[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 51 (Tuesday, March 21, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S857-S858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                    RECOGNIZING JERALD SULKY COMPANY

 Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, as ranking member of the Senate 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize 
an outstanding Iowa small business that exemplifies the American 
entrepreneurial

[[Page S858]]

spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the Jerald Sulky 
Company of Waterloo, IA, as the Senate Small Business of the Week for 
the week of March 13, 2023.
  The Jerald Sulky Company has been synonymous with excellence for over 
125 years. Since 1898, the company has manufactured sulkies, vehicles 
similar to horse sleighs, leading the company to become world famous in 
the showring and on the racetrack. Today, Jerald Sulky Company is the 
last commercial manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles in the world. The 
company began in Osage, IA, when Samuel E. Jerald, Sr., a top craftsman 
in the horse-drawn vehicle business, decided to build race sulkies. 
Shortly after, Samuel and his team relocated to Waterloo in 1901 and 
became known as one of the most innovative companies in the industry, 
utilizing the latest materials and pioneering new technology. In the 
early 1900s, there were over a dozen sulky manufacturers; however, the 
1930s saw the introduction of the automobile, World War I, and the 
Great Depression. Innovations in technology, global war, and mass 
economic downturn took a toll on the sulky industry, and when the dust 
settled, Jerald Sulky Company was one of only two companies that were 
still in operation.
  During WWII, Jerald Sulky Company recognized the importance of aiding 
the country's war effort and began manufacturing field ambulances, also 
know as litter carriers, to hurry fallen soldiers off the battlefield. 
The company ensured that each field ambulance was crafted with care, to 
honor each injured soldier, knowing the journey on the field ambulance 
might be a soldier's last. The company achieved great success during 
the post-war boom due to the abundance of materials and an influx of 
horsemen eager for vehicles that were not available during the war; the 
company modernized many of their classical designs which are still in 
production today such as the Fine Harness Buggy and the Show Pleasure 
Cart. Hard times fell on the Jerald Sulky Company in 2014, forcing them 
to close. Fortunately, at this same time, Erik and Shelli Lee were 
looking to buy a show cart. They called up Jerald Sulky Company to 
inquire about purchasing a cart and ended up buying the whole company. 
Erik and Shelli turned the company around, and now, they ship sulkies 
domestically and internationally to customers all over the world, while 
still focusing on the excellence and integrity of their product.
  In a world that is growing increasingly automated, the Jerald Sulky 
Company is committed to handcrafting each of their horse carriages 
because, for them, it is not a product, it is an art. Their custom-made 
horse carriages take 6 to 10 weeks to create and are worked on by a 
staff of 12 artisans who, all combined, have over 200 years of 
experience in the craft. The carriages range from $1,500 to $15,000 due 
to the time and labor spent to make them. Furthermore, they source most 
of their materials locally. As they only want to use the best materials 
for their carriages and because there are not many producers that 
create the parts they want, the company's biggest challenge is 
combating supply chain issues. Even though their supply chain can be 
difficult to navigate and despite the fact there is not a large market 
for traditional horse carriages, the Jerald Sulky Company is not 
worried. They have a loyal customer base that maintains a constant 
demand for horse carriages. Today, the company, on average, builds 150 
new carts each year, a vast improvement from 2014. Additionally, 
through expanding to more foreign markets, Jerald Sulky Company has 
continued to grow their customer base, proving that this 125-year-old 
company is resilient as ever.
  The Jerald Sulky Company's commitment to excellence also extends to 
their local community. In the chaotic days of the beginning of the 
COVID-19 pandemic, they did not hesitate in offering to use part of 
their warehouse as a temporary assembly operation to put together 
disposable face shields for hospital and clinic staff. More than 60 
volunteers from the local community came together at the warehouse to 
assemble 10,000 shields. Additionally, this past year in March 2022 
when tornados ravaged Iowa and destroyed two local horse barns, the 
Jerald Sulky Company raised awareness about the tragedy and rallied the 
local community to donate to a GoFundMe for each barn. Similar to when 
the company sprang to action during the First World War, Jerald Sulky 
Company continues to answer the call of their community.
  Through their drive for excellence, the Jerald Sulky Company has been 
referred to by some as the Rolls-Royce of the horse-drawn vehicle 
world. They have received numerous accolades throughout the years. 
Their sulkies have been on the cover of Sport Illustrated several 
times. Furthermore, the company's impact on the U.S. horse world has 
been so great that their sulky was featured on a U.S. postage stamp. In 
1996, the company was inducted into the Iowa Harness Racing Hall of 
Fame. More recently, their sulkies have been featured in pop culture on 
the hit television series ``Duck Dynasty.'' Never compromising the 
integrity of their product or cutting any corners, the company has gone 
on to become a leader in the horse world and has achieved great 
success. I want to congratulate the entire team at the Jerald Sulky 
Company for their continued commitment to excellence in their work both 
locally in Iowa and throughout the world. I look forward to seeing 
their continued growth and success in Iowa.

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