[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 20 (Monday, February 3, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN HONOR OF PLANTRONICS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 3, 2014

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Plantronics, a pioneer 
in audio communications and wearable technology based in my district in 
Santa Cruz, California. Plantronics just received the prestigious 
Secretary of State's 2013 Award for Corporate Excellence and with good 
reason. Over the past half century, Plantronics has excelled in both 
products and people. This innovative company was founded in a garage by 
Courtney Graham and Keith Larkin, two airline pilots looking to make a 
smaller, lighter headset for use in airplane cockpits. Their headsets 
were adopted by the Federal Aviation Administration, employed in the 
first Apollo mission, and used to transmit Neil Armstrong's legendary 
first words from the moon: ``That's one small step for man; one giant 
leap for mankind.'' Today, Plantronics products are used by 911 
emergency workers, airline pilots, astronauts, and all Fortune 100 
companies.
  While Plantronics emphasizes high-quality products, it is their equal 
emphasis on people and the environment that has further distinguished 
this company. The Plantronics manufacturing facility has advanced best 
practices in environmental stewardship, corporate citizenship, and 
employment. The company offers their workforce educational support 
programs, enabling employees to attain over 2,300 degrees; professional 
development programs have supported more than 1,000 employees' 
promotion into new roles; and they have a new 800,000 square foot 
facility that generates 70% of its own power. And that's just the tip 
of the iceberg.
  As CEO Kenneth Kannappan said, ``Our focus on our people, giving back 
to our communities and being responsible stewards of the environment 
are central to our identity, our culture and our position as a leader 
in audio communications.'' I congratulate Ken and Plantronics for 
receiving the Award for Corporate Excellence, a well-deserved 
recognition of their impressive work.

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