[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 172 (Thursday, November 3, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LEGACY AND EXCELLENCE OF WALLACE HARDWARE

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                         HON. DIANA HARSHBARGER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 3, 2022

  Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize one of the most 
outstanding companies in the state of Tennessee, Wallace Hardware, 
which is celebrating 100 years in business in Morristown, Tennessee. As 
a regional distributor of hardlines, lumber, and building material 
products, Wallace Hardware has remained committed to customer service 
and dealer relationships, always based on honesty and integrity.
  With humble beginnings, rapid growth and ever-expanding customer 
service that began in 1921, W.B. Whittaker and S.M. Holtsinger 
partnered with D.M. Wallace to start a wholesale hardware business that 
was chartered in 1922. During this time, salesmen traveled by 
horseback, collecting orders, and mailing them to the home office. 
Then, merchandise was picked, packed, and delivered either by wagon, 
rail, or truck. In 1944 the thriving business changed its name to 
Wallace Hardware Company and in 1955, after the death of D.M. Wallace, 
the reigns were passed to his brother, J.G. Wallace, who led the 
company until January 1959. Then, D.M. Wallace's son, John D. Wallace, 
was named President and Chief Executive Officer.
  With thirty-fold growth and a coverage area expanding far beyond the 
Lakeway region to encompass eleven states, the company thrived under 
the leadership of John D. Wallace until 2002 when he was succeeded by 
Stanley Snowden until 2008, followed by Doyle Wallace, John's son. 
Doyle joined the family business as a nine-year-old boy, working in the 
warehouse on Saturdays and during the summers, and after graduation 
from Carson-Newman College in 1975 with his bachelor's degree in 
business administration, he moved to Memphis to join the staff of the 
newly acquired farm equipment division of the company, King Wallace, 
Inc. Doyle then moved in 1977 to Chattanooga to join another sister 
farm equipment company, Southeastern-Wallace, returning in 1984 to 
become the PRO Program Director at Wallace Hardware. Over the next few 
years, he worked as a buyer and manager of the company's industrial 
division.
  Wallace Hardware's service, price, breadth of product, friendliness, 
and reputation as a customer-oriented distributor have provided a 
competitive edge, all the while maintaining the company's goal of being 
``large enough to supply you, small enough to know you.''
  Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize Wallace Hardware on the 
celebration of its 100th Anniversary and to applaud this company's 
ongoing legacy of integrity and commitment to excellence. I wish 
Wallace Hardware much continued success in all its future endeavors.

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