The HarperLove sales and technical team has unparalleled corrugated industry experience, at over 1,200 years combined and across every aspect of the business. And we share what we know about corrugated, adhesives, and converting equipment to help guide our customers.

Meet the Leadership Team

Kenny Messer
President and CEO

Kenny joined HarperLove from Arkema, where he held the position of President of Coating Resins Americas and was the Executive Liaison for Sales/Commercial Excellence, including leadership for the Global Key Account Organization. Prior to Arkema, he held roles of increasing responsibility at Milliken Chemical. Kenny obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Chemistry from Western Carolina University.

David Pitts
CFO

David joined HarperLove as CFO in 2025, bringing a depth of experience leading finance, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, and digital transformation in consumer brands and packaging. His expertise has spanned a wide range of markets, including consumer products, electronics, home goods, general industrials, and automotive. He earned his Master of Business Administration at Roosevelt University and a Bachelor of Science at Robert Morris University in Illinois.

Jeff Buchanan
Director of Sales and Market Development

Jeff joined HarperLove as Director of Sales and Market Development in 2023, bringing vast experience and knowledge of the paper, packaging and performance chemicals industries from past sales and leadership roles including positions at Nouryon, UPM Raflatac, Kemira and AkzoNobel. He earned his Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemical Engineering and Pulp and Paper Technology from North Carolina State University.

Heather Hutchison
Director of Human Resources

Heather joined HarperLove in 2021, bringing with her more than 20 years of experience. She is a results focused business partner who delivers talent acquisition, retention and motivation solutions that help companies harness the full power of one of their most valuable assets, their people. Heather is dedicated to creating corporate cultures that promote continuous business growth while empowering and motivating employees to realize their full potential. Heather earned her Bachelors and Masters degree in Education from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts and a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from HRCI.

Tyler Haggard
Director of Business Development

Tyler came to HarperLove in 2009 as a Technical Service Representative and is currently responsible for leading technical service teams in the Northeast and North Central United States, as well as leading our Control Systems Audits and Training services. Tyler has more than 28 years of experience in corrugated manufacturing, having worked in plant operations and plant leadership roles at Packaging Corporation of America, Smurfit-Stone, and Georgia-Pacific.

Gary Rowland
Senior Technical Service Director

Gary joined Harperlove in 2001 as a Technical Service Representative and is now currently responsible for the Southeast and Southwest United States technical service teams, as well as Latin America and Mexico. Gary spent 17 years at Container Corporation of America and International Paper, in roles of increasing responsibility in manufacturing, operations management, and plant leadership.

Rick Bird
Operations Manager

Rick has been with HarperLove since 2002 in engineering, production, operations, and leadership roles. As the Operations Manager, Rick is responsible for all aspects of manufacturing, logistics, R&D, testing, and quality assurance. Rick earned his Chemical Engineering degree from West Virginia Institute of Technology.