It will be 5 years in July
Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor?
J: Be open to every opportunity that comes your way. You also have to
take responsibility for your own growth. Don’t be afraid to ask
questions. Don’t be afraid to approach your supervisor about ideas, and
never stop asking what else you can do. If you are willing to put in the
effort you will get so much out of working here at Harbor.
Q: What roles have you held at Harbor?
J: I started as a Credit Clerk, then promoted to Customer Service
Rep, then to Sales Support Admin, and finally I am now the Customer
Service and Sales Support Lead
Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor?
J: Perseverance. Do the best you can every day. If you are showing
that you want what is best for the company and you are growing, it will
be noticed. It will not happen overnight, but Harbor is growing. I
firmly believe that if you want it and work hard you will get there.
Path Of Progress

Path Of Progress: Zachary Hiester
Posted on: February 21, 2018
Zachary works in RDC as a Warehouse Supervisor. During his time at
Harbor he has worked a few different roles, and had some great thoughts
to share about getting your career started at Harbor.
Q: What roles have you held at Harbor?
Z: Utility/I have picked everywhere/Stamped Cigs/Consolidated/Inventory Control/PM Warehouse Supervisor.
Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now?
Z: Aaron hired me into a PM utility position. I picked up boxes for a
couple of months and then moved into eaches as an order selector. While
working in eaches I was crossed trained on just about every PM
position. After about a year, a position opened up In the freezer. I did
that for another year or so. From there I moved into Inventory control.
I learned a lot about how the AM shift worked while in that position,
as well as learning a lot about the company in general. I did that for I
believe close to 2 years. Then, a few months ago, Chris Ritter and Leon
Dillon approached me with a promotion into a PM supervisor role. I
gladly accepted. And that is what I am doing now.
Q: How long have you been with Harbor?
Z: 4 ½ years.
Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor?
Z: For me, a willingness to work and a willingness to learn, has
worked pretty well. Don’t be afraid to take on a big or important task.
Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor?
Z: I don’t know if I could say just 1 quality that is most important.
Everybody is different, and no 2 people will take the same path within
the company. I think being genuine, motivated, resourceful, &
friendly are all good qualities to have! 😊
Just be you, and be willing to learn and teach and your positive
qualities will come out through that. This will be recognized by not
only your supervisors and managers, but also your peers.