Focus On: Philip Harting
HARTING has grown from approximately $275 million in annual sales to approximately $580 million over the past 10 years. The company has grown faster than the overall connector industry, achieving a 10-year compound annual growth rate of 7.8 percent vs. 5.3 percent for the industry. This success has added a 30-percent increase to their share of the world connector market. HARTING has become the 14th largest connector company in the world, and is ranked fourth in Europe, after Tyco Electronics, Amphenol, and Molex. The company is ranked number one in the world in heavy duty connectors, and is second in the industrial market.

HARTING has achieved this growth while remaining customer-focused. The company consistently ranks in the top 10 among "best performing" companies in Bishop & Associates’ annual customer surveys. This high level of performance and customer satisfaction speaks volumes about how well this company is managed. HARTING has become one of the best companies in our industry.
                                                                 —Ronald E. Bishop, Bishop & Associates Inc.

Name: Philip Harting
Location: Espelkamp, Germany
Current position: HARTING Technology Group, Senior Vice President, Connectivity and Networks
Industry positions: The HARTING Technology Group is skilled in the fields of electrical, electronic, and optical connection, transmission and networking, as well as in manufacturing, mechatronics, and software creation. The Group uses these skills to develop customized solutions and products, such as connectors for energy and data transmission applications. Examples include mechanical engineering, rail technology, wind energy plants, factory automation, and the telecommunications sector. In addition, HARTING also produces electro-magnetic components for the automobile industry and offers solutions in the field of enclosures and shop systems. The HARTING Group currently comprises 32 subsidiary companies and employs approximately 3,000 people.

Industry affiliations and or organizations: The HARTING Technology Group is heavily involved in different organizations at a national and international level. We participate in activities with the Federal Association of German Industry (BDI) and the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). Standardization is also very important to us: HARTING is represented in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and in the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC). I am personally involved as a member of the board of exhibitors and the Committee of the German Economy e.V. (AUMA), as well as several technical committees of the Electrical Engineering and Electronic Industry Association (ZVEI).

Accomplishments you’re proud of: I am proud to be able to follow in the footsteps of my parents and grandparents. My family has achieved a lot with the company, and I look forward to continuing with the company alongside my sister, who is responsible for the financial field. As senior vice president of Connectivity and Networks, I am, naturally, particularly proud that we, as a partner of our customers, develop a continuous stream of innovations with which we impress the market. One example is our Fast Track Switching Technology, for which we were nominated for the Hermes Award last year at the Hanover Trade Fair. This year we will also present important innovations at the Hanover Trade Fair.

First job: Industrial electronics technician with Schoppe & Faeser GmbH (ABB Company)

Favorite website: Of course, our company website www.HARTING.com. But I also naturally keep myself informed of innovations that impress the market through the websites of different companies. These can come from many different areas. The industry can also learn from the consumer area.

The last book I read  was the biography of Barack Obama. When a person like him is so much in the public eye and plays such an important role in politics and also the economy, I am interested in his life story and the experiences he has made.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have: Focused less on the little daily challenges. If you aren’t overwhelmed by knowing every little detail about a situation, you can view it in a less prejudiced way.