[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 29, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H5597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                        SOUTHERN PIPING COMPANY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Holding) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
family business in my home State of North Carolina.
  When Southern Piping Company opened in 1965, it had two employees and 
a loan from the Small Business Administration. The two employees were 
Peggy Williford and her husband, Buren, who was one of the first 
licensed mechanical contractors in North Carolina--SPC, a classic 
family business, with all three of Peggy and Buren's sons--Chris, Mark, 
and Tim--continuing to lead the company.
  Since 1965, the Willifords and the SPC family have weathered 
recessions and hard times, and over the years, through good old-
fashioned hard work, they have grown.
  Starting with one office in Wilson, SPC has expanded their plumbing, 
heating, and air-conditioning business to four offices statewide, and 
their SPC trucks are a familiar sight on the roads across North 
Carolina, but the biggest story is the family they have built through 
SPC, today providing jobs to 450 people.
  When it came to building the company, Buren Williford always had a 
commonsense philosophy. He said: ``Successful companies look for like-
minded people to do business with.''
  Today, Southern Piping Company is adopting a new name--SPC 
Mechanical--to more accurately describe its growth and success. The 
Williford family still practices the old-fashioned principles of 
integrity, safety, and giving back to their community, for example, by 
offering young employees scholarships to attend nearby Barton College.
  This year represents a landmark for the Williford family. They have 
now been in business for 50 years. It is my pleasure today to recognize 
the accomplishments of Peggy and Buren Williford.

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