HR1392 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1392 LRB094 21143 HSS 59473 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois are pleased to recognize the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chicago-Wilcox Mfg. Co.; and

WHEREAS, The company opened in 1906 with the Wilcox Patented Self-Sealing Gasket as its only product; it now produces over 10,000 different parts, including gaskets, seals, and similar products, in its 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, located in South Holland; and

WHEREAS, Stephen C. Anthony, president and owner, attributes the company's longevity to a conservative management style that emphasizes adaptability and commitment to customers and employees; from the first, the new company guaranteed that their Wilcox Patented Self-Sealing Gaskets "positively will not blow out" and said in addition, "unfortunately for us Wilcox gaskets do not wear out"; customers wrote that their Wilcox gaskets, used for years, were giving as fine service as when they were new; and

WHEREAS, The company is committed not only to customers, but also to its employees; during the Great Depression, Chicago-Wilcox went to a two-day/three-day work week, with employees working two days one week and three days the next; through this strategy, every employee retained his or her job, and layoffs were entirely avoided; to this day, Chicago-Wilcox has never resorted to employee layoffs to carry it through difficult times; as a result, employee loyalty is high with five employees retiring with 50 or more years of service; and

WHEREAS, The company outgrew its first facility and in 1967 moved to South Holland; new machines and manufacturing processes were added to keep pace with customers' more complex needs; the company also added redistribution of products complementary to its manufactured lines; and

WHEREAS, In the 1990s, Chicago-Wilcox computerized the inventory and order-processing systems and installed a laser; in 1999, Chicago-Wilcox and DH Die Cutting merged, further broadening the products that could be made and the range of customers that could be served; and

WHEREAS, Today, Chicago-Wilcox services over 1,000 customers and ships approximately 14 million parts annually; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chicago-Wilcox Mfg. Co.; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Stephen C. Anthony as an expression of our esteem.