[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 133 (Wednesday, December 6, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H8869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          WEYERHAEUSER COMPANY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Weyerhaeuser 
Corporation and its wonderful community service in assisting in the 
relief efforts and the rebuilding of the gulf coast that was devastated 
by Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005. This outstanding company has 
gone well beyond the call of duty, truly exemplifying what community 
service is.
  The Weyerhaeuser Company was incorporated in 1900, and is one the 
world's largest integrated forest product companies, headquartered in 
Federal Way, Washington, employing 5,000 people in over 40 locations in 
18 countries. In 2005, they recorded sales of $22.6 billion, and the 
company manages more than 2.4 million acres of timberlands in three 
States. I am pleased to note that of the many locations of the 
Weyerhaeuser Corporation, two are in the Fifth District of North 
Carolina.
  In recognition of their outstanding community service and dedication 
to helping those who need it most, Weyerhaeuser Corporation has been 
recognized with the Ron Brown Award. This is the only Presidential 
award to honor companies, ``for their exemplary quality of their 
relationships with employees and communities.'' This award is presented 
to companies that have set forth strong initiatives to strengthen their 
employees and the community that surrounds them, as well as promote 
pioneering business initiatives. The Ron Brown Award was originally 
established by President Bill Clinton after the late Secretary of 
Commerce, Ron Brown, who believed that ``businesses do well by doing 
good.'' In my opinion, there is no better choice for this award than 
the Weyerhaeuser Company for its outstanding work and dedication to our 
country.
  On December 4, 2006, the chairman, president and CEO of Weyerhaeuser 
accepted the Ron Brown Award from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. 
Gutierrez at a ceremony at the White House. Mr. Rogel accepted the 
award and dedicated it to Weyerhaeuser's disaster relief coordinator, 
Katy Taylor, along with the partners and volunteers who attended the 
ceremony.
  Also recognized in the White House ceremony was the North Carolina 
Baptist Builders, with whom Weyerhaeuser teamed up in the gulf coast 
relief efforts. The North Carolina Baptist Builders is a faith-based 
organization that set forth a large mission to rebuild 600 homes along 
the coast. To the credit of the Baptist Builders, the Weyerhaeuser 
Company recognized their ``smoothly run rebuilding operation to keep 
projects moving.'' It is this kind of forward thinking and teamwork 
that makes the Weyerhaeuser Company so deserving of the Ron Brown 
Award.
  I am honored to have such a wonderful and dedicated company that 
operates in North Carolina in places such as Charlotte, Greensboro, 
Newton and many other places, including Elkin and Winston-Salem in the 
Fifth District. Weyerhaeuser Company has been operating in North 
Carolina since 1957 with approximately 3,090 employees.
  The dedication of Weyerhaeuser to the community is astounding and 
sets a shining example to other businesses about the importance of 
community service and helping the less fortunate. To date, nearly 300 
employees and retirees from across the United States and Canada have 
volunteered more than 42,000 hours of their time and helped rebuild 50 
homes. Weyerhaeuser has a truly generous policy of allowing employees 2 
to 4 weeks' paid leave to help volunteer in the rebuilding efforts of 
the gulf coast. Not only does it pay its employees while they are 
volunteering their time, but it also pays their way and their spouses' 
way for the rebuilding efforts. Now, over a year later, Weyerhaeuser 
employees are still participating in reconstruction efforts and have 
contributed a combined disaster relief to date totaling more than $2.8 
million. This is nothing short of extraordinary.
  While I can mention some of the accomplishments of Weyerhaeuser 
Company's contribution, it is the people Weyerhaeuser has touched and 
the response it has received that truly shows the difference it has 
made to individuals, families and the community as a whole. As one 
family wrote in response to the help from Weyerhaeuser volunteers, 
``Because of all your efforts, we are home! Words cannot truly express 
the outpouring of love we have received. We are eternally grateful to 
our Weyerhaeuser family.'' This shows how the assistance of strangers 
can surely touch one's life and make their life better and give true 
meaning for caring in the community.
  A sign of the high caliber of individuals Weyerhaeuser employs is 
some of the comments that went to the gulf coast to help. One man 
noted, ``The days were long and hot, the work was intense, but the 
rewards were immeasurable. This has been an experience I won't soon 
forget.'' Another volunteer employee commented, ``This experience was 
such a blessing. I got so much more from it than I felt I gave.'' Even 
Weyerhaeuser's retirees participated and one reflected of the occasion 
to assist those in need saying, ``Having once more the opportunity to 
work side by side with other Weyerhaeuser employees and retirees made 
me realize anew why I enjoyed working for Weyerhaeuser so much. It's 
all about the people and the values the company ascribes to. Thanks 
again.''
  Testimonies such as these speak volumes of Weyerhaeuser Company and 
its dedication to its employees and others. It goes beyond helping 
those who are under its employment, but it extends a helping hand to 
strangers to make the world a better place to live.
  I am pleased that Weyerhaeuser has had a long standing tradition in 
North Carolina and especially in the Fifth District. It is without 
question an admirable and outstanding company that lives up to the 
highest meaning of community service.
  Weyerhaeuser's dedication to helping others is immeasurable and I 
cannot thank the company enough for the work they have done and 
continue to do. It is truly deserving of such a prestigious award, and 
I am delighted to see Weyerhaeuser's efforts have been recognized by 
the Administration. Their work of its employees and retirees shows that 
there is no one more deserving.

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