[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 60 (Wednesday, April 16, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S3077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S3077]]
                          HONORING SIGCO, INC.

 Ms. SNOWE. Madam President, today I honor a small, privately 
owned manufacturing business from my home State of Maine with a 
remarkable dedication to serving the customer. SIGCO, Inc., of 
Westbrook is a glass and architectural metal fabricator and distributor 
that exemplifies Maine's stellar manufacturing leadership in this 
Nation.
  As ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship and cochair of the Senate Task Force on Manufacturing, 
I constantly see the vital impact that manufacturing has on the health 
of our Nation's economy. Small companies like SIGCO are absolutely 
crucial to our Nation's manufacturing sector competing in a global 
environment, as they account for roughly 99 percent of American 
manufacturers. This is why we must encourage and support the 
development of our Nation's small- and medium-sized manufacturers, and 
underscore the numerous accomplishments of SIGCO and similar firms.
  Established in 1986, SIGCO inherited a proud tradition of craftwork 
from Soule Glass Industries, a firm that preceded SIGCO as the local 
leader in quality glass manufacturing and metal fabrication. SIGCO has 
demonstrated impressive growth in its operations throughout its 
history, and, in particular, over the past 4 years, by expanding from 
55 employees to 85 and relocating to a newly opened 60,000 square-foot 
manufacturing facility. SIGCO produces and distributes architectural 
glass, frameless entrances, shower enclosures, aluminum entrances, 
acrylic, polycarbonate, and glazing supplies. The company also offers a 
5-year warranty on all sealed insulating glass units. SIGCO's target 
clientele are contract glaziers, retail glass shops, and window 
manufacturers throughout New England who have come to trust SIGCO for 
its unrivaled craftsmanship and customer service.
  SIGCO has demonstrated a consistency in both performance and 
financial strength, traits that have anchored the company in its 
achievement. Proof of SIGCO's accomplishments came when U.S. Glass 
magazine recognized the firm as one of the most influential companies 
in the glass and metal industry, followed up by the magazine naming 
company president David McElhinny as one of the trade's most 
influential people. Mr. McElhinny's leadership has contributed greatly 
to SIGCO's remarkable expansion, and his years of experience provide 
the company with a tremendously knowledgeable voice at the helm.
  SIGCO is also known for its sophisticated production process. To 
promote efficiency, the company uses two industrial-type cutting lines 
in its plant. That said, SIGCO also offers individualized products upon 
customer requests. SIGCO notably uses an advanced edging process that 
creates clean, ground, or seamed edges for the appropriate type of 
glass. On top of the cutting and edging processes, SIGCO uses new, 
state-of-the-art equipment to drill holes and mill cutouts and notches. 
Additionally, SIGCO uses a convection tempering oven to perfect their 
heat-treated products. Among a select number of licensees of the 
DecoTherm process, which allows companies to decorate glass without 
screen printing or sandblasting, SIGCO can customize designs on glass 
products to provide quality and unique products to each customer. 
Finally, SIGCO is one of only five U.S. distributors of Tubelite 
storefronts and entrances.
  As former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli poignantly 
observed, ``The secret of success is constancy to purpose.'' SIGCO 
embodies Disraeli's definition of success by exhibiting a consistent 
dedication to its mission, as well as never sacrificing the excellence 
of its products as the company grows and expands. Proudly representing 
Maine's ongoing contribution to the manufacturing sector, SIGCO and its 
employees exemplify the hardwork and ingenuity for which Mainers are 
well-known. I wish David McElhinny and everyone at SIGCO the best, and 
look forward to their future endeavors.

                          ____________________