[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H3458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HARRIS BAKING COMPANY

  (Mr. Womack of Arkansas was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize a 
business in my district celebrating its 100th birthday this month.
  Harris Baking Company of Rogers, Arkansas, began operations back in 
1926 under the leadership of Earl A. Harris. During the Great 
Depression, the bakery team produced up to 250 loaves each day and sold 
them for a mere ten cents a loaf. Mr. Harris, grateful for his 
employees, made sure during that difficult time that none of those 
employees missed a check.
  He expanded it in 1937 and upped the daily production to 1,200 loaves 
a day, and, in 1950, a slicing and wrapping operation was added.
  Earl Harris died in 1959, but the legacy of his company ensued. With 
serious competition from national brands, a group of independent 
grocers purchased the bakery from the Harris family, the first to be 
owned by independent retailers in the United States.
  By 1978, Harris Baking Company was producing 1 million loaves a year, 
and by the time it celebrated its 60th anniversary, it boasted 100 
employees producing 75,000 units a day, a $250 million impact on the 
local economy.
  Today, the company has 180 employees and distributes more than 30 
million loaves annually. Deliveries occur three times a week in 
Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri. It is not just about the 
bottom line. Harris Baking Company routinely helps with disaster relief 
when our citizens are suffering a hardship.
  Mr. Speaker, the book of Matthew says: ``Give us this day our daily 
bread.'' Harris Baking Company of Rogers, Arkansas, has been delivering 
this basic food staple now for 100 years.
  Congratulations to this outstanding company, and here is to another 
century of quality service.

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