[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 78 (Wednesday, May 20, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S5695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING HOWE AND HOWE TECHNOLOGIES

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, this week is National Small Business 
Week, a time when our country focuses on the immense efforts our 27 
million small businesses make to the health and vitality of our 
Nation's economy. As we are presently engaged in two wars, innovative 
companies that produce cutting-edge defense products are critical to 
our Nation's military success. In that vein, I rise to recognize the 
colossal efforts of one such small business from my home State of 
Maine, Howe and Howe Technologies.
  Located in the southern Maine town of Eliot, Howe and Howe 
Technologies focuses on the design and production of extreme vehicles, 
specifically tanks. And for brothers Mike and Geoffrey Howe, the 
company's owners, building tanks has been a passion for over a decade. 
After high school, they began work on the original Ripsaw 1, their 
first unmanned vehicle, in the garage of their childhood home. By 2004, 
they were entering their vehicle in an endurance test for unmanned 
vehicles that was sponsored by the military. While they did not win 
that trial, the brothers received a boost of confidence that their 
products could compete in the long run, leading to the establishment of 
Howe and Howe Technologies in 2006.
  Each of the company's tanks is designed with a particular use in 
mind. For instance, the Subterranean Rover 1, or SR1, was commissioned 
by the Shoal Creek Mine in Alabama to specifically withstand the harsh 
conditions of coal mines. The PAV1, or Badger, was built for the 
California Protection Services for use by SWAT teams and other law 
enforcement agencies. And the Ripsaw MS1, which is currently being 
tested by the U.S. Army, is an unmanned ground vehicle, or UGV, 
designed especially for military use. Howe and Howe's vehicles are 
critical to our military's mission, as they are unmanned vehicles that 
can be placed in dangerous situations without harm to personnel. 
Additionally, the vehicles can operate for almost 300 miles until 
refueling, can be controlled remotely, and provide the military with a 
faster alternative to the unmanned vehicles they presently have.
  The Howe brothers take pride in their work, and industry experts are 
certainly taking notice. The Ripsaw MS1, which is Howe and Howe's 
latest vehicle, was just selected by Popular Science magazine as ``The 
Fastest Tank'' in the listing of its 2009 Invention Awards. The 
magazine publishes these awards annually to highlight a diverse array 
of creative and innovative products America's businesses are 
manufacturing, from power shock absorbers to IV catheters. 
Additionally, Howe and Howe has recently learned that its PAV1 Badger 
will be acknowledged as the ``World's Smallest Tank'' in the ``2010 
Guinness Book of World Records.''
  Last Saturday was Armed Forces Day, a day to reflect on the 
significant sacrifices our men and women in uniform have made on behalf 
of our Nation's security. Let us also pay homage to those civilians who 
assist them by creating state-of-the-art products that make their 
missions safer and stronger, and that ultimately save lives. I 
congratulate Mike and Geoffrey Howe and everyone at Howe and Howe 
Technologies for their exceptional work ethic and inventive products, 
and wish them continued success.

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