[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 21]
[Senate]
[Page 29063]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        TRIBUTE TO BOB STILLER OF GREEN MOUNTAIN COFFEE ROASTERS

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the Burlington Free Press recently ran a 
story about expansion plans by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in 
Waterbury, VT. The company has begun work on a 52,000-square-foot 
warehouse and distribution center that will significantly expand 
manufacturing capacity. Under the leadership of Bob Stiller, Green 
Mountain Coffee has consistently been rated one of the fastest growing 
and best managed small public companies in the United States.
  Small businesses are the backbone of Vermont's economy, and Green 
Mountain Coffee has been an outstanding corporate partner in our State 
for over 20 years. Started in a small cafe in Waitsfield, VT, in 1981, 
growing into a publicly traded company in 1993, and now announcing this 
$8.4 million expansion in Waterbury, Green Mountain has been a national 
leader in the specialty coffee market and an international leader in 
promoting fair trade coffee.
  I commend Bob and all the employees at Green Mountain Coffee for 
their success at not only selling great coffee but also promoting 
sustainable farming throughout the world. I ask unanimous consent that 
a copy of the article that appeared in the Burlington Free Press be 
printed in the Record so that all Senators can read about the success 
of this company.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             [From the Burlington Free Press, Nov. 6, 2003]

                       GMC Has Expansion Brewing

       Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. plans to begin 
     construction this month on a 52,000-square-foot warehouse and 
     distribution center in Waterbury in an $8.4 million project 
     that's intended to also expand the specialty coffee company's 
     manufacturing capacity, the company said Wednesday.
       ``We are impressed with Waterbury's support, which enables 
     us to expand our facilities in the downtown Waterbury 
     location contiguous to our manufacturing and roasting 
     operations,'' Green Mountain Coffee Chairman and CEO Robert 
     Stiller said.
       Green Mountain Coffee said the company expects to save 
     money over the long term thanks to new automation equipment 
     to be installed in the new building. The additional warehouse 
     space also will allow for more product diversity and 
     eliminate outside storage expenses.
       This expansion will mean the company's packaging, 
     warehousing and distribution capacities will match its 
     current coffee roasting capacity of about 40 million to 50 
     million pounds.
       Moving functions into the new building will allow Green 
     Mountain Coffee to increase its packaging capacity in its 
     65,000-square-foot plant that houses its roasting, warehouse 
     and distribution operations, the company said.
       The company expects the building to be finished by fall 
     2004, and the transfer of distribution and warehousing 
     functions completed by the spring 2005.
       ``This expansion is critical to our success in executing 
     our long-term growth plans to be the leader in roasting and 
     selling specialty coffee to a broad array of customers,'' 
     Stiller said.

                          ____________________