[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CONGRATULATING FRANCINE FARKAS SEARS OF BRANFORD, CONNECTICUT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my good 
friend Francine Farkas Sears of Branford, a pioneering small 
businesswoman from my district whose company, Fabrique, has been named 
one of America's fastest-growing 5000 companies by Inc. Magazine. This 
acknowledgment is a testament to her entrepreneurial skills and spirit 
of innovation.
  Francine is president and owner of Fabrique, a certified woman-owned 
business that provides cases and accessories for a host of consumer 
electronic products. Francine has led this company since the early 
1980s driven by the vision of what women needed to compete and succeed 
in the business arena.
  And its success is only the latest feather in the cap of a true 
trailblazer, one with 40 years of experience in the business world. As 
a stockbroker in the 1960s, Francine was recognized by Newsweek and the 
New York Times. And in 1972, she was the first businesswoman invited to 
visit Communist China, after President Nixon had normalized relations.
  These achievements, like her inclusion on the Inc. list this year, 
speak to Francine's creativity, resilience, tenacity, and business 
savvy--all as plain as day to anyone who meets her. Perhaps most 
importantly, she has used her success to serve her community, by 
helping other women to join the business world and succeed in their own 
right.
  I applaud Francine for achieving this recognition, and I congratulate 
her on both her thriving professional career and the continued success 
of Fabrique. She is a credit to the Branford community and an excellent 
reminder that small businesses can and do continue to thrive in our 
home state of Connecticut.

                          ____________________