[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 98 (Monday, June 28, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S5483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO JOE FRANK NEIKIRK

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I rise to pay tribute to Joe Frank 
Neikirk and the business success he has helped build. Mr. Neikirk is 
the president and general manager of Paul's Discount in Somerset, KY. 
Paul's Discount has become a local institution in the region, and this 
month celebrated its 50th anniversary of operations.
  The land that Paul's Discount now sits upon was purchased by Joe's 
ancestor, Franklin Neikirk, and his spouse for 500 cords of wood in 
1856. Joe's parents, Paul E. and Frances R. Neikirk, opened the first 
discount store in south-central Kentucky on that land 104 years later 
in the early spring of 1960.
  Founder Paul Neikirk passed away in 1974. Today Joe runs the store 
with his wife Jamie. The original store occupied only about 1,800 
square feet and had three employees. Today, Paul's Discount boasts more 
than 20,000 square feet of selling space, plus three warehouses.
  They offer sporting goods, hardware, automotive goods, clothing and 
crafts. Joe's glad he's still in the same original location, saying, 
``You can't duplicate the atmosphere of this building.'' Judging by the 
crowd that turned out for the 50th anniversary, he must certainly be 
right.
  The Commonwealth Journal recently published an excellent article 
about Paul's Discount, the Neikirk family's legacy and the 50th 
anniversary celebration that I would like to share with my colleagues. 
I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

        [From the Somerset Commonwealth Journal, June 13, 2010]

     50 Years of Service--``Unique'' Paul's Discount--A Pulaski Gem

                   (By Tricia Neal, CJ Staff Writer)

       Paul's Discount has always had a steady stream of 
     customers, but yesterday, the customers came in droves--
     packing the parking lot and spilling out onto Ky. 2227 to 
     help president and general manager Joe Frank Neikirk and his 
     employees celebrate 50 years in business. Paul's Discount, 
     opened in 1960 by Joe's parents, Paul and Frances Neikirk, is 
     described by Joe as a ``unique'' store--offering sporting 
     goods, hardware, automotive goods, clothing, and crafts.
       What started as an Army surplus store with three employees 
     has evolved into a sprawling, multi-department retail store 
     with 30 employees, all of whom Joe says help make Paul's what 
     it is. ``God has blessed us with good employees at every 
     level, from department managers to cashiers,'' he said.
       Some of Paul's Discount's employees have worked in the 
     store for nearly 30 years. Joe himself worked in his parents' 
     store while he was in high school and college--and even 
     earlier, he recalled, passing out baby chickens to customers 
     at Easter.
       ``Customer service is the big thing about Paul's,'' Joe 
     said. ``You actually get somebody to ask you if you need 
     help.'' That kind of friendly service is what brings 
     customers from Pulaski and surrounding counties--and even, 
     Joe says, from northern Kentucky, southern Ohio, and from 
     other points east and west.
       Paul Neikirk opened Paul's Surplus on his ancestors' land 
     north of Somerset in 1960. In the beginning, the shop--the 
     first discount store in south central Kentucky--occupied only 
     about 1,800 square feet of space. Paul passed away in late 
     1974. At that time, his brother, Lyle Neikirk, took over 
     management of the business. Lyle retired about 14 years 
     later, leaving the shop in the hands of Paul's sons, Joe and 
     Randy Neikirk.
       Joe continues to manage the store, which now offers more 
     than 20,000 square feet of selling space plus three 
     warehouses, but he says his job has been made easy by those 
     who surround him. ``Today, my wife, Jamie, and I run the 
     store. She does human resources, the employees do most 
     everything else, and I handle whatever is left,'' he said.
       ``Our employees are almost self-sufficient.'' While the 
     merchandise available at Paul's is constantly changing, Joe 
     hopes the store's quality customer service and its atmosphere 
     will keep customers loyal.
       ``We could never open another Paul's,'' Joe said. ``You 
     can't duplicate the atmosphere of this building.'' Joe adds 
     that his employees help create the atmosphere there.
       While many things have remained the same at Paul's 
     throughout the years, the current management is making sure 
     the business keeps current. Paul Neikirk never would have 
     imagined that his little shop would eventually be accessible 
     to millions on the Internet. Now, the business can be found 
     at www.paulsdiscount.com and on Facebook. ``That's part of it 
     nowadays,'' Joe said. But he still believes customers 
     appreciate a good, old fashioned brick and mortar shopping 
     experience.
       ``People still like to come to a store and look at what 
     they're buying,'' he said. Paul's Discount is located on Ky. 
     2227, just north of SomerSplash water park. Ky. 2227 is part 
     of the former North U.S. 27, and was once the most highly 
     traveled road in the county. The store is now a little more 
     out-of-the-way than it once was, but Joe says the change in 
     traffic patterns hasn't hurt his business.
       ``Many local people were lost for a while,'' Joe recalled. 
     ``We were really dead for a couple of weeks. But people find 
     their way. . . . It was an incredible risk (to stay in the 
     same location). I thought it would affect us a lot more than 
     it has.'' Store hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays through 
     Saturdays.

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