[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 184 (Wednesday, December 9, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S12803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       RECOGNIZING WHITNEY WREATH

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, one of the great symbols of the 
winter holiday season we are just beginning is the wreath. Between the 
beautiful green needles and the fragrant smell, wreaths are reminders 
of a simpler time. And nowhere is the wreath more emblematic than my 
home State of Maine. Indeed, Maine is the largest producer of balsam 
fir wreaths in America, owed in large part to the tree's prevalence in 
our State's landscape. Furthermore, sales of these stunning wreaths 
contribute millions of dollars to the Maine economy. In recognition of 
these critical facts, I rise to honor the Whitney Wreath company, a 
renowned small business headquartered in Washington County.
  Whitney Wreath is in its 21st season of producing fragrant and vivid 
green wreaths for display during the winter holidays. The company was 
started in 1988 when David Whitney, the company's founder, sold 
handmade wreaths from the back of a pickup truck during his teenage 
years. Two decades later, Whitney Wreath is now America's largest mail-
order wreath company, selling its products through its own Web site, as 
well as several other catalogues and outlets including QVC. Incredibly, 
its wreath sales are now in the hundreds of thousands each year. The 
company has nine facilities throughout the State, and is in the process 
of building a tenth to improve productivity. And this year, despite the 
turbulence in our Nation's economy and an uncertain employment picture, 
Whitney Wreath was able to hire 250 additional employees over last 
season because of a substantial new contract.
  Decorated with a range of colorful and timely ornaments, such as pine 
cones, Maine blueberries, sleigh bells, and of course bright red bows, 
Whitney's wreaths are nothing short of spectacular. Made using fresh 
Maine balsam fir, the smell of a Whitney wreath is unmistakable, and an 
outstanding symbol of the season it represents. The company also 
manufactures a range of Christmas centerpieces and the unique Maine 
Kissing Ball, consisting of ``snow'' covered pine cones combined with 
brilliant red berries.
  Whitney Wreath has been celebrated over the years for its commitment 
to quality wreaths. In 2007, the Small Business Administration honored 
the company with its Jeffrey H. Butland Family-Owned Business of the 
Year award because of the company's efforts to be involved in the 
community and provide critical employment opportunities to the citizens 
of Downeast Maine. The award also paid homage to David Whitney's other 
small businesses, Whitney's Blueberries and Whitney's Tool Shed.
  Finally, in the spirit of the holiday season, it is fitting to 
acknowledge the magnanimous work Whitney Wreath is doing to support our 
Nation's breast cancer survivors. Last year, the company asked Facebook 
users to join the fight against breast cancer and for every 20 people 
who joined, Mr. Whitney pledged to bring special wreaths with pink 
ribbons to survivors of the disease. On December 22, 2008, after almost 
500 people took his message to heart, David Whitney arrived at Cancer 
Care of Maine in Brewer with 30 special wreaths.
  This year, Mr. Whitney has promised to donate 25 percent of every 
breast cancer awareness wreath purchased to the Susan G. Komen Breast 
Cancer Foundation. The company has also announced that it will donate 
20 percent of the proceeds from the sales of its Original Christmas 
Wreaths to the National Autism Association. As we work to combat these 
terrible illnesses, I am proud to have caring and thoughtful 
individuals like David Whitney doing their own part to encourage and 
support those afflicted.
  A downeast staple for nearly a quarter of a century, Whitney Wreath 
has become a leader in its field by combining attention to detail and 
concern for the community. I thank David Whitney and everyone at 
Whitney Wreath for all they do to lift our spirits during the holiday 
season, and wish them many more years of success.

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