[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 215 (Friday, December 18, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7702-S7704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO BOB HUTCHISON

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, over the course of 40-plus years, my 
friend Bob Hutchison and his brother Tom built an impressive network of 
restaurant franchises in Eastern Kentucky. The brothers employed 
thousands of Kentuckians, believing a firm commitment to their 
community would bring success. They were right. Bob and Tom recently 
announced the sale of their 13 McDonald's franchises to pursue new 
opportunities. On behalf of the families across the region who continue 
to benefit from their entrepreneurial investment, I would like to 
congratulate the brothers on their great achievement.
  While many folks are lucky enough to be born in Kentucky, some find 
their way to the Bluegrass State. As the Hutchison brothers scouted 
across the region for the right place to open their first restaurant, 
Bob saw something special in Paintsville. I think they found a 
wonderful community.
  They decided to open their store during the local festival called 
Apple Days. Some onlookers were skeptical the Hutchison brothers could 
be prepared for a successful opening during such a high-traffic event. 
Bob and Tom were undeterred. To put their best foot forward, they 
trained staff to flip Styrofoam patties in their living room as they 
prepared for the big day. When the restaurant opened on October 6, 
1979, they surpassed all expectations. I have visited them during the 
Apple Days festival through the years as their restaurant continued to 
thrive.
  Together, the brothers developed a recipe that worked. Their first 
restaurant connected with customers, and they continued opening more 
franchises around the region. At each of their 13 restaurants, Bob and 
Tom made a commitment to investing in their employees and community. 
They gave many young people their first job, instilling the values of 
hard work and dedication. Scores of Kentuckians have grown up and 
achieved because of the brothers' influence. In addition to the 
McDonald's restaurants, Bob also founded the HUTCH Auto Group and a 
gasket and supply company in Ohio.
  I had the privilege to become friends with Bob as he grew more active 
in the community. He has promoted our shared values and made 
extraordinary contributions to a wide range of organizations, including 
the University of Pikeville, the Christian Appalachian Project, and the 
Boy Scouts of Eastern Kentucky. Working more than 20 years with the 
Paintsville/Johnson County Tourism Commission, Bob has helped others 
see the great beauty and potential of this community in the same way he 
did all those years ago.
  Although Bob and Tom are stepping away from their restaurants, they 
will keep working for Eastern Kentucky's future. I am grateful to the 
Hutchison brothers for their inspiring achievements. Whatever the 
future holds in store for them, I wish them the very best.
  Mr. President, the Appalachian News-Express published a profile on 
the Hutchison brothers' inspiring career in Eastern Kentucky. I ask 
unanimous consent the article be printed in the Record.
   There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

           [From the Appalachian News Express, August 7, 2020]

  Passing the Spatula: Bob and Tom Hutchison Part Ways With McDonald's 
                                 Stores

                           (By Reagan Coburn)

        Paintsville--Bob and Tom Hutchison, brothers and owner-
     operators of 13 McDonald's restaurants in Eastern Kentucky, 
     recently announced that they have sold their franchise to 
     Faris Enterprises of Clinton, Tennessee. Tom described the 
     joint decision of the two brothers, stating, ``The time has 
     come to turn over the spatula to the next opportunity.''
        The Hutchison brothers' journey led them from Ohio to the 
     mountains of Eastern Kentucky. Along the way they made 
     numerous contributions to the area through their restaurants, 
     and have given back to the communities in which they have 
     engrained their lives.
        The two youngest of five brothers, Bob and Tom were raised 
     by parents who instilled values and beliefs in them to which 
     they credit their successes in life.
        ``Our Dad had a full ride of a career,'' said Tom. ``He 
     had been in the restaurant business and was with McDonald's. 
     He worked for this group of investors. He pretty much 
     retired, but when he went to McDonald's they knew that we 
     were going to use our father's brain and brawn. The gentleman 
     who was running McDonald's in that division at the time knew 
     our work ethic. He's the one that kept pushing us to come to 
     Kentucky.
        ``At that time I was 22, Bob was 25,'' Tom continued. 
     ``The youngest franchisees signed on. That was unheard of. 
     But the guy knew our work ethic from our parents. Our father 
     grew up in an orphanage from the age of five until he got out 
     until he got out to marry our mother. A single mother raised 
     our mother after the age of 12. Her father had an early 
     death. So both of our parents were very goal-oriented, stern, 
     family-based and those values were how we were raised.''
        Tom described the duo as being business partners even as 
     young children cutting grass, shoveling driveways in the Ohio 
     winters and washing and waxing cars. They began working from 
     a very young age. From the age of 9 to 14, Bob delivered 
     newspapers. At the age of 14, both brothers entered the 
     restaurant business with the assistance of their father.
        ``We knew the restaurant business,'' stated Tom. ``We 
     started at 14 years old. We did management and I got into 
     marketing. Bob did some schooling. The fact is that we knew 
     how to run a restaurant and that it was about people--
     powering our people with pride. That is what we made as a 
     foundation for building our company.''


