[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 6, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1204]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 STATER BROS. MARKETS: A HISTORY OF SUCCESS . . . PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

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                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 5, 2007

  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Stater Bros. 
Markets chain for receiving the ``Spirit of Cooperation Award'' 
recently presented by the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, 
AFL-CIO.
  Stater Bros. Markets traces its beginnings back to a small grocery 
store on West Yucaipa Boulevard in Yucaipa, California. Twin brothers 
Cleo and Leo Stater purchased the original Stater Bros. Market with a 
$600 down payment, and opened for business on August 17, 1936. By the 
close of the 1940s, the Stater Bros. had expanded the chain to 12 
locations, with 225 employees.
  During the 1950s, Stater Bros. Markets had almost doubled to include 
23 locations in the counties of San Bernardino, Riverside and Los 
Angeles. In 1960, the company began the operation of a construction 
business. This new division acted as a general contractor and became 
responsible for all planning, supervision and construction of new 
stores and other facilities. In 1979, scanning was introduced in the 
stores and during this time there was a significant growth and 
expansion for the company. During the 1970s, the number of store 
locations more than doubled to a total of 83 supermarkets.
  The year of 1980 was the largest calendar year of growth for the 
company, with 10 supermarkets opening. In 1982, Stater Bros. launched 
its first television advertising campaign. In 1999, Stater Bros. 
acquired 43 additional supermarket locations, which included 33 former 
Albertson's Supermarkets and 10 former Lucky Supermarkets. Ten of the 
new locations were in San Diego County, giving Stater Bros. its first 
presence in the area of my Congressional District.
  By the year 2004, Stater Bros. had been awarded the ``Supermarket 
Retailer of the Year'' twice, by the Progressive Grocer in 2001 and the 
Grocery Headquarters Magazine in 2004. In 2005, Stater Bros. made the 
``Fortune 500'' list for the first time and was the only Inland Empire 
headquartered company to make the list.
  Today, Stater Bros. is the largest privately owned Supermarket Chain 
in Southern California with annual sales in 2006 of $3.5 billion. They 
are highly deserving of the recognition that they are receiving from 
our very distinguished labor council and an excellent, corporate 
community partner.

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