[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 111 (Thursday, August 2, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO JOHN MEZZALINGUA AND CENTRAL NEW YORK BASED PPC ON ACHIEVING 
                         SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES T. WALSH

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 1, 2001

  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, this month, one of the pioneering firms in 
the field of telecommunications equipment productions, PPC, will 
celebrate the completion of its 60th year in operation and its owner 
and founder, John Mezzalingua, will celebrate his 97th birthday on 
August 30th.
  As an infant, John Mezzalingua immigrated to Central New York with 
his mother from Italy. At the age of 17, Mr. Mezzalingua began to work 
in an iron foundry with his father and soon expanded the family 
greenhouse and floral business to include a trucking service. During 
the Great Depression, Mr. Mezzalingua saved enough money to purchase 
automatic machinery and headed a production products company known as 
PPC. It grew to become one of the world's largest producers of cable 
connector products.
  When the Magnavox Corporation purchased PPC, Mr. Mezzalingua retired. 
When the Netherlands-based North American Philips Corporation bought 
Magnavox in 1974, it decided to exit the connector business. Mr. 
Mezzalingua, nearing the age of 80, and his son Dan repurchased the 
company to keep its jobs in Central New York.
  Today, John Mezzalingua Associates, Incorporated, the parent company 
of PPC, is headquartered and operates three plants in Central New York 
where it designs and manufactures connectors, traps and filters, and 
fiber optics products for telecommunications firms worldwide. It has 
additional manufacturing plants in Denmark and St. Kitts and maintains 
research operations in Switzerland.
  On behalf of the people of New York's 25th Congressional District, it 
is my honor to congratulate Mr. John Mezzalingua on his 97th birthday 
and PPC on its 60 years in Central New York. We wish the very best for 
Mr. Mezzalingua, his family, and his company.

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