[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 22, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  TRIBUTE TO EMBROIDERY SERVICES, INC.

 Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
two outstanding northern Kentucky businessmen and their company. 
Embroidery Services, Inc., in Erlanger, KY, was recently recognized by 
the U.S. Small Business Administration [SBA] as the top small business 
in Kentucky. Company founder and president George Riggs and vice 
president Thomas Wells were each named as the 1994 Small Business 
Person of the Year for the State of Kentucky by SBA.
  These outstanding Kentuckians certainly earned this honor. Embroidery 
Services, Inc., which embroider designs on clothing, began in 1981 as a 
contract embroiderer with few customers, and even fewer employees. The 
company had about 20 workers when it began leasing space at the 
Northern Kentucky University Small Business Incubator in Erlanger 
almost 5 years ago. Just 3 years ago, the company was enjoying modest 
success with annual sales at $2.2 million. Today, Embroidery Services 
has about 100 employees and last year sales topped $10 million.
  Mr. President, I visited Mr. Riggs at Embroidery Services last year, 
and saw firsthand the success of this growing company. With high-
technology computerized embroidery machines, the company decorates 
everything from pillows to polo shirts, producing about 70,000 pieces 
each month. The quality of work is recognized across the United States 
and beyond. Ninety percent of the company's sales are to resort areas 
in the United States and Mexico, and Embroidery Services also ships 
products to Spain, Italy, and Japan.
  During my tour of Embroidery Services, I was equally impressed by the 
quality workmanship evident in the products, and the business savvy 
which has enabled Mr. Riggs and Mr. Wells to build such a successful 
company. Mr. Riggs, who is quite modest about his entrepreneurial 
achievements, has called himself a bad planner because his company has 
had to move into larger facilities six times. It is a problem that many 
companies would like to have. Embroidery Services, which started in a 
100-square-foot office, will move into it's seventh location in 
September--a 36,000-square-foot facility. The company also now has an 
outlet store to sell overrun and slightly damaged merchandise, as well 
as a smaller production facility.
  Mr. President, Embroidery Services, Inc., is truly an outstanding 
example of a small business success story. Each year, the SBA chooses 
one business per State to honor during Small Business Week, May 1-3 
here in Washington. I am very pleased that such an exceptional business 
will represent the Commonwealth, and congratulate George Riggs, Tom 
Wells, and the fine employees of Embroidery Services on this honor.
  I ask to insert an article from the Kentucky Post into today's 
Congressional Record.
  The article follows:

                        [From the Kentucky Post]

                     Boone Has Best Small Business

       Embroidery Services Inc., a Boone County company that does 
     decorative embroidery on garments, has added a stitch to its 
     mantle of awards.
       The company has been chosen as the top small business in 
     Kentucky by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
       Both George J. Riggs, company founder and president, and 
     Thomas R. Wells, vice president, have been notified by the 
     administration of their selections as 1994 Small Business 
     Person of the Year for the State of Kentucky.
       ``Actually, it comes out that the business is selected. 
     They pick one business per state and all 50 of us will be in 
     Washington in May,'' Wells said.
       State award winners are recognized and national winners are 
     announced as part of Small Business Week events May 1-3 in 
     Washington, D.C.
       Embroidery Services, which traces its growth sport to the 
     Small Business Incubator of Northern Kentucky, has grown to 
     about 100 employees and sales of more than $10 million last 
     year.
       The company was singled out last year by the Northern 
     Kentucky Chamber of Commerce as an outstanding example of 
     growing local companies.
       Much of the company's recent growth has come from 
     embroidered T-shirts sold in resort areas, but the company 
     embroiders jackets, sweatshirts and T-shirts sold in 
     department stores as well as the resort area specialties.
       ``Three years ago sales were $2.2 million and that jumped 
     to $7.2 million and we've just finished a year at $10.3 
     million,'' Wells said.
       The number of employees at the company varies depending on 
     orders, but Wells said he expects employment to peak in the 
     busy season this year at 110 to 120 people.
       Riggs started the company in 1981 as a contract embroiderer 
     with a relatively small base of customers. The company was 
     growing and had 20 employees when it began leasing space at 
     the Small Business Incubator in Highland Heights almost five 
     years ago. The company has since moved to a larger space on 
     Cox Avenue in the Mineola Pike industrial area.

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