                   Getting started in Eastern Kentucky

        Making the choice to settle in Eastern Kentucky and open a 
     McDonald's restaurant in a community like Paintsville in the 
     1970s and 1980s did not come without some reservations and a 
     few obstacles along the way.
       ``We had several places to go to,'' described Bob. ``Our 
     dad had just retired working with McDonald's--another 
     operator. Then one of his cohorts tried to get him involved 
     with the restaurants and there was no way that we could do 
     that because we had no cash of that means. A fella from 
     McDonald's was very encouraging to Dad about getting into the 
     restaurant franchise. They said, `You gotta get a 
     McDonald's.' ''
       ``So we came to the conclusion that we can try it, even 
     though we knew we had a short falling of cash.'' Bob said 
     that his father's cohort stated, ``There's this little spot 
     in East Kentucky called Paintsville. We want you to go look 
     at that.''
        Bob continued, ``Mom, Dad, Tom and I came to Paintsville 
     at the McDonald's recommendation. Mom and Tom weren't really 
     on fire in the beginning because it was raining, a two lane 
     road and lots of coal trucks. So we went back and said, 
     `Aren't there any other areas?' So we went back and looked at 
     three or four other spots in the Ohio area, but for one 
     reason or another, we gravitated back here.''

[[Page S7703]]

