HR1456 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1456 LRB094 21678 HSS 60070 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois are pleased to recognize the 100th anniversary of Ronchetti Distributing Company in Mattoon; and

WHEREAS, Ronchetti Distributing recently celebrated its 100th anniversary as a family-owned wholesale beer distributor for St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch; and

WHEREAS, The company was founded by Felix Ronchetti in 1906 in the western Illinois town of Benld, delivering Pabst beer; in 1914, Mr. Ronchetti moved to Nokomis and purchased the Budweiser distributing business there; and

WHEREAS, During Prohibition in the 1920s, Ronchetti Distributing survived through the delivery of soft drinks; the business acquired the Mattoon distribution area for Anheuser-Busch in 1934, and Frank Ronchetti, son of Felix Ronchetti, took over the operation there; and

WHEREAS, In 1971, Bob Ronchetti began working for the family business as a driver/salesman, and he became owner when his father, Frank Ronchetti, passed away in 1981; when Bob Ronchetti took over as owner, the company distributed just Budweiser, Michelob, and Busch beers; today, Ronchetti Distributing handles 20 different brands and more than 100 products; and

WHEREAS, The company's building on south Lakeland Boulevard, built in 1973, is the fourth Ronchetti warehouse constructed in the area; Ronchetti still operates a center in Nokomis and formerly had sites in Pana, Taylorville, and Paris; and

WHEREAS, Ronchetti Distributing covers the Illinois Route 16 corridor between Mattoon and Litchfield, employs 18 people, and operates a fleet of seven trucks; 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 Ronchetti Distributing Company in Mattoon; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Ronchetti Distributing Company as an expression of our esteem and with best wishes for the future.