Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0408

HR0408 LRB104 13993 ECR 26988 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate The Suter Company on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, The Suter Company was established by Charles Suter in 1925 after he served in France during World War I, founding the company with a tremendous work ethic, a strong sense of integrity, and a simple desire to start his own business; and

WHEREAS, During its humble beginnings, The Suter Company moved from its original farm in Palatine to Genoa and then to downtown Sycamore before finally relocating to a different location in Sycamore, where the company constructed the original portion of its May Street production facility in 1947; and

WHEREAS, The Suter Company operated as an egg candling and eviscerating operation in the early years, distributing chicken meat and eggs to restaurants throughout Northern Illinois, with survival through the Great Depression and World War II being its top priority during these early years; Charles Suter led his company with the ideals of hard work, persistence, and integrity, and his founding values remain alive today and are fundamental to the ongoing success of the company decades after he decided to set out on his own; he introduced his two sons, George and Chuck Suter, to the business at a young age, eventually passing leadership responsibilities to them after they completed college and military commitments in the mid-1950s, and he retired in 1960 before passing away in 1970; and

WHEREAS, The second generation ownership of The Suter Company brought an infusion of new ideas and energy; George and Chuck Suter reinvented the company as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) began to regulate poultry in 1956, the larger poultry slaughtering operations began to move to the Southern United States, and the markets began to demand more innovation; unafraid to change with the times, they discontinued slaughtering and started canning lines, bringing a unique offering to the food service distribution channel; they also diversified the company's product offerings with chicken still at the heart of a wide range of shelf-stable food service products, including canned boned chicken, chicken broth, chicken a la king, chicken and dumplings, and many other poultry-based items; and

WHEREAS, During the 1960s, The Suter Company established a strong manufacturing foundation as distribution expanded nationwide; building on the success of this large customer base, the company continued to innovate by introducing a proprietary line of shelf-stable entrée salads in 1970 and refrigerated salads in the early 1980s; Chuck Suter retired from the company in 1983, while George Suter led the company for nearly four decades until his retirement in 1998; under his leadership, in addition to carrying on the traditions of hard work and integrity he was taught by his father, the company established rigorous disciplines for outstanding quality and food safety programs as well as world-class productivity, and like his father, he taught his two sons, Tim and Dan Suter, the business from a very young age; and

WHEREAS, After working summers in the plant while going to school throughout the 1980s, Tim and Dan Suter joined The Suter Company full-time in 1990; together, they infused a sense of urgency, propelling the business to a new level of growth and innovation; the company introduced a line of unique shelf-stable lunch kits in the early 1990s and a one-of-a-kind line of deviled eggs in 1998, and it continued to expand the line of refrigerated entrée salads through co-pack and private label opportunities in the United States as well as internationally; Tim Suter became company president upon his father's retirement at the end of 1998, and he has led an era of rapid growth, including multiple physical expansions of the May Street plant as well as the construction of the new, state-of-the-art production facility on Bethany Road in Sycamore; and

WHEREAS, The Suter Company's focus on customer success has led to strong, long-term partnerships that have fueled its growth; under Tim Suter's leadership, the company has continued to nurture a family-feel in its organization even during times of change, growth, and competitive pressure; through adhering to its clarity of vision, core values, and mission, the company has created a flourishing culture built on a unique and comprehensive level of care for its employees and significant contributions to the surrounding community; and

WHEREAS, After three generations and nearly 100 years, The Suter Company and the Suter family announced the creation of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in September 2020, a great enhancement to the company's already strong culture and core values; through making all company employees fourth generation owners by becoming an ESOP, the company has further strengthened its commitment to all stakeholders in the business while providing extraordinary care to every employee, encouraging its employees to continue their tradition of taking great care of customers while building passion and energy for the work they do every day; and

WHEREAS, To continue upholding its core values, The Suter Company launched the 100th Anniversary Community Enrichment Grant Program, which will award a total of $100,000 in grant funds throughout 2025; the company awarded its first grant cycle funds at its 100th Anniversary Employee Celebration at St. Mary's Parish Activity Center on March 14, 2025, and it has awarded a total of $25,000 to multiple local organizations to further their missions, including the Voluntary Action Center (VAC) and the DeKalb Fire Department, further highlighting the company's strong commitment to giving back since its inception; and

WHEREAS, The Suter Company is and should be proud of its rich history that has spanned 100 years; the company's strong core values and work ethic, world-class people and facilities, and robust safety, food safety, and quality systems have continued to solidify its reason for facing the future with optimism; the company has maintained its tagline, "Business, on a Mission", which is more than just a phrase, and the actions of its employees have continued to inspire momentum towards an exciting future; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate The Suter Company on celebrating its 100th anniversary while serving as a leading example of innovation and as an asset to the State, and we commend all of the contributions made by its leaders and employees who have had a positive impact on the health of the company, the community, the country, and the world; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to The Suter Company and the Suter family as an expression of our respect and esteem.