        The family returned to Paintsville once again to give the 
     area a second consideration to establish their restaurant.
        Bob stated that he loved the area because of the many 
     state parks that were within an hour or so of the town.
        ``I thought that's the place we need to be. You've got the 
     Daniel Boone National Forest, you've got the Red River Gorge, 
     you've got Fishtrap, you've got Dewey (Jenny Wiley). This 
     place was rocking with that kind of stuff,'' Bob explained.
        During their second visit to Paintsville they stayed in 
     the Heart O' Highland's Motel, one of two motels in the town 
     at the time. The family received a knock on the door of their 
     room by a staff member stating they had to leave because the 
     dam at Paintsville Lake was going to break, a historic moment 
     for many in the area during 1978, and that they must evacuate 
     the town.
        ``Mom said that's an omen, we don't need to be here,'' 
     stated Bob.
        ``I was already in the car,'' Tom joked.
        After that debacle, the family once again looked for other 
     locations and stores but they were repeatedly told by their 
     advisor that Paintsville was ``where it's at.''
        ``So we came back, but we didn't have the money. We needed 
     $250,000,'' Bob said. ``The next trip was come back with our 
     newly-purchased dress suits and went to the bank. We went to 
     First National Bank and the vice president was very cordial. 
     We sat down and told him we need $250,000 and we want to put 
     in a McDonald's. We knew we were in trouble when he said, 
     `What's a McDonald's?' '' So we presented a packet to him of 
     what McDonald's was.'' After about 15 minutes of 
     deliberation, the Vice President of the bank offered them a 
     mere $25,000.
        Bob stated, ``We walked out of the bank. Dad was a chain 
     smoker. He lit a cigarette and as we walked down the street 
     toward the car Mom said, `No luck there. I can tell by the 
     way you're walking and smoking.' ''
        Bob said that was the moment when his mother made the 
     switch from pessimist to optimist.
        According to Bob, she said, ``Now look, there's another 
     bank down there. You guys go down there and find some 
     money.''
        ``So we went down to Citizen's National Bank and were 
     greeted by a very hospitable lady, Nancy Brugh, and we told 
     her what we were looking for,'' Bob explained.
        Brugh seated the boys in the office of Trigg Dorton, an 
     famous local banker during the time. Describing Dorton, Bob 
     stated, ``He had his three-piece suit, his glasses and a 
     cigar and introduced himself and sat down.''
        Dorton allegedly said, ``Boys, tell me about yourself. He 
     started with Tom. He said, `go back as far as you can 
     remember. Tell me about your life,' '' Bob stated.
        Dorton then asked Bob and his father to do the same.
        Bob stated that Dorton was incredibly impressed with their 
     life stories and that Dorton and his father shared a common 
     link- they were both in the Second World War.
        ``It was the very first time I heard Dad say anything 
     remotely about the war,'' said Bob. He continued, ``He was 
     also impressed that Dad was raised in a children's home. He 
     was impressed that Tom and I started working when we were 
     fourteen.''
        The following day, Dorton presented the family with a 
     check for $250,000.
        ``He was probably the most knowledgeable banker I ever 
     met,'' said Bob. ``Then, of course, his son Dennis Dorton, 
     who just passed, was my second mentor there.''
        They opened a bank account there, deposited the check, and 
     that was the beginning. Choosing to stay
        Tom stated, ``By the fall of 1978 we knew we were coming. 
     We broke ground that winter and were open by the fall of 
     1979.''
        He continued, ``We opened up on Apple Days--right in the 
     swing of things. McDonald's came in and said there's no way 
     you guys can handle opening during the festival. We were 
     doing trainings in our living rooms with Styrofoam 
     hamburgers. We were teaching them service. We had nowhere to 
     train them,'' Tom laughed. ``It really was fun.''
        ``But despite all that, we opened up on October the 6th, 
     during Apple Days, and it went great,'' he said. ``We had 
     high sales and the team pulled together. It was phenomenal. 
     McDonald's was in awe.''
        Following the opening on the Paintsville store, their 
     advisor in Ohio helped with the banking to open the 
     Hutchisons' Prestonsburg and Pikeville locations.
        ``Mom said, `Boys, we're not moving, but sometimes you 
     gotta do things in life you don't want to do to get where you 
     need to go,' '' reminisced Tom.
        ``So we signed the papers--Dad, Bob and I, and the 
     gentleman leaned backed in his chair and said, `Thank God. 
     You guys are the 12th people we've sent down there. Everybody 
     else told us to stick it,' '' he joked.
        Tom stated, ``The beauty of it is, this is where we came. 
     But the most beautiful part of it is, this is where we chose 
     to stay. We had chances to leave. We did Paintsville. 
     Pikeville was our next one in 1982. Goody was two weeks after 
     that. Then we came back in 1987 and opened up Prestonsburg as 
     store number four.''
        When asked for the reasons they chose to stay here after 
     launching so many successful restaurants, Tom stated, ``I 
     think a couple of things. We had people who believed in us--
     our parents, McDonald's, Mr. Dorton--but we believed in the 
     brand. We believed in McDonald's and we were taught that you 
     have to be entrenched in your communities. We learned that 
     from our parents. We learned to give back. We chose to stay, 
     we chose to be involved and be part of the grain of the 
     community. To us, that's what created our success. We chose 
     to be local and build upon what we had. We knew we had a 
     beautiful garden here, so we just kept cultivating our 
     garden.''


