[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 127 (Monday, November 13, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1997-E1998]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO SAYKLLY'S CONFECTIONARY AND GIFTS

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                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 13, 2006

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a business 
and a family in my district that, in many ways, exemplify the American 
dream. The Sayklly's family business has been in the same family for 
100 years. Through hard work, perseverance and an admirable 
entrepreneurial spirit, the family has built an Upper Peninsula 
institution.
  In 1906, a young Lebanese immigrant named Joseph Sayklly opened his 
own shop in Escanaba, Michigan. The shop, ``Sayklly's,'' carried 
groceries and homemade candy and ice cream. Eventually, that little 
store would blossom into a thriving landmark, recognized throughout the 
Escanaba area. In 1916, Joseph married his wife, Mary, who was also a 
Lebanese immigrant. Together, Joseph and Mary would have nine 
children--Josephine, Marge, Angeline, Louise, Elizabeth, Marie, Martha 
Jean, Fred and Edward. All of the children helped in the business and 
all of them lived in a small apartment above the store.
  Over the years, Sayklly's grew in popularity. Local residents in 
Escanaba would stop by the store to take home a bag of Sayklly's famous 
candy or linger at the soda fountain to savor treats made with hand-
cranked ice cream. In the early days of Sayklly's, some of the most 
popular products sold were peanut brittle, hand-pulled taffy, hand-
dipped chocolates, peanut clusters and fudge. Many of these same 
delights are sold today.
  When Joseph Sayklly passed away in 1943, Mary maintained the business 
with the help of her children and Mary's sister Martha Jean. In

[[Page E1998]]

1959, Fred moved the candy-making part of the business to Third Avenue 
North from its original Ludington Street location. Fred also separated 
the store Sayklly's from the candy production facility.
  Shortly thereafter, Marge and Josephine began operating the store, 
then known as ``Sayklly's Confectionary and Gift.'' Around 1960, 
Sayklly's stopped selling groceries and concentrated on selling the 
candies and gift items for which the store has since become so famous.
  In 1983 Debbie and Jim Kirby purchased Sayklly's Confectionary and 
Gifts from Josephine and Marge. Debbie was the granddaughter of Joseph, 
the original founder of the business. Operating Sayklly's was a 
homecoming for Debbie who began working in the store at age 12 when her 
aunts, Marge and Josephine were the proprietors. Today, Debbie fondly 
recalls how her Aunt Marge instilled into her a sense of customer 
service, always reminding Debbie to put a smile on her face for 
customers by saying, ``Smile, God loves you.''
  Today, Sayklly's remains in the same family that started it 100 years 
ago. Since the enterprising Joseph Sayklly opened the store in 1906, it 
has been a mainstay in downtown Escanaba. The store continues to be an 
institution for everyone who lives in Escanaba and throughout the Upper 
Peninsula. Locals and visitors alike delight in Sayklly's famous 
chocolates.
  Sayklly's has grown over the years. The business now employs 28 
people year round and that number increases when extra help is needed 
during busy sale times such as Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter. 
In addition to renovating the store on Ludington Street in Escanaba, 
the Kirbys have opened Sayklly's outlets in the Delta Plaza Mall in 
Escanaba as well as the Westwood Mall in Marquette, Michigan.
  However, just as the business has grown over the years, the owners 
have never forgotten their commitment to quality. Sayklly's uses only 
premium ingredients, still heats candy in big copper kettles and hand-
dips all of its chocolates.
  Sayklly's remains an anchor of the Escanaba community. As Debbie 
Kirby notes, what she enjoys most about owning and operating Sayklly's 
are her customers. Generations of families have gathered at Sayklly's 
to buy treats, visit with their neighbors or simply see a friendly 
Sayklly face.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to admit that I too have been bitten by the 
Sayklly chocolate bug. Over my 14 years in Congress, I have handed out 
hundreds of Sayklly chocolate bars, known as ``Yooper Bars'' to people 
in Washington, D.C. A ``Yooper Bar'' is a chocolate bar in the shape of 
Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Everyone from Members of Congress to 
President Clinton to troops recovering in Walter Reed Hospital from 
wounds incurred in Iraq have enjoyed a delicious Yooper Bar from 
Sayklly's.
  Mr. Speaker, we all know how challenging it can be for a family to 
build a small business. Growing a successful business, while also 
keeping it in the same family for over 100 years, is truly an 
impressive accomplishment. I ask that the entire U.S. House of 
Representatives join with the people of Escanaba to observe Sayklly's 
centennial celebration. Please join me in saluting the Kirbys and all 
the generations of the Sayklly family who have made ``Sayklly's'' into 
a special place that is enjoyed by so many of my constituents.

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