[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 31, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING REMEDIOS DIAZ-OLIVER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 31, 2009

  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
honor a true professional, entrepreneur and a woman who has broken 
barriers in the business world as the only female Floridian to sit on 
the Board of Directors of three Fortune 500 companies simultaneously, 
Remedios Diaz-Oliver.
  After leaving Cuba in 1961 seeking freedom, Remedios started a new 
life in the U.S. working during the day and attending school at night. 
She dedicated her career to learning the business of importing, 
exporting and trade and later went on to open her own business. In 
1991, she founded All American Containers, Inc., a company she built 
from the ground up. Today she is President and CEO, oversees 167 
employees and sales of up to $105 million, and takes on full 
administrative and financial responsibilities. Her lifelong partner and 
husband Fausto Diaz-Oliver stands by her side and serves as COO. Her 
son, daughter and granddaughter also work in the business.
  Remedios has made All American Containers, Inc., a leading supplier 
of glass, plastic and metal containers with operations in Miami, Tampa, 
Atlanta, Dallas, Puerto Rico and Mexico and a network spanning across 
the globe to Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, 
Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Her clients include companies such 
as McCormick, Schering, Pepsi Cola, Coca Cola and Seven-Up.
  She is a pioneer in the packaging industry and has served on the 
Board of Directors for Avon Products, Inc. and Barnett Bank (Bank of 
America). Prior to starting her own business, she was President of the 
Association of Exporters, Freight Forwarders and Manufacturers of 
Greater Miami and of Emmer Importing & Exporting, Inc. She has also 
been a member of the National Advisory Council of the Small Business 
Administration and the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda. In 1988 she 
was appointed as a member of the Advisory Board for Trade Policy, 
Negotiations and International Policy for the President of the United 
States and again in 1992.
  Remedios keeps strong ties to the community she serves and her civic 
involvements include the Round Table, the Cuban Liberty Council, the 
United Way and the Public Health Trust.
  As we celebrate Women's History Month, I ask that you to join me in 
congratulating Remedios Diaz-Oliver, an exceptional business woman, 
wife, mother and friend who is proof that in America anything is 
possible. Many say it's a man's world, but in the words of Remedios 
herself ``it was a man's world.''

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