[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 13, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CONGRATULATING RON WANEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. VAN ORDEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a great leader, 
innovator, industrialist, and philanthropist on the occasion of his 
induction into the Wisconsin Manufacturers' Hall of Fame.
  Ron Wanek founded Arcadia Furniture in 1970 in the small western 
Wisconsin town of Arcadia. Back then, Mr. Wanek employed just 35 
people.
  In 1982, Arcadia Furniture and Ashley Furniture Corporation merged 
into Ashley Furniture Industries. Today, Ashley has grown to become the 
world's largest manufacturer of home furnishings with over 30 million 
square feet of worldwide manufacturing and distribution capacity and 
Ashley retail locations throughout the United States and 67 countries. 
Ashley employs 16,000 Americans, including 3,000 in my home State of 
Wisconsin.
  Mr. Wanek is the personification of the phrase ``business is a force 
for good.'' Not only is Ashley Furniture Industries a massive economic 
driver in Wisconsin and beyond, but the Ronald and Joyce Wanek 
Foundation has contributed tens of millions of dollars in support of a 
multitude of important charities.
  Mr. Wanek is an unmatched supporter of technical and STEM education 
at both the K-12 and secondary levels. Through its various programs and 
partnerships, the Ronald and Joyce Wanek Foundation aims to inspire and 
empower students to pursue careers in STEM fields and improve the 
quality of life in our communities.
  In addition, Mr. Wanek is a passionate supporter of veterans. Just 
one example is his establishment of the incredible Soldiers Walk at 
Memorial Park in Arcadia, Wisconsin, which is a premier war memorial 
outside of Washington, D.C., that has 29 monuments, honoring all who 
have served our Nation.
  Finally, Mr. Wanek is not only the great embodiment of the American 
Dream, but he actively promotes it through his unwavering and ardent 
support of the free enterprise system, which has made this Nation the 
greatest country in the history of the world.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that Ron Wanek's contributions to my State and 
this Nation be entered into the Congressional Record for posterity.


                     Career and Technical Education

  Mr. VAN ORDEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the 
importance of career and technical education.
  Our education system needs to empower students to pursue the type of 
education that works best for them--be it an apprenticeship, a trade 
school, or a 4-year college.
  That is why I joined the bipartisan Congressional Career Technical 
Education Caucus, or CTE, which is committed to supporting and 
promoting CTE for all Americans.
  These programs prepare students for jobs in STEM disciplines such as 
healthcare, agriculture, information technology, manufacturing, the 
skilled trades, and many more.
  There are more than 9 million job openings in the United States, and 
many are within the industries with noted skilled labor shortages.
  Madam Speaker, 55 percent of the jobs in my home State of Wisconsin 
require CTE skills training but do not require a 4-year degree.
  There are men and women working downstairs in this building and in 
other buildings in the woodshop and in the upholstery shop. We have 
pipe fitters, steam fitters, and we have welders.
  I encourage every one of my colleagues, if they have a chance, to go 
down and visit these men and women that keep this building running. 
These are fantastic jobs, and they do not require a 4-year degree.
  I remind the American people that the lights in this hallowed Chamber 
are not on because someone got a master's in French poetry. They are on 
because someone went to trade school and became a master electrician.

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