[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    A TRIBUTE TO LES OESTERREICH, ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT

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                         HON. DANIEL E. LUNGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 2011

  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
honor Les Oesterreich, a resident of Dixon, California, a man respected 
as an American, a husband to Pat Oesterreich, a father to their 
combined seven daughters, and a grandfather. Perhaps more germane to 
this moment is his position as chairman emeritus of Superior Farms, the 
largest harvester and processor of lamb in the United States. Under his 
leadership, the company has grown from having a single plant in Dixon, 
California, to having plants in Denver, Colorado, Boston, 
Massachusetts, Hawarden, Iowa, and Blue Island, Illinois, with 
contractual arrangements in Australia as well. Today, Superior Farms 
employs 494 employees and operates under an Employee Stock Ownership 
Plan (ESOP), so that every employee has a stake in the company's bottom 
line.
  As CEO of Superior Farms, Mr. Oesterreich skillfully guided the 
company by working with other industry organizations. He was honored in 
2008 by the American Sheep Industry Association with its Camptender 
Award. He served several terms as a director of the National Meat 
Association, and as chair of its Small Stock Committee. He was 
recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture for his work 
with the Agricultural Marketing Service on the implementation of fair 
standards for lamb grading. He served on the Advisory Committee for the 
Animal Science Department at California Polytechnic University at San 
Luis Obispo and the University of California at Davis. His input to the 
American Lamb Board and the California Sheep Commission has guided 
those organizations, and during all these activities he has guided the 
growth and prosperity of Superior Farms to ensure that he recruited the 
brightest and best professional management talent available.
  Mr. Oesterreich's father worked for Armour Food Co. for 35 years and 
he learned a lot about the meat business during his formative years in 
Brownsville, Texas, and Sterling, Illinois. He started work in the 
slaughter facilities at age 16, then learned how to load trucks, and 
was finally trained in meat cutting, all at Armour. He joined Superior 
Farms in 1981 as general manager of the Dixon, California, facility and 
moved up the chain of management, by dint of hard work, to become its 
CEO in 2004.
  Off the job, he has served as president of the local fire district in 
Dixon; he is passionate about cars and horses; and he is a member of 
the American Quarter Horse Association.
  As Mr. Oesterreich moves into retirement, he leaves behind an 
incredible legacy to be continued by the professionals that he has 
recruited to Superior Farms. Men like Mr. Oesterreich make the United 
States of America a wonderful place to live. Congratulations, Les 
Oesterreich!

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