WCP Employee Spotlight: Mary Harper
15 years with WCP and still going!
15 years ago in 2007, Mary started at WCP Solutions as the Kent Industrial Merchandising Manager where she worked side by side with Merchandisers, Inside Sales, Account Managers, and the Industrial Sales Manager. During Mary’s time with WCP, there have been three business acquisitions and she is grateful for multiple years of double-digit GTM growth with the company. In 2015, Mary’s role changed to Sales Administrative Manager and only a few years later in 2018, added Kent HR Representative and Facilities Support to her repertoire. Throughout her time at WCP, her inquisitive spirit and determination to solve problems have made Mary a great asset to our team!
Mary’s Personal Story
Mary spent her early years in Richland, Washington before moving to Kent where she and her family grew up. She remembers the “old days” in the Kent Valley when there were tons of farms and the Boeing Aerospace Center was a fraction of what it is today!
While she was finishing her undergraduate degree with a B.S. in Business Administration, she managed an office, overseeing customers for a metal-building products distributor. During that time she gained a lot of experience working in customer service, operations, accounting, credit, and management positions.
Before joining WCP, she was the sales/service/operations manager for the distribution business unit at one of our competitor companies – lucky for us, she found her home at WCP!
Q+A with Mary
What does your typical day at WCP look like?
My daily business activities vary… supporting our people, sharing knowledge, coaching. At times solving puzzles, analyzing, reporting sales, GTM, inventory information, all while aiming to improve someone’s day.
What is your favorite part of working at WCP?
Our people are my favorite part of WCP! I am impressed that we are a 92-year-old family-owned business. It has been enjoyable for me to work with our WCP Team and suppliers, getting to visit customers with account managers, and collaborate with folks inside and outside of Kent.
What is one lesson that your current position has taught you?
I strive to be an encourager. One lesson this position has taught me is to take a step back and allow processes to run their course and be ready to be called upon as needed to assist.
Do you have any favorite products or product lines that WCP carries?
I am continually impressed with the diverse products, equipment, and services that we offer our customers. Every year our Industrial Catalog is even better than the previous one. I also love that our Account Managers are consultants to our customers – we have the best Account Managers in the Distribution business. It has been said many a time, what makes WCP strong and successful is our business relationships.
Do you have any tips to offer customers when they order from WCP?
Customers: thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Please review our products from our catalog and our website. If you are not doing it already, we can set you up with online ordering. We have a vast amount of marketing materials that we can share as well.
Do you have any tips for new employees just starting their careers?
For our new team members, welcome to our sales organization! Treat everyone as if they are your customer. Don’t tell them what we can’t do, tell them what we can do. Shadow tenured employees, spend time with folks outside of your department. Ask questions, be curious – we all have a lot to share. And overall, we want you to succeed!
Outside of WCP, what are some of your favorite hobbies and activities?
My husband drag races his 1970 Dodge Challenger as his hobby. We both like to be outside, going for a walk or hike, and being with our two-year-old Belgian Sheepdog, Archer. I enjoy working out at the gym, have a keen interest in nutrition, gardening, and doing things around our house. We also enjoy watching Seahawks and Sounder games. Our kids are grown and we are blessed to have eight grandchildren along with our nephews and nieces having their own families now too. Our wish is that 2022 embraces more family time.
Can you share a couple of your favorite memories or stories while working at WCP?
Favorite memories include rallying with our team when we are close to reaching a goal or a milestone for an Account Manager, the Industrial Business Unit, or the Kent Branch. When we are tracking a goal, we have kept everyone apprised, created a visual in the office to measure our progress. It has been fun for all of us and made us feel that we have contributed to our success.
Another memory I have is when I used to drive by our building early in the morning on my way to my previous employer. Quite often a WCP truck would be right behind me, and I would think, “Why paint delivery trucks yellow, sheesh?!” Then I became a part of WCP and I changed my tune, “Now I love the yellow truck!” I may even bleed yellow now.
Compliments from CoWorkers
“Mary Harper is a real team player. She always makes sure to help where she can, even when it’s not in her job description. She is always approachable and always puts so much effort in making sure the office is supplied and ready for daily operations.” – Patty, WCP Kent
“Mary is an employee favorite because of her kind and compassionate nature. Mary is a great cheerleader as well as a strong advocate for the employees.” – Steve, WCP Kent
“Mary is truly one of the best souls I’ve ever met and incredibly authentic when working with people. For our business she’s great at figuring out the root of what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again.” – Tamara, WCP Corporate
“Mary is the epitome of what WCP stands for. She is always positive and optimistic and makes each person feel special. She is caring and compassionate. She brings such a wealth of knowledge to the business and is always willing to share that knowledge and help in any way she can. She is just an amazing person and I’m thankful to have the opportunity to work with her.” – Marsha, WCP Kent
——
Learn more about WCP and our history of customer service by visiting our About page.
Join the WCP Team: Want to work alongside awesome people like Mary Harper and the rest of our team? Visit the WCP Career Center to see all of our open career opportunities!
