[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 8 (Friday, January 16, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S237-S238]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING S&W WHOLESALE FOODS

 Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, one of the most important 
advantages of small businesses is their unparalleled devotion to their 
customers and communities. Small business owners are

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the most qualified to truly recognize and meet the needs of their local 
regions. Having a local presence can make all the difference when it 
comes to building up a community, providing essential goods and 
services, as well as giving back to those starting new ventures. For my 
second Small Business of the Week, I am honored to recognize S & W 
Wholesale Foods for its success and commitment to serving southeast 
Louisiana and parts of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
  Family owned and operated, Frank Spalitta and Richard Willams opened 
S & W Wholesale Foods in 1978. Over the years, it has grown from a 
5,000 square foot operation to two locations in Hammond, LA, and Baton 
Rouge, LA. While S & W Wholesale Foods is well-known for distributing 
fresh food products such as meats, seafood, and produce, it also stocks 
complementary supplies, including plasticware, chemical and cleaning 
supplies, and paper products to surrounding restaurants, bakeries, 
childcare centers, convenience stores, and other local businesses. When 
Frank retired in 2006, his son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Tiffany 
Spalitta, purchased the business in order to keep the family tradition 
alive.
  S & W Wholesale Foods has made a commitment to provide the best 
available products to its customers, while also supporting an 
environment in which local restaurants and businesses work together to 
succeed. As a shareholder in one of the largest foodservice 
distribution cooperatives, Unipro Foodservice, S & W Wholesale Foods is 
able to supply high-quality products and services for its customers, 
which in turn supply Louisianians and residents of the Mississippi Gulf 
Coast. Even more inspiring is that S & W Wholesale Foods incorporates 
Louisiana brands, including New Orleans Roast and Zatarain's, to its 
larger product base. One of the more unique aspects of the company is 
the quarterly brochure that shares seasonal recipes and localized tips 
and ideas to help readers build up and maintain their own businesses.
  S & W Wholesale Foods is a great example of how hard work and quality 
products can lead to a successful small business. The company's motto 
truly sums up the undeniable foundation of its priorities, ``Large 
Enough to Serve . . . Small Enough to Care.'' It is my honor to 
recognize this company that works so diligently to promote the 
businesses of the customers they serve. Once again, I congratulate S & 
W Wholesale Foods for being recognized as this week's ``Small Business 
of the Week'' and wish them all of the best in the future. 

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