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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, In April 1936, Edward "Lefty" Meier purchased a
3used bottling machine with reward money he received from
4catching a bank robber in Germantown and set up a bottling
5plant in Breese with his wife, Catherine Bruegge Meier; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The Meiers set up their bottling machine in
7Catherine's grandmother's house; they called their company
8Excel Bottling, and Catherine continued to manage the
9bookkeeping until she was 97; today, the house has expanded
10into a modern soda bottling and brewery plant; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Excel Bottling remains one of the few independent
12family bottlers in the nation and is currently managed by the
13third generation of the Meier family; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Excel Bottling is the only returnable bottling
15line remaining in Illinois, and people still pick up soda and
16return bottles to the plant in Breese; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Since 1961, Excel Bottling has produced a
18naturally-flavored citrus soda called Ski and has kept the same
19recipe, which uses pure cane sugar, for 58 years; and
 
20    WHEREAS, The sweet and satisfying taste of Ski soda has

 

 

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1garnered tremendous popularity in Illinois and the St. Louis
2area and is enjoyed by young and old alike; and
 
3    WHEREAS, For over 60 years, Excel Bottling has generated
4jobs and economic growth for the State of Illinois, and Ski
5soda has been an important cultural icon for the Prairie State;
6therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
8HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
9in the spirit of the Excel Bottling Company motto, "Good things
10don't have to change", we commend and celebrate the tradition
11of Ski soda and the culture of community it has fostered and
12wish them continued success in the future; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14presented to the Meier family as an expression of our esteem
15and respect.