[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 63 (Wednesday, May 14, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             WITCZAK'S HARDWARE CELEBRATES 100TH ANNIVERARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT A. BORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 14, 1997

  Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a Philadelphia business 
institution in my congressional district as it marks its 100th 
anniversary in providing a valuable service to the community.
  On May 17, 1897, Stella and Stanislawa Witczak, two Polish immigrants 
seeking to serve the needs of a growing community in Philadelphia, 
opened the doors to Witczak's Hardware.
  One hundred years later, Witczak's hardware is still serving the 
needs of this tightly-knit Port Richmond community. Its owner, Michael 
Witczak, is proud to be the third generation owner of one of one of the 
oldest privately owned hardware stores in a city that is steeped in 
history.
  Mr. Speaker, Witczak's Hardware is a living example of what the 
American Dream is all about. For a century, the business has continued 
to provide the community with nuts, bolts, plumbing supplies, 
electrical items, spring plants, snow shovels, and a variety of other 
household and hardware items.
  It has evolved in much the way the community it served has changed 
over a century. Where once customers would go to buy pull chains for 
water closets, coal oil and globe oil for lamps, customers now go for 
paints, keys, and window screens.
  While the items have changed to meet the demands and expectations of 
a fast-paced society, the store itself hasn't changed much over the 
years. Customers are still old friends, the wooden floors are a 
familiar fixture and the owner can still help customers find that 
perfect gadget or tool to aid in home improvement projects.
  This very presence is what is so important to a community and to the 
people it serves. Witczak's business, firmly rooted in the Port 
Richmond neighborhood, is an example for many generations to see.
  These businesses provide examples for other future business owners 
that offering a service to a neighborhood is convenient, important and 
still needed in our country. It is the business strategy that made our 
Nation become the world economic leader it is and it is the hub in the 
wheel that made our neighborhood prosper.
  At a time when, competition is at an all-time high and super stores 
and mega-malls are increasing, stores like Witczak's are facing tough 
obstacles. Nonetheless, their role as the ``little mom and pop'' stores 
once so prevalent in our neighborhoods are needed.
  The immigrants who started these businesses are to be commended for 
the spirit and energy they displayed in making their American dream of 
prosperity come true.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to congratulate Witczak's 
Hardware for serving as a fine example of an American business that 
blossomed, remains strongly entrenched in its community, and continues 
to provide a service to the neighborhood. May it stand as an example 
for future business owners that one family's vision can lead to a 
century of accomplishment.

                          ____________________