                          Not a `dead-end' job

        Bob and Tom have given back to their employees and 
     community members in countless ways. Having employed 
     thousands of people over the past several decades, Bob said, 
     ``I think we've had an impact on a lot of people. Many people 
     that have come through the doorways of the arches have become 
     successful, reaching and fulfilling their dreams. Our biggest 
     reward is working with people who are a little shy, a little 
     backwards and have self-esteem issues and no confidence. I 
     love to coach people that are in those situations, especially 
     the 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18-year-olds that have never been 
     exposed to a lot.
        ``Also, every manager that we have working with us now has 
     been promoted within, and that in itself is a success,'' he 
     continued. Speaking on the work ethic people of Eastern 
     Kentucky, Bob stated, ``The people in this area want to work 
     given the opportunity to work.''
        ``I love giving people second chances,'' he said. ``We've 
     got five or six felons working with us right now. We've got 
     several single mothers who have gone through different 
     programs--spousal abuse and things of that nature. It all 
     goes back to their confidence and self-esteem. That's been my 
     mission field- working with people of that nature.
        He continued, ``A lot of people refer to McDonald's as a 
     dead-end job. It's no dead end job at all. It's whatever an 
     individual wants to make of it. It's whatever they want to do 
     with it. They can create anything they want to. They're their 
     own molder of the clay and it's just a unique thing.''
        Tom echoed the sentiment, stating, `` ``There's plenty of 
     rewards. Just this week, getting hit up on Facebook by a 
     previous employee who worked with us for six years, who, of 
     course, heard about Bob and I making the change, and there 
     are so many individuals like this young lady who went off to 
     other careers, but what they learned as crew people they've 
     carried into their present fields. McDonald's is not a dead 
     end job. It leads to many opportunities. McDonald's has 
     touched so many lives. We've been fortunate to be and create 
     McDonald's of East Kentucky and create those opportunities.''
        Bob then spoke of various programs that McDonald's offers 
     their employees to better their lives. He mentioned the 
     McDonald's Archways to Opportunity program, which recently 
     assisted team member Josh Halliday.
        He stated, ``Through the McDonald's program and through 
     our encouragement, he went to college through the McDonald's 
     program. Now he has a four-year degree with minimal expense 
     to him thanks to McDonald's, Tom and I. He's a rock star and 
     he's our IT guy. He'll be going to HU in the near future and 
     he'll be dually accredited. He can run a restaurant or he can 
     do IT, whatever fits his niche, no matter where he's at in 
     life and whether it's McDonald's of Kentucky and he wants to 
     pack his bags and move west. He is a highly sought after, 
     highly valuable individual.''
        Tom noted, ``The hospitality industry is here to stay. 
     Their training is so intense with management that an 
     individual can get 22 hours of training that can be converted 
     to accredited college classwork. No restaurant and very few 
     businesses have programs remotely like that.''


                               Giving back

        It is this spirit of giving back that has continued to 
     drive the two brothers over the years, both within their 
     restaurants and the community at large.
        When asked in what ways he has enjoyed giving back the 
     most, Bob stated, ``One was being heavily entrenched in Boy 
     Scouts of East Kentucky and I got there through the 
     assistance of Trigg Dorton. Trying to keep Boy Scouts alive 
     in East Kentucky and I was on the Bluegrass Council out of 
     Lexington and I took that position to try to facilitate a 
     stronger stance for Boy Scouts in East Kentucky. I left that 
     position two years ago but I'm still considered an assistant 
     troop master and remain active. I try to keep scouting alive 
     in Johnson County.
        ``The second thing would be the Christian Appalachian 
     Project,'' Bob said. ``I've been involved with them for 20 
     plus years and that's very rewarding in many ways at the 
     local level and also when we have national disasters such as 
     Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans to see how well the people 
     of East Kentucky gather around and drive down there to help 
     people in dire straits.''
        ``Third, mostly, has been education. Whether it's UPIKE, 
     Mountain Christian Academy when they were around in Martin, 
     or the Johnson County Board of Education. Regardless of which 
     district, this has been my number one thing that I've 
     thoroughly enjoyed. I've had some sort of impact with 
     education through different programs here in East Kentucky.''
        His brother Tom bragged on him, stating, `` ``Not being 
     biologically a father, he's been a father to more kids than 
     anyone can possibly imagine.''
        Tom then described the philanthropic efforts that meant 
     the most to him.
        ``I was on the board of forming Judi's House in 
     Pikeville,'' Tom said. ``The arts was a big thing for me. I 
     work a lot with underprivileged kids, usually under my 
     grandmother's name. I don't put my name out

