“Employee Owned” is proudly displayed throughout Harps and as you walk inside, that is the first thing you notice at the Greenbrier location. You notice that, along with how helpful their employees are with a big smile on their face. Manager, Waylon Van Winkle has been at the Greenbrier location since 2018 and shares that he actually never had a desire to get in the grocery industry but was attending college at ASU-Beebe and it was the closest thing to his house. He really wanted to work at the Harps in Searcy, and while doing that, fell in love with the company and truly enjoyed his job.
He shares, “Our service is what sets us apart from any other grocer. You might go somewhere that perhaps might beat us on the price on certain things but you will not find anyone that beats us on service.” When several grocery stores have made the move to self checkout over the past couple of years, Harps has consistently focused on the customer and employee relationship. Van Winkle adds, “You do not get that interaction with employees at other places and we feel that is valuable. At the end of the day, in a community you want to have that friendly interaction with people... with the clerk, cake counter, pharmacy. We enjoy bringing the “people” to this business.”
Harps roughly employs 65 individuals at the Greenbrier location and has a robust selection of quality goods and specialty departments including a bakery, deli, express/fuel, full service pharmacy, and meat department. Harps originated in 1930 in Springdale, AR and has 114 stores in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas and is the largest “employee owned” business in the state. Harps offers curbside pickup and now has recently launched the Harps Rewards app. The new app gives you the opportunity to clip coupons and earn rewards. Van Winkle shares, “by using the app, you’ll save more than you ever have with fuel. We have retired the Harps card, but this new app truly is better in overall savings.”
Harps is excited to be in the community and despite Covid, they have been able to keep key products in stock and have been able to maintain and grow their business over the last two years. VanWinkle adds, “We wouldn’t have been able to do that without our amazing team here in Greenbrier and our great customers.”
Help the Greenbrier Chamber of Commerce celebrate our October business of the Month, Harps with a Mix and Mingle, Thursday October 28th from 6 to 7 PM.