[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 30, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3074-S3075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
150TH ANNIVERSARY OF WYMAN'S
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, 150 years ago, in 1874, one of Maine's
most iconic businesses launched its first venture. Although it began as
a small sardine cannery operation in the corner of northeast Maine,
Wyman's has thrived through 150 years of business and is
[[Page S3075]]
now Maine's preeminent purveyor of wild blueberries, as well as the top
selling brand of frozen fruit in the United States.
Each year, Wyman's harvests and freezes tens of millions of pounds of
Maine blueberries. In addition to owning over 30,000 acres of land in
Maine, Wyman's partners with hundreds of Maine blueberry farms to
process their products and export them around the country and around
the globe. Four generations later, Wyman's continues to be a leader in
cultivating the wild blueberry for which Maine is famous, providing
economic vitality for the Downeast region and high-quality jobs across
the State.
Wyman's is also at the cutting edge of agricultural research.
Recently, the business has partnered with the University of Maine to
study how harsh weather patterns such as early frosts and droughts
impact growth, gaining valuable insights into what can be done to boost
productivity for all in the industry.
While Wyman's is certainly a generational affair for the Wyman
family, it is wonderful to see how the business has also become
generational for so many within the community. More than a third of
Wyman's employees have tenures lasting over a decade, and many families
continue to return to work at the blueberry harvest over several
generations. Wyman's deep roots and work in the field of agricultural
sustainability show that the company continues to live up to its values
of enhancing health. I am very proud to join them in celebrating their
150 years of operation.
____________________