[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 162 (Thursday, November 14, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CONGRATULATING ED ROCHA AND ROCHA'S VALLEY ENTERPRISES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF DENHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 14, 2013

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate 
Ed Rocha and Rocha's Valley Enterprises, which will be inducted as a 
member of the Stanislaus County Agricultural Hall of Fame ``Legends in 
Agriculture'' during a ceremony in Modesto, California, on November 14, 
2013.
  Trucking is truly a family legacy for the Rocha family. In 1924, John 
Rocha founded John N Rocha transportation. They started hauling milk, 
hay and dairy supplies and added cattle a few years later. In 1952, 
when Ed was a senior in high school, his dad took him to Salinas 
Dressed Beef Company, in Salinas, CA, to look at two nearly-new 1951 
Peterbilt Cabovers they had for sale. His dad told him, ``If I like the 
deal, you're in business.'' They ended up buying the trucks and Ed and 
his father became partners under the name Rocha Livestock 
Transportation.
  Ten years later, Ed decided to go out on his own and started Ed Rocha 
Livestock Transportation. Over the years, Ed's operations expanded to 
Stockton and Modesto and the fleet grew to include tankers, vans, 
curtain vans, flats and of course cattle trucks.
  In 1990, Valley Enterprises was founded, leasing tomato trailers to 
the Morningstar Company. To this day they are handling the shuttle and 
interplant business for E&J Gallo. It is important to note that the 
Rocha family has been hauling for the Gallo family for over 70 years.
  A true family business, Ed's youngest son Douglas was running a 
tomato operation at twelve years old, helped out by his sister 
Stephanie, at only nine years old. Today, Doug runs Valley Enterprises 
whose fleet consists of 27 power units and 150 sets of trailers.
  Dedicated to giving back to the industry, Ed is very active with 
several trucking organizations. He is the former president of the 
California Trucking Association and is active in the American Truck 
Historical Society (ATHS). Ed also serves on the board of directors for 
the American Trucking Association (ATA), served on the National Ag 
Science Center Board of Directors, and he is the executive director and 
past president of the Hays Antique Truck Museum. His community 
involvement spreads beyond transportation, Ed and Carole helped start 
Children's Guardian Home in Oakdale, a home that takes in abused and 
abandoned children. Ed is a past president of the Children's Crisis 
Center in Modesto.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in praising Ed Rocha and Rocha's Valley 
Enterprises, for their significant contributions to agriculture and to 
the people of our local community.

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