[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 59 (Monday, April 26, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S2640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING PITNEY BOWES COMPANY

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to the Pitney 
Bowes Company on the occasion of its 90th birthday. Headquartered in 
Stamford, Pitney Bowes has proven time and again that it is a true 
Connecticut institution, leading the way in innovation and facilitating 
progress in the mailing industry.
  But at least as important as its financial success, is the kind of 
company that it is. The company is a notably progressive employer, 
capturing repeated honors for its commitment to diversity. It is 
regularly cited as among the best places to work for women, African 
Americans, and Hispanics. It does this because it is right but also 
because they know it makes smart business sense.
  Pitney Bowes is also a corporate leader in health care. It is truly 
in the forefront of efforts to improve their employee and retiree 
health while at the same time reducing costs. The examples are 
numerous. The company learned that forcing people to make large 
copayments for the medications they need to manage chronic conditions 
often led employees to skip taking their medicine. This resulted in 
more trips to the doctor and hospital, higher costs, and more 
absenteeism. So the company reduced or eliminated employee copayments 
for these medications. It cost more in the short run, but a lot less in 
the long run, and the affected employees enjoy greater health and 
productivity.
  The company put healthy food in its cafeterias and charges less for 
it. There are still lots of choices, some not so healthy, but you have 
to look harder for the less healthy foods, and you have to pay more. 
And either way, there are on-site gyms in many facilities.
  The company also established on-site clinics to make it easier for 
employees and retirees to obtain medical care. Indeed, Pitney Bowes 
went so far as to arrange for specialist doctors, used by many of their 
employees, to hold office hours on-site. These efforts have been 
recognized by the Obama administration, and Murray Martin, the chairman 
and CEO, met with the President last year to discuss the company's 
programs.
  Finally, the company also has a profound commitment to community 
service, providing funding for education and literacy organizations, 
and encouraging employees to volunteer their time to a wide variety of 
causes. This is just another way in which Pitney Bowes has benefited 
our State.
  At a time when many American companies have failed, and others have 
become deeply troubled, it is with pleasure that I am able to recognize 
a cutting-edge company with good old fashioned values. Congratulations, 
Pitney Bowes, on your 90th birthday. 
 Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I wish to recognize one of my 
State's great companies on the occasion of its 90th birthday. On April 
23, 1920, Arthur Pitney and Walter Bowes officially formed the Pitney 
Bowes Company with its headquarters in Stamford, CT. Today the company 
is still headquartered in Stamford, and employs 33,000 individuals 
worldwide.
  In 1912, Arthur Pitney introduced the postage meter in the United 
States. This device, which is used to create and apply physical 
evidence of postage to pieces of mail, has allowed postal officials and 
offices throughout the United States to process mail more efficiently. 
In 1920, he partnered with Walter Bowes, a successful entrepreneur, to 
form the Pitney Bowes Postage Meter Company. In order for the postage 
meter to be sold in the U.S., Congress had to act to permit the meter 
indicia to be recognized as postage.
  Since its founding, Pitney Bowes has been at the forefront of 
technological innovation. It has added vastly to the intellectual 
capital of this country and currently manages an active patent 
portfolio of more than 3,000 inventions. Quite simply, it is a company 
that has been the source of many, many good ideas. Many of its 
scientists are based in its R&D facility in Shelton, CT. In addition, 
the company actually had one of the first ``e-commerce'' applications, 
with its meters able to download postage electronically since 1979.
  Pitney Bowes continues to innovate and grow. Last year its R&D 
investment was $182 million. It recently launched its newest mailing 
system. It also has become one of the world's largest software 
companies, helping its customers more accurately address their mail, 
deliver smarter marketing, provide more efficient government services, 
or locate their stores in the most promising location. The company also 
is a leader in the field of document management, helping government 
agencies, large companies and law firms manage their critical 
documents.
  For more than 20 years, Pitney Bowes Financial Services 
International, a wholly-owned subsidiary, has been providing high-
quality financial services for Pitney Bowes customers throughout the 
international marketplace. For example, Pitney Bowes finances the 
purchase of postage in its meters for over 1 million customers.
  Pitney Bowes has operated globally for decades, and currently 
generates almost 30 percent of its revenue outside of the United 
States. At its manufacturing facility in Danbury, the company assembles 
large-scale mailing machines for export to many countries. I have had 
the privilege of touring the facility and have enjoyed seeing the flags 
of the destination countries hung over the machines they will be 
receiving.
  Pitney Bowes has a large and diverse customer base with 2 million 
customers worldwide, many of which are small businesses. It has been 
listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1950, has been a component 
of the S&P 500 Stock Index continually since 1957, and first joined the 
Fortune 500 in 1962.
  Over the years, I know that Pitney Bowes has also been a good partner 
to the Postal Service and cares passionately about maintaining a mail 
service that not only survives but thrives. Pitney Bowes took the lead 
in creating the Mailing Industry CEO Council, which for the last 
several years has been at the forefront of educating policymakers about 
the mailing industry. There was a time when many of us in Congress 
failed to appreciate the extent of the importance and impact of the 
mailing industry. But thanks to their efforts, we know that it is a big 
trillion dollar industry employing more than 8 million workers. The 
company and the CEO Council played important roles in helping us enact 
postal reform legislation after a decade of effort. The company's 
chairman and CEO, Murray Martin, continues to regularly visit us in 
Washington to share his insights on how Congress can help the Postal 
Service adjust in a rapidly changing world.
  On behalf of the people of Connecticut and the rest of the Nation, I 
would like to honor Pitney Bowes on the occasion of its 90th birthday. 
I am certain that the company and its employees will continue to 
pioneer new technologies and services that will contribute to economic 
growth in the U.S. and abroad.

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