[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 25, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S2471]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING GROVER GUNDRILLING INC.

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, this week marks the Consortium of 
Entrepreneurship Education's 3rd Annual National Entrepreneurship Week, 
a time to celebrate the history of American entrepreneurship and to 
highlight new and upcoming entrepreneurs and small business owners. As 
ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship, I am all the more aware of the countless 
contributions entrepreneurs have made to the success of this Nation. In 
that vein, I rise today to recognize Grover Gundril-
ling Inc., a small business in my home State of Maine that brings a 
very unique and critical skill to the Northeast.
  A second generation family-owned small business, Grover Gundrilling, 
or GGI, specializes in precision deephole drilling. With nearly 60 
skilled employees, GGI has developed the capability to drill smooth, 
finished holes ranging from .045 of an inch to 2 inches in diameter, 
from 1 ounce to 6,000 pounds, at a depth of 1 inch to 10 feet in every 
material from Teflon to mold steels to exotic high-temperature alloys. 
Founded in 1983 by Rupert and Suzanne Grover, Grover Gundrilling now 
has three facilities in Oxford County, including a 40,000-square-foot 
manufacturing facility in the town of Norway. And as former teachers, 
the Grovers like to hire employees with no background as machinists, 
but with strong math and science skills, to train them in their own 
particular fashion.
  Given its remarkable growth, considerable capacity, and small company 
size, GGI prides itself on being ``small enough to listen and large 
enough to handle production.'' Grover Gundrilling has become a critical 
supplier for industries as diverse as aerospace engineering and nuclear 
power, and its components are used in products as varied as medical 
devices and semiconductors.
  To care for its staff, Grover Gundrilling generously provides its 
employees with full family medical coverage, flexible scheduling, and 
the company encourages its workers to pursue higher learning by 
offering educational reimbursement. And the company offers a multitude 
of incentives to stellar employees, including family snowmo-
biling trips and tickets to a variety of area events.
  GGI is also dedicated to supporting its community in a variety of 
ways. The Grovers donate significant time and energy to the Oxford 
County Fair, a fun-filled annual tradition for the families of Oxford 
County and western Maine. They also created the Boxberry School, a 
nonprofit independent elementary school for K through sixth graders 
that combines multiage classes, individual attention, and an integrated 
art curriculum with the Maine Learning Results standards. The Grovers 
also volunteer in various capacities with the 4-H Club, Androscoggin 
Home Health, the Oxford Food Pantry, and Aspire Higher, and Suzanne 
Grover serves on the board of directors of the Growth Council.
  Carving out a niche in the machine tool world, Grover Gundrilling has 
excelled as a leader in precision deephole drilling. It is 
entrepreneurs like Suzanne and Rupert Grover who are going to 
revitalize our economy, and I am proud to call them constituents. I 
wish Rupert and Suzanne Grover, as well as Garth, their son, and GGI's 
president, their daughter Jessica, and everyone at Grover Gundrilling 
Inc. a successful year.

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