[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 77 (Friday, May 25, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING LES AND CHERI CASEY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF DENHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 25, 2012

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Les 
and Cheri Casey, owners of Mid Valley Foods, Incorporated, for being 
selected as the 2012 Central California Small Business Person of the 
Year from the United States Small Business Administration's Fresno 
District Office.
  Annually, SBA honors Central California entrepreneurs for their 
contributions to the economy. Small businesses have proven, year after 
year, to be the greatest sources of innovation, jobs and growth for 
California's economy.
  The Small Business Person of the Year Award recognizes a business 
owner who exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit and honors his or her 
individual contributions to the community. Mid Valley Foods was 
selected after a competition held among businesses located within the 
15 Central California counties served by the Fresno SBA. The Alliance 
Small Business Development Center of Modesto nominated Mid Valley Foods 
for the award.
  Mid Valley Foods (formerly E&E Meats) was started in 1979 by Earl 
Casey. The company wholesales various processed and packaged meat 
products to grocery stores, restaurants and delis. In 2000, Les and 
Cheri Casey purchased the business from Les's father. They 
incorporated, modernized, and began to expand sales and distribution at 
a Riverbank facility. By 2005, it became apparent to the Caseys that 
the business had grown to the limits of the old and antiquated 
facility.
  The Caseys knew that not only would they need additional operational 
space in order for the company to be successful, but they would also 
need to develop new innovative techniques to improve their overall 
operational efficiency.
  In 2010, with the assistance of an SBA 7a guaranteed loan and the 
City of Oakdale, the company was able to construct a 24,000 square foot 
building. The new building includes warehouse space, cold storage and 
offices. The new location for the wholesale foods distributor will 
allow for triple the distribution and has already grown to expand their 
company from 10 employees to a current work force of 27.
  Today, Mid Valley Foods serves over 300 customers from multi-million 
dollar accounts to local small businesses; and with less than a year in 
their new facility, the Caseys have already discussed the growing need 
for an expansion of refrigeration and freezer storage space.
  Small Business Person of the Year nominations are judged on seven 
basic criteria: staying power, growth in number of employees, increase 
in sales and/or unit volume, current and past financial reports, 
innovativeness of product or service, response to adversity and 
evidence of contributions to community-oriented projects.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in commending Les and Cheri Casey, owners 
of Mid Valley Foods, Inc. for this prestigious recognition and in 
wishing them great success in their future endeavors.

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