[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 169 (Saturday, December 18, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CONGRATULATING MIDWAY USA

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                        HON. BLAINE LUETKEMEYER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 17, 2010

  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
congratulating MidwayUSA for receiving the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige 
National Quality Award. Earlier this week representatives from 
MidwayUSA traveled to Washington, DC, to accept the award.
  MidwayUSA is a family-owned, catalog/Internet-based retail merchant 
that offers shooting, reloading, gunsmithing, and hunting products. 
Retail customers represent 90 percent of the firm's total business at 
its two Columbia, Missouri locations, with dealers and international 
customers making up the remaining 10 percent. More than 95,000 
different products from more than 700 vendors are distributed by the 
company, which employs 243 full-time and 100 part-time workers.
  Named after Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th Secretary of Commerce, the 
Baldrige Award was established by Congress in 1987 to enhance the 
competitiveness and performance of U.S. businesses. The award promotes 
excellence in organizational performance, recognizes the achievements 
and results of U.S. organizations, and publicizes successful 
performance strategies. The award recipients were selected from a field 
of 70 applicants. All of the applicants were evaluated rigorously by an 
independent board of examiners in seven areas: leadership; strategic 
planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge 
management; workforce focus; process management; and results. The 
evaluation process for each of the recipients included about 1,000 
hours of review and an on-site visit by a team of examiners to clarify 
questions and verify information in the applications. Since 1988, 80 
organizations have received Baldrige Awards. I am extremely proud that 
MidwayUSA has joined this exclusive list.
  Small businesses create jobs and spur economic growth, and I am 
extremely proud that Columbia's MidwayUSA has been recognized for 
productivity and quality at a time when our economy is struggling. This 
kind of success is yet another example of the key role that Missouri's 
small businesses play in the state and national economies.
  I would like to take this time to commend MidwayUSA for all their 
hard work, and I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing 
MidwayUSA for a job well done.

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