[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 27 (Thursday, February 13, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E270-E271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONGRATULATIONS TO PEDRO CAPO AND THE ENTIRE CAPO FAMILY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 13, 2003

  Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
commend Mr. Pedro Capo for becoming the first Hispanic to serve as 
president of the National Home Furnishings Association. Mr. Capo's 
journey is inspiring and it speaks volumes of determination, passion, 
and family values.
  Approximately 36 years ago, Pedro Capo's father, Manuel, and two 
brothers fled communist Cuba in a 24-foot wooden boat motored only by a 
converted water pump. Their boat was named ``El Dorado,'' the Spanish 
word for dolphin. This name was to foreshadow the success to come, both 
in reaching their destination and continuing a successful family 
tradition. Upon arriving in the United States Mr. Capo's father and 
three brothers used the experience gleaned in the family's successful 
furniture shop in Cuba and shortly after they founded El Dorado 
Furniture.
  The Capo family reflects traditional Cuban values, hard-work, self-
reliance, self-confidence and determination.

[[Page E271]]

  El Dorado Furniture is a success by any standard. From its humble 
sales of $18,251 its first year, it boasts sales of $125 to $130 
million in 2002. Not many businesses can claim at least a 22 percent 
increase every year. Apart from El Dorado's business success, it has 
served as a source of family unity. All the family members continue to 
work in the business, including seven of the 19 grandchildren.
  Passion for the furniture business has been in the Capo family's 
blood and can be traced back to Cuba. Pedro Capo's father describes him 
as a child ``having an active imagination'' and as a child who ``loved 
to share his ideas with the whole family''. In the last 10 years, Pedro 
Capo has been sharing his ideas as a member of National Home 
Furnishings Association, and in his new position as president, he will 
continue to share his ideas with National Home Furnishings Association 
members about getting the most out of their retailing businesses.
  I urge all our colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the entire 
Capo family, and especially to Mr. Pedro Capo, a man that embodies the 
American dream. He serves as a shining example and reminder that 
anything is possible in the United States and that dreams can and do 
come true. A man who stands out as a light for all; whether newly 
arrived immigrant or multi-generational United States citizen.

                          ____________________