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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, German-Bliss Equipment is celebrating the 75th
3anniversary of its founding as the L.E. German Implement
4Company in Princeville; and
 
5    WHEREAS, L. E. "Lou" German moved his family to Peoria from
6Paducah, Kentucky in the hopes of finding work, proving
7himself, and taking care of his family, resulting in landing a
8job with R. G. Letourneau and eventually the Allis Chalmers
9Machinery Company; Lou German followed his dream of selling
10farm equipment from his own business, setting up shop on his
11own in the spring of 1940; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The L.E. German Implement Company started by
13selling Allis Chalmers equipment from a rented store front; the
14company eventually moved to their own land and began a pattern
15of diversifying with Massey-Harris, Ferguson, and eventually
16Massey-Ferguson in the late 1950s; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Lou German's oldest son, Bill, moved on to another
18opportunity, which allowed the younger brother, Chuck, to take
19a larger role and diversify the company even further; he
20obtained the Ford Tractor franchise, opened a new branch in
21Peoria, became a State of Illinois certified truck testing
22facility, and recognized the potential of Kubota Tractors,

 

 

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1which enabled the company to become the oldest and largest
2dealer of Kubota in Illinois; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The L.E. German Implement Company continued to
4expand and opened another branch in East Peoria; Chuck German
5was also honored by being elected as the President of the North
6American Equipment Dealers Association, one of the longest
7running trade organizations in North America; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Lou German found himself being led to Jesus Christ
9in the late 1930s, which changed the course of his family;
10through Chuck's leadership, this led to the purchase of the
11Bliss Implement Company in 2000 and forming what is now
12German-Bliss Equipment; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Chuck German and his wife, Kathy, have been
14blessed with a daughter, Gretchen, who is involved in 4 Kubota
15dealerships in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, and 3 sons, Jeff,
16David, and Greg; Jeff is a missionary in Thailand with Wycliffe
17Bible Translators, David is a primary care physician in
18Glasgow, Kentucky, and Greg serves as the President of
19German-Bliss Equipment; therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
21NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
22congratulate the owners of German-Bliss Equipment on the

 

 

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1occasion of its 75th anniversary and on its commitment to
2central Illinois and the communities they serve, including
3Princeville, East Peoria, and now Springfield; and be it
4further
 
5    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6presented to Greg German, President of German-Bliss Equipment,
7Inc.