[[Page S7704]]

     there. That's not what it's about. To me, it's about I know 
     where I can put something and it gets out there, and you're 
     helping someone. It goes back to giving back. The littlest 
     thing can mean so much to somebody. If it's that family, if 
     it's that crew person at the restaurant, it might be that 
     gentleman at the gas station you see everyday. On and on . . 
     . I think it's the biggest reward is if it's Christmas and 
     it's breakfast with Santa and there's children, seeing those 
     kids smile . . . I'm touched, man. That's it right there. And 
     watching kids grow up.''
        Bob then stated, `` ``The successes and rewards are not 
     always measured in money. There are people in East Kentucky 
     that are as close as family. They are family--extended family 
     here in the hills.'' The two brothers then took a moment to 
     reflect on what it is like to work as partners in their 
     business endeavors.
        ``It's very unique,'' said Tom, ``to be in a partnership 
     for that many years, but then it's unique added to it to be 
     in partnership with your brother for all of those years. We 
     are totally like night and day. Ask any of our crew. But 
     that's part of it. I respect Bob's forte, he respects mine, 
     but do we always agree? No. But when we sit down at a table 
     and we have a discussion, it may not be what I sat down at 
     the table and wanted or thought was best, but when we walk 
     away, we're on the same mission. What is the result we want? 
     We talk it out. It's about communication, cooperation and 
     coordination.''
        ``If we really hit head to head, then we do paper, 
     scissors, rock,'' joked Tom.
        Bob stated, ``My strong points might be his weak points. 
     His strong points might be my weak points. However, through 
     osmosis over the years we've been able to balance each 
     other.''
        ``I'm a very diplomatic guy,'' Bob continued. ``Tom likes 
     to put a lot of bling in stuff. Tom likes to make stuff look 
     nice. There's really nothing wrong with it, but we've went 
     head-to-head on some of the remodels that we've done. Before, 
     when we were allowed the luxury of picking out nice lights 
     and nice wallpaper or quality seating, and he wanted to do 
     things . . . we went into a boxing match over that one. I 
     said, `Do whatever you'd like, but keep in mind that I've got 
     the budget.' ''


                          Leaving the business

        The decision to move on from McDonald's, the brothers 
     said, was linked to the death of their older brother at 70.
        ``Bob and I reflected on the passing of our older brother 
     and thought when is the right time?'' Tom said. ``I don't 
     know if there is a right time, but we did make a plan and so 
     we made the availability. What was nice is that some of the 
     perimeters we had set were like `Who's going to come in and 
     represent and take care of our people? Who would take care of 
     our guests? Who is going to best reflect what we've laid a 
     great foundation out for?' It was about finding the right 
     team, family or person who had the same beliefs and was going 
     to keep our company intact.''
        For Bob and Tom, the Faris family was the perfect fit for 
     continuing their legacy.
        Bob stated, ``It was an easy decision. We've had five or 
     six people approach us over the last couple of years without 
     even putting a sign out. It was really easy when we saw who 
     they (the Faris family) are personally and professionally. We 
     knew who to sell it to. They're people-oriented.''
        Tom echoed the sentiment, stating, ``The Farises, what 
     they had to offer us and what they had to offer the team, I 
     want to say that we are like book ends. Bob, Tom and the 
     Faris family. Same core beliefs. That's what felt good.''
        ``I wouldn't be surprised one bit if they make this 
     organization better than it already is,'' said Bob.
        The two brothers plan to remain in Eastern Kentucky and 
     continue making a difference in their communities.
        Tom stated, `` ``What's most important is that Bob and I 
     came here almost 42 years ago to go into business. We had the 
     opportunity to leave many times, to relocate. But we chose to 
     stay because the mountains spoke to us and there's a lot of 
     opportunity here. We've seen a lot of opportunity here--but 
     the people. The people in the communities and the people that 
     were with us in our organization--our company was really 
     powered by people with pride and we knew we had everything we 
     ever set out for and that we could begin and continue our 
     foundation by staying here in Eastern Kentucky, where we 
     chose to make our home. We're still in the community. We'll 
     still be engrained in many things in the community. We are 
     not leaving or abandoning, we are just taking ourselves to 
     the next level.''
        Bob stated, ``We will be here, we will be active, we will 
     be involved and the thing that's keeping us here is the 
     people--the people in the mountains. People here have been 
     great--we've been able to help a lot of people, but there's a 
     lot of people that have been able to help us.''
        Tom said the brothers are simply opening another chapter 
     in their lives.
        ``We walked in together, and we're walking out together,'' 
     he said. ``It's a beautiful scenery.''

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