[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 8, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF INNOVATOR AND PHILANTHROPIST JOHN SOTO

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                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 8, 2010

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a self-made man and 
former New England Businessman of the Year, and one who has given of 
himself time and again to improve our Connecticut community--John Soto.
  After a boyhood in Puerto Rico and some apprenticeship in the 
business and mechanical arts as a machinist in Manhattan, John founded 
Space-Craft Manufacturing, Inc. in Milford, Connecticut in 1970. 
Starting with just four employees, Space-Craft has, thanks to John's 
eye for innovation and business savvy, grown to become an industry 
leader in aircraft engine and airframe components over the past four 
decades, even earning the National Supplier of the Year award from the 
U.S. Air Force in 2001.
  These entrepreneurial and engineering accomplishments have been 
matched by John's passion for community service and a strong commitment 
to public investment. So that others may follow in his footsteps, John 
has founded several scholarships for Latino students and been a 
continual presence in Connecticut inner-city schools. He has also 
contributed generously to Youth at Risk, Junior Achievement, New 
Haven's Latino Youth Development Program, and other very worthwhile 
organizations aimed at helping Connecticut's underprivileged and least 
fortunate.
  In both his company's success and his dedication to public service, 
John has been an embodiment of the American dream. From modest 
beginnings, he has contributed mightily to his community, his state, 
and to the United States military. I congratulate him and his wife 
Gladys on this long career of personal success and public service, and 
I know that they will continue to be a credit to our district for years 
to come.

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