Forty Under 40: Shannon Harrop

Shannon Harrop, 34, loves the variety of things he gets to do. As vice president of J.V. Manufacturing Co. in Springdale, he deals with 250 local employees and travels to and speaks with almost 200 customers.

A Springdale native and graduate of the University of Arkansas, Harrop received his bachelors degree in mechanical engineering in 1992 and earned his masters of business administration in 1998.

Harrop spends most of his day dealing with customers both local and international. J.V. Manufacturing, under the trade name of Cram-A-Lot, has worked locally with Wal-Mart, Tyson, Walgreens and the University of Arkansas. Cram-A-Lots trash and waste services are concentrated for commercial and retail environments.

Harrop, who hopes eventually to run the company, said, I try to learn from everybody I come into contact with. So far, he considers his career highlight to be the opportunity to open a Cram-A-Lot plant in Sacramento, Calif. He spent two years in Sacramento before returning to Springdale.

In addition to his work, Harrop sits on the board for the Environmental Trade Association and the standards board of the ANSI, a safety standards association, both based in Washington, D.C.