[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 184 (Wednesday, October 20, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ADELINE DRUART

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, these days, it is not uncommon for people 
to frequently change careers, companies, or job paths. At one iconic 
Vermont entity, though, Vermont Creamery, president and chief executive 
officer Adeline Druart has dedicated more than 17 years to growing and 
expanding the company's product line and brand. She was recently 
featured on the Positive Enterprise Podcast, and hers is a story in 
which all Vermonters can find pride and motivation.
  The cheese and butter that Vermont Creamery produces is some of the 
best in the world. As a Certified B Corporation, Vermont Creamery 
follows a long Vermont legacy of investing in environmental 
sustainability, local supply chains, and worker satisfaction. These 
investments have clearly paid off. In 2017, Vermont Creamery was 
acquired by Land O'Lakes, a century-old farmer-owned cooperative, and 
has continued on an impressive path of conscious growth. With Land 
O'Lakes' support, Vermont Creamery has expanded its facilities nearly 
40 percent and is now a recognizable brand in grocery stores across the 
country. In 2020, the company supported our community through the 
pandemic, donating 12,000 pounds of food to hungry Vermonters, 
providing hazard pay to their employees, and advocating for universal 
childcare for Vermont's working families. They also converted their 
Websterville-based facility to run on 100-percent renewable energy. And 
these changes have only underlined their belief that consciously 
crafted products made with the best ingredients just taste better. 
Today, the beloved Vermont Creamery makes the No. 1 best-selling goat 
cheese in the country.
  Adeline Druart is responsible for so much of this impressive growth. 
In the early 2000s, Adeline, then a student from France, came to 
Vermont Creamery to complete an internship for her master's degree. She 
just couldn't stay away. Adeline worked her way up the ranks at the 
creamery, before being named president and CEO in 2015. In that role, 
she has shown exactly what tenacity and hard work, when paired with a 
people-first approach to business, can do. The mother of two young 
sons, Adeline has reinforced Vermont Creamery's original family-
oriented culture while steering the company's growth. She is an 
inspiration to me, and I am so proud that she calls Vermont home.
  Vermont is home to some of the finest agriculture, wood-based, and 
other products in the country. We feature many of these at the annual 
Taste of Vermont here in Washington, a tradition I hope to return to 
next year. At the helm of so many of these Vermont companies are people 
like Adeline. It is in these hard-working and creative leaders that we 
can find great hope for Vermont's economic recovery and vibrant future.

                          ____________________