“There’s no secret sauce” to owning a successful business, says Hans Harman ’02. “Just surrounding yourself with the right people, working hard and getting your hands dirty.”
Harman, president of Momentum Earthworks, was honored as Entrepreneur of the Year at the Jan. 4 Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet.
“Receiving recognition like this is exciting and humbling because there are so many great businesses and great business people in the Harrisonburg/Rockingham communities,” Harman said. “Having peers and the community acknowledge the hard work of building a company is reassuring that we have a great team which continues to tackle new challenges and perform at a high level.”
The award has two criteria: entrepreneurial success and community involvement, or “giving back,” said Frank Tamberrino, chamber president. “Hans has now established a track record of sensing a business opportunity, taking a risk and making it pay off. The benefits include a larger payroll, which means more local jobs created.”
Tamberrino added that Harman “makes his presence known in the community by being active in the Association of General Contractors, the chamber of commerce and downtown revitalization efforts.”
Momentum Earthworks, based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, does $8 million a year in annual business and employs 50 people. Harman initially purchased Quality Excavating in 2011, when it had seven employees and drew just $1.3 million.
A Harrisonburg native, Harman earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Eastern Mennonite University. He is the son of Carl Harman ’67 and Sharon Bowers ‘71.
Before opening Momentum Earthworks in 2011, he worked in real estate development as a principal with Velocity Property Group and managed projects for Harman Construction, his father’s company.
Other honorees included Jack Broaddus, president and CEO of Sunnyside Communities, Business Person of the Year; Jill McGlaughlin, Community Champion; and Willard and Sonia Knicely of West-Rock Dairy, Farm Family Stewardship Award winners.