Thousands of readers come to our website weekly to keep up to date with industry trends, equipment solutions, and the Harmony community. Throughout the year, we get several requests to hear from our President, Steve Cremer, on a variety of topics. As an award-winning Entrepreneur and CEO of an industry-leading waste handling and recycling solutions provider, Steve has a vast amount of insight to share.
You asked, we answered!
We hope you enjoy this post straight from the President’s desk!
As the President of Harmony Enterprises, I am often asked why we continue to expand our business throughout the global marketplace, but keep our main production facility located in Harmony, Minnesota.
The Progressive Community of Harmony Is Located In Southeast MN.
To help answer this question, I first want to explain why Harmony Enterprises, Inc. was started in Harmony, Minnesota. The city of Harmony has a population of 1000 people. It is located in the beautiful bluff country of Southeastern Minnesota, approximately 45 miles southeast Rochester, MN. The world-famous Mayo Clinic is located in Rochester.
Harmony Enterprises is a third generation, family-owned manufacturer that was founded in 1962 by a group of local businessmen looking to provide opportunities for jobs outside of the local agriculture-based economy. Utilizing manufacturing as its medium, this group created unique products, such as the bikini cane chair, ice fishing huts, and camper awnings.
Product Literature Displaying Harmony’s First Manufactured Products
As the retail market changed, and legislation was passed that instituted a ban on the incineration of cardboard in grocery stores, Harmony saw the need for quality balers and compactors in this emerging industry sector. These first balers were the foundation for the over 40 products we offer in our full product line of balers, compactors, and beverage extraction equipment.
Today, Harmony Enterprises does not manufacture any of the original products that started the small town business, but we still keep our commitment to the reason our founders decided to start Harmony Enterprises, Inc: Career, Community, and Culture.
Career
Our commitment to Career is evidenced by the 80 employees at Harmony Enterprises, Inc. and 17 employees at Harmony Kids Learning Center, started by my wife and myself, for our employees and the local community.
Our Employees and Their Quality Work Are What Make Us A Great Company
With each employment opportunity comes the chance for people to learn and develop skills in many diverse areas of interest. Harmony provides opportunities for training and professional growth within the company. Many of our current employees started at entry-level positions and grew with the company into the prominent roles they have with us today.
Careers at Harmony Enterprises are more than jobs. Flexible scheduling, generous benefit packages, and a positive culture allow our people to provide for, and enjoy time with, their families. These careers helps to sustain our local economy by supplying income back into our banks, restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues.
Community
Harmony Enterprises has always been committed to our Community. One example is that four of our employees are EMT’s for the Harmony Ambulance and Preston Ambulance. As they are working in Harmony, they are able to be on call during daytime hours, while still getting paid to work. The same goes for our six employees who volunteer for our local fire departments. Harmony Enterprises’ Relay for Life team has raised over $25,000 to help fight cancer during the past few years. We have several employees who serve as coaches, Junior Achievement Instructors, performers, and civic leaders.
Harmony Kids Learning Center Provides Affordable Quality Daycare for Our Employees and Community Members
Our commitment to our Community has also lead us to help our employees and community to help families find affordable daycare. Harmony Kids Learning Center opened in June 2016 in an existing building across the parking lot of our corporate headquarters. The center is licensed for 99 children. On average day there are 85 children at the center. This is not a daycare center, but is a learning center with state licensed teachers and an atmosphere conducive for learning and developing necessary social skills. For our employees, having their children across the parking lot from where they are working is convenient and affordable. Harmony Enterprises employees receive a discounted hourly rate, and have the ability to participate in frequent special events happening at the center.
Harmony Enterprises is also proud to sponsor many local arts events, participate in seasonal promotions in the area, and is active in our Harmony Area Chamber of Commerce and Harmony EDA.
Culture
Our company Culture is based on five Core Values, all centered around the “why” we are here, or our Core Purpose of “why” we are in business in the first place: Career, Community, and Culture. Our core values are; Committed, Courage to Make a Difference, Passionate, Innovative, and Enhancing our Shared Experience.
Our Five Core Values Are Centered Around Our Core Purpose Of Career, Community, and Culture
Harmony employees do more than just read these on a banner, or see them in an employee handbook. Staff are consistently recognized for their efforts, based on these five core values. Our teams are rewarded based on them, and use them to help each other create shared successes.
These values are only possible in a nurturing environment based on safety and trust. An open and honest culture allows for people to be vulnerable and seek out the best qualities in each other to meet the demands of our workplace.
Thank You
Thank you to all of our employees, vendors, customers, and community members for allowing us to be the innovative solutions provider for satisfied customers in over 80 countries worldwide. It is our goal to make the earth a better, more sustainable place for generations to come, while providing for our Core Purpose of Career, Community, and Culture.
Sincerely,
Steven J. Cremer, President
Harmony Enterprises
If you would like to learn more about Careers at Harmony Enterprises, please visit our Careers Page. If you are interested in any of our balers or compactors, please do not hesitate to Contact Us or call us at 507-886-6666. It would be our pleasure to provide you with the solutions you need to manage the waste and recycling for your business. Contact us today!
