[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 17, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE: CELEBRATING JOE HARDY ON HIS 84TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BILL SHUSTER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 17, 2007

  Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight an American 
success story, an inspirational Pennsylvanian and a great American, Joe 
Hardy, III. Joe Hardy is the embodiment of the idea that, as Winston 
Churchill said, ``We make a living by what we get and we make a life by 
what we give.'' This month marks Joe Hardy's 84th birthday and it is 
only right that his achievements in business and his contributions to 
society be celebrated in this, the people's House.
  Joe Hardy is perhaps best known as the founder of 84 Lumber, the 
largest privately owned building materials supplier to professional 
contractors in America. But he is much more than this. He is a self-
made man, a civic leader and a great philanthropist. He is the 
embodiment of the American Dream and his story continues to encourage 
those around him.
  With 84 Lumber, Joe Hardy reached a level in business that thousands 
of smaller entrepreneurs aspire to reach for themselves. And like many 
Americans just starting out in the world of business, Joe Hardy did not 
inherit his success; he built it from the ground up. His is a true 
American success story, a story that is alive and well today.
  When Joe Hardy graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a 
degree in engineering he joined his family's jewelry company. He 
demonstrated his business acumen early, and quickly became the 
company's best salesman. But Joe Hardy wanted to make his own name in 
the business world, so in 1952, with his own savings and the help of 
some friends, he opened a cash-and-carry lumber yard for contractors in 
the town of Eighty-Four, Pennsylvania. In 1956 he changed his company's 
name from Green Hills Lumber to 84 Lumber and the rest, as they say, is 
history.
  84 Lumber grew quickly, reaching $84 million in sales in 1971 and $1 
billion in sales in 1996. As his company and his fortune grew, Joe 
Hardy began to give back to the communities that had given him the 
chance to succeed. In 1987, he bought the Nemacolin Resort in a 
bankruptcy sale and turned it into a major economic draw and tourist 
destination for Western Pennsylvania.
  He brought a PGA tournament to the world class Nemacolin Resort that 
not only drew attention to the area, but raised money for worthy 
causes. The list of philanthropic achievements in this area is long, 
but a few examples stand out.
  Over the past 15 years, Joe Hardy's 84 Lumber Golf Tournaments have 
raised over $1 million for the Westmoreland-Fayette Boy Scout Council. 
He organized a PGA Tour event from 2003 to 2006 that raised more than 
$6 million for local charities and $1.3 million for Hurricane Katrina 
relief. Additionally, through his long collaboration with Habitat for 
Humanity, Joe Hardy enabled the funding and construction of 50 homes 
along the hurricane ravaged Gulf Coast.

  But his philanthropy does not end there. In 1990, Joe Hardy gave a 
grant to Washington and Jefferson College to start an Entrepreneurial 
Spirit Studies Program as well as a scholarship fund its participation. 
This celebrated program continues to train tomorrow's business leaders 
today.
  In addition to philanthropy, Joe Hardy is also civically engaged. He 
continues to serve as a County Commissioner for Fayette County 
Pennsylvania and personally invested his own money into the 
revitalization of Uniontown, the hometown of General George C. 
Marshall.
  The list of Joe Hardy's accomplishments is simply too long to cover 
here. However, to the people of Fayette County, the contributions he 
has made to their lives are evident everyday. Whether you walk down the 
streets of a revitalized Uniontown, enjoy a jump in business due to the 
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, or build your new house with 84 Lumber 
products, Joe Hardy's impact is there.
  I want to wish Joe Hardy a happy 84th birthday and thank him for all 
he has done throughout his life. With his achievements and outlook on 
life, I am sure we will see many more successes in the years ahead.

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