[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 7, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN RECOGNITION OF THE BURNS BROTHERS CLEANERS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. BARBARA COMSTOCK

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 7, 2017

  Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize a local 
business in Virginia's 10th Congressional District that will be closing 
their doors this year after over six decades of service. Burns Brothers 
Cleaners, the landmark cleaners and laundromat located in downtown 
McLean, Virginia, has served the community for the past 67 years and is 
one of the oldest family-operated businesses in the area. Since 
founding the mom-and-pop shop in 1949, Don and Bob Burns have been 
exemplary small business owners and operators.
  Before opening Burns Brothers Cleaners, Don Burns worked in several 
different dry cleaning establishments where he learned the trade and 
also gained a valuable customer service skillset. Since opening, Don's 
customer-first attitude helped yield diverse and high-profile clients 
ranging from U.S. Cabinet Members to local shopkeepers. Yet despite 
some important clientele, the business never lost sight of its origins 
and the core values of a family-owned small business. In fact today, 
Amy Burns, one of Don's daughters, manages and operates the cleaners as 
her father once did.
  In today's society, family owned small businesses are an essential 
player to the future of our nation. It is families like the Burns 
family that help foster strong local economies by establishing 
successful business practices that can be carried out for multiple 
generations.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding the Burns 
Brothers Cleaners for its dedication to serving our community for so 
many years. I wish Don, Amy, and the rest of the Burns family the best 
in their future endeavors.

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