[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 175 (Thursday, December 3, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





      HONORING ERIC ATKINSON, PRESIDENT OF ATKINSON CANDY COMPANY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LOUIE GOHMERT

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 3, 2015

  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to recognize today an 
east Texas man and an east Texas family who have realized the American 
dream the old-fashioned way--through a lifetime of hard work with 
complete dedication to his family, to his community, and to his craft.
   Eric Atkinson is President of the company founded by his grandfather 
B.E. Atkinson Sr. in 1932. Atkinson Candy Company of Lufkin, Texas is 
not only a beloved landmark in Angelina County, it is a Texas tradition 
with a loyal following of candy lovers all over the world. The company 
still uses the original family recipes and machinery to make its iconic 
signature Chick-O-Stick, Peanut Butter Bar, Long Boy, and other 
legendary candies. In fact, his peppermint recipe uses ingredients of 
such phenomenal quality that exceptional strategic work was required in 
order to manufacture it in a way that keeps the costs from being 
astronomical.
   Eric is an active leader in the candy industry who has held a 
position on the board of the Convenience Distribution Association for 
more than fifteen years. For his commitment to the industry, Eric has 
received accolades from numerous trade groups, including the 1990 Candy 
Man of the Year from Southern Tobacco & Candy Association, the 1998 
Dean Award and a 2013 Hall of Fame recognition from the Convenience 
Distribution Association, and the Doc Reed Silver Candy Dish Award from 
the National Confectioners' Association in 2008. He also received a 
2010 nomination for the Kettle Award, which is the highest recognition 
an individual working within the U.S. confectionery industry can 
attain. Most recently, Eric Atkinson was honored by being inducted into 
the prestigious 2015 National Confectionery Sales Association's Candy 
Hall of Fame following in the footsteps of his father Dr. Basil E. 
Atkinson Jr., who was named to the Candy Hall of Fame in 2011.
   Away from the confection industry, Eric is an avid supporter of area 
athletic programs as well as our nation's military and regularly makes 
product donations to charitable events all over the region. His 
organization also extends its goodwill worldwide, shipping sweets from 
the legendary candy kitchen to American military personnel serving 
overseas.
   It is a distinct privilege to honor this remarkable man along with 
his organization, his family and their cumulative legacy of excellence, 
extraordinary leadership, exemplary character, boundless enthusiasm, 
and a work ethic that never ever quits. Eric Atkinson's commitment to 
time honored quality and the preservation of family values is now 
recorded in this Congressional Record which will endure as long as 
there is a United States of America.

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