HR0033 LRB095 06797 KXB 26913 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to honor Rich Niemann Sr. on being
4 named to the Quincy Chamber of Commerce "Business Hall of
5 Fame"; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Rich Niemann Sr. was born in Quincy and grew up in
7 the family grocery business founded by his father and uncle in
8 1917; in his early years, the business consisted of a number of
9 small stores and a wholesale house; the Niemann family
10 introduced Quincy's first full-service supermarket in 1940
11 when Rich was only nine-years old; and
 
12     WHEREAS, In 1953, Rich Niemann graduated from Quincy
13 College, where he played 4 years of college baseball, with a
14 degree in marketing, and continued in the wholesale operation
15 on a fulltime basis, becoming warehouse manager in 1956; and
 
16     WHEREAS, In 1969, Rich Niemann and his brother purchased
17 controlling interest in the family business and began to
18 aggressively develop the company; Mr. Niemann was named
19 President, and the brothers decided to phase out the wholesale
20 segment of the food business and concentrate on the expansion
21 of the five retail stores, which then accounted for
22 approximately $5 million in annual sales; and
 

 

 

HR0033 - 2 - LRB095 06797 KXB 26913 r

1     WHEREAS, Under Mr. Niemann's leadership, the company
2 introduced the discount superstore concept in Champaign in
3 1980, with the opening of the first Valu Check warehouse store;
4 this concept evolved into the Cub Foods and County Market
5 discount superstores; today, Niemann Foods, Inc., an Associate
6 Owned/Family Company, and nationally recognized industry
7 leader, operates 64 stores in 3 states, under the banners of
8 County Market, Cub Foods, Niemann Market, Save-A-Lot, and
9 County Market Express, along with County Market Catering; the
10 Company employs about 3,600 associates with annual sales of
11 $500 million; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Mr. Niemann serves as Chairman of the Board of
13 Niemann Foods, Inc., and as Managing Partner of Food Co. Land
14 Trust; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Mr. Niemann currently serves on the Board of the
16 State Street Bank and Trust Company; he serves as a Director of
17 the Food Marketing Institute in Washington, D.C, and Chairman
18 of the Illinois Food Retailers Association Political Action
19 Committee; he has served as Vice-Chairman of the Food Marketing
20 Institute and as Chairman of the Illinois Food Retailer
21 Association; he has been named Illinois Retail Manufacturing
22 Association Illinois Retailer of the Year; and the Illinois
23 Retail Association's Food Industry Leader of the Year; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, He was the first recipient of the Parker S. Gates
2 Industry Leader Award presented by the Quincy Area Chamber of
3 Commerce; he and his wife, Connie, recently received the Quincy
4 Notre Dame Band award and the Catholic Charities Distinguished
5 Service Award; and
 
6     WHEREAS, He has served as President of the Board of
7 Education for the Quincy Public Schools; he is a longtime
8 member of the Quincy University Board of Trustees, and has
9 served as Finance Chairman; he has served as the Chairman of
10 St. Mary Hospital's Board of Directors, a founding member of
11 the Great River Economic Development Foundation, the President
12 of the Quincy Rotary Club, and a Board Member of the Quincy
13 Area Chamber of Commerce; he has been active in fund-raising
14 campaigns in Quincy as Chairman of the Salvation Army Annual
15 Fund, and Chairman of the United Way Annual Campaign; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Mr. Niemann continues to remain active in the
17 Quincy Community; in 2006, Rich Sr., along with Rich Niemann,
18 Jr., and Chris Niemann, established the Niemann Foods
19 Foundation benefitting the needs of children and families; Mr.
20 Niemann and his wife, Connie, are parents of 8 children, 24
21 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren; they are members of
22 St. Peter Catholic Church; therefore, be it
 

 

 

HR0033 - 4 - LRB095 06797 KXB 26913 r

1     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3 congratulate Rich Niemann Sr. on being named to the Quincy
4 Chamber of Commerce "Business Hall of Fame"; and be it further
 
5     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6 presented to Rich Niemann Sr. as a sign of our respect.