[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 157 (Wednesday, October 17, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S12984]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MARNEE'S COOKIES

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, today I recognize Marnee's Cookies, 
a growing small business from my home State of Maine that recently 
opened its first retail store in Bath, ME. Marnee's Cookies, a premier 
gourmet cookie company, held the grand opening of Marnee's Cookie 
Bistro on September 28 to great fanfare. Originally operated out of 
owner Marnee Robinson's kitchen, the business is now based out of a 
4,000 square-foot facility in downtown Bath, which serves as both a 
cookie factory and retail store.
  Baking from an early age, Ms. Robinson has developed and refined the 
quintessential cookie by combining the arts of baking and design. For 
years, family and friends have enjoyed her two signature cookies--
Nirvana and Serendipity--that became the genesis and impetus for her 
business. In 2005, Ms. Robinson's entrepreneurial dream became a 
reality when Marnee's Cookies was founded, offering 13 types of gourmet 
cookies. Originally begun as a home-based Internet company run solely 
by Ms. Robinson, the demand for her product quickly expanded into a 
booming business with loyal customers around the world, from Maine to 
California, and Paris to India. In fact, Internet orders were so strong 
that Ms. Robinson was working 18-hour days to ship cookies worldwide. 
As a result, her growing business needed a facility to accommodate the 
increasing demand.
  The expansion of Marnee's Cookies was made possible by a $150,000 
community development block grant. These grants are awarded to small 
businesses that will, in turn, contribute to economic development and 
job creation. The city of Bath saw great potential in Ms. Robinson's 
business plan and applied for the grant on her behalf. I am confident 
the grant will be beneficial to Marnee's Cookies, enabling it to 
further expand its reach and create additional jobs and opportunities 
for Bath's residents.
  Marnee's Cookies is also to be commended for its active involvement 
in local community and charity events. Cookies are regularly donated to 
local events and nonprofit organizations ranging from the Bath Soup 
Kitchen to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Additionally, 
Marnee's Cookies holds an annual charity event on December 4--National 
Cookie Day--with a portion of all holiday orders donated to a local 
charity. These gracious acts of philanthropy cannot go unnoticed and 
are a shining example of a small business going above and beyond to 
serve the local community.
  Marnee's Cookies is truly a success story and a bright example of 
what small businesses can accomplish with measured expansion and 
consistent determination. I congratulate Marnee Robinson for her 
entrepreneurial spirit and for being an exceptional role model for 
Maine and the Nation. We at the Senate wish Marnee's Cookies all the 
best for many more successful years to come.

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