The National Association of Wholesalers is proud to recognize one of our esteemed long-time members, Harbor Foods, whose focus on employee growth and commitment to community service is reflective of their reputation for excellence. With core programs devoted to highlighting employee achievement and community giving, their emphasis on the caring for people side of business is exemplary.

Path of Progress

Harbor Foods started the Path of Progress program as a way to highlight team members with interesting career experiences and those who embody excellence. A number of their employees started in an entry level position and worked their way up. Others took the initiative to learn the skills necessary to shift to another department. On the company website, they publish these team profiles, also sharing them on social media platforms, giving the individuals the recognition they deserve for their growth and development.

“Our team members are key to our success, which is why we feature them, highlighting their progress and excellence at every turn,” notes Erika Cottrell, Chief Marketing Officer of Harbor Foods. “Our employees are always looking to better themselves, which also benefits the company, our customers, and our community.

These resourceful employees embody Harbor’s four core values, genuine, motivated, resourceful and friendly.

Harbor Cares

In character and in step with the century-long practice of giving back to the community, during the pandemic Harbor Foods recommitted itself to its purpose of fortifying community. They achieve this through myriad activities that allow them to invest in relationships and put their values and purpose into action, including making in-kind donations; sponsoring activities such as food and blood drives, adopting in-need families during the holidays, Adopt-A-Road; and participating in Habitat for Humanity. Harbor Cares intentionally takes time to connect with people at the most local level in our increasingly virtually connected world.

“This practice of giving back is something we see in so many of our multi-generational member companies,” said Eric Hoplin, CEO of NAW. “But Harbor Foods sets an exceptional example and has for over one hundred years. It’s no surprise that their driving mission is to be in service to others.”

Harbor Cares supports various charities such as local nonprofits that support their primary focus areas such as food security, families, education, and safety/heat.

“We are proud to highlight companies like Harbor Foods that go above and beyond to help their communities thrive,” Hoplin added.