harrop people

The Firm

Some words with partner Mike Harrop

Activity
Besides consulting for organizations, we've done a variety of startups
over the years. About 20 % did very well, 30 % did break-even, 30%
had to be re-structured and re-launched, and 10% failed - a typical
average in this risky business.

History
The firm originated in northern UK during the industrial revolution, but
from the 1800s was mostly active in silk and cotton processing, with its
HQ in Romania and its markets in the Russian and Turkish empires
and the Balkans. Since WW2, the firm has been nomadic but mainly
active in Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Scotland, Turkey, USA, and China.

Career
I did some startups in my teens, studied at Cambridge and West of
Scotland universities, trained as an engineer for Coats Ltd in Italy and
Austria, then did 11 years with DuPont's new products team in Geneva,
ending as head of Kevlar® marketing for armor and composites.
Kevlar®'s revolutionary properties meant re-inventing products and
markets, which got me deeply involved with innovation. Since leaving
DuPont in 1980, startups have been a big part of my life - Geneva
Venture Zone, Forlink Software, Cats & Dogs retail chain, Pricer digital
price labels for supermarkets, Kolorfusion, and others. Some are
described in the "s tory" page.

Today
In 2008-2011 many startups were hit by the banking crisis - they are
the most fragile part of the innovation chain. We had big losses and
litigation. But today, the de-leveraging of the old societal models based
on debt, non-renewable energy and opacity is leading to interesting
new mindsets and needs, for which we are building new ideas under
the brand-name "cheapersimpler".

WORK FOR

OTHER

1969-1980

Worked for

DuPont

new products team

launchin

aramid

aramid

PTFE

polyimide

PVF

eveloped

dyeing

para-

aramid

fabrics,

open

ing

new

markets

motor-

racing,

military,

worker-

protection

fire

brigades

eveloped quilted

multi-layer

para-

aramid fabrics for motor-racing

clothing,

extend

ing

fire-

protection

times

c. Organised first European Hot-Gas Filtration Symposium in

Düsseldorf,

open

ing

market

for fabric

filtration of

pollutant

emissions

asphalt

and

TiO2

plants.

d. Sold first 50 tons para-aramid order (previous max. 5 tons) by

creating

purchasing

club of

industrial laundries to

buy

calender

felts.

Sold first 25 ton aramid order (previous max. 2 tons) by

convincing

Italian

police and

Carabinieri to

hold anti-

ballistic

vests in

police

stations

across Italy.

Orders

from

all countries

followed. Many

officers' lives

saved.

f. Worked with

Louis Vuitton

and designer

Clino Castelli

futuristic

luggage

materials

when LV

inaugurated the

Challenge

trophy

for the

America's Cup

runner-up. The

unique

fabric

used a

and 'locked' by

heat-

fusion.

The concept

was

later used for

fused

racing sails.

g. Worked with European Space Agency

ultra-thin

polyimide

film

with

vacuum vapor

deposited gold

coating, used

wrap

satellites.

h. Worked on aircraft wire-wrapping films with polyimide, and PVF release films for the electronic circuit-board
industry.

966-1969

Worked for

Coats

, world's largest textile company, in

their

silk

cotton

thread

manufacturing

mills

Spai

(

Coats

Fabra

)

Scotland

(

Coats

Patons

)

Italy

(

Cucirini Cantoni Coats

)

Germany

Austria

(

Mez A.G. and

Harlander

Coats

)

alvaged

vintage

silk

hank-winders

slow-

process

premium

not-

ree

silk

and

mercerized embroidery

threads

expanding

market for

automated

embroidery

hippie

fashions

ccelerated flow

of 3-D spectrophotometr

for

dye

mixing in high-

pressure

thread-

dyeing,

facilitating

market

for 24-

hour

custom color-

matched thread

delivery.

Worke

's first industr

ial

mainframe

computer to

map

3-D

color-space.

Historical
Older projects were sometimes done under the old business name of Harrop, Lees, Brown & Co.

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PERSONAL

Born

Manchester,

ugust 20th

1945

Interests

Ballet, functional cycling, public fitness

Languages
Fluent: Italian, English, French, Spanish, primary school German
Some understanding of Schwytzertütsch, Catalan, Portuguese, Romanian

Long

ish

residence

work

Switzerland (Geneva, Schwyz, Obwalden, Engadin), Italy (Lucca, Milano, Verbania), Spain

(Barcelona, Vil

y Geltrú

), USA (Wilmington, Natick, Denver, Long Beach), China (Beijing,

Shijiazhuang, Chengdu), Germany (Freiburg im B),

Austria

(Vienna, St. Pölten)

UK (Glasgow,