[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 24, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E208]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING NEW ERA CAP CO, INC. FOR RECEIVING THE COMMITMENT TO 
         EXCELLENCE AWARD FROM THE AMHERST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 24, 2016

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize and honor New Era 
Cap Co, Inc. for receiving the Commitment to Excellence Award from the 
Amherst Chamber of Commerce. For nearly a century, New Era has helped 
people express their unique passion, pride, and style.
   Now a brand recognized around the world, New Era came from humble 
beginnings. In 1920, Ehrhardt Koch founded the company out of the back 
room of a rented company on Genesee Street in Buffalo, New York. The 
company is family-owned to this day.
   Each generation of the Koch family has embraced and grown New Era's 
legacy. The company started with a focus on making a high-quality men's 
fashion headwear, entering the market with a cap known as the 
``Gatsby.'' After a few years, Ehrhardt Koch and his son Harold 
developed their next business venture, the baseball cap. Under Harold's 
leadership, New Era built relationships with baseball teams from Little 
League to college and professional leagues.
   Harold Koch's son David continued to develop the baseball cap, 
growing New Era from a company supplying a few teams with caps to 
providing almost every Major League Baseball (MLB) and their Minor 
League affiliates with its 59FIFTY fitted cap. It was David's 
dedication to building relationships with partners like MLB that helped 
create the reputation New Era has today.
   Chris Koch, David's son and the fourth generation Koch to lead the 
company, picked up where his father left off. With his knowledge of New 
Era's uniqueness, he secured a partnership with the National Football 
League in 2010. With the addition of apparel and accessories to its 
portfolio and having New Era products sold in over 70 countries has 
transformed New Era from a manufacturing company to a global lifestyle 
brand.
   A search for a new headquarters in 2005 led the company to the ex-
Federal Reserve Bank building in downtown Buffalo. Today, the company 
has 1100 employees and 17 offices, producing 50 million caps per year 
to be sold in 81 countries.
   I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating New Era on their 
accomplishment of Commitment to Excellence award and their continuous 
dedication and contributions to the community at large.

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