[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8330]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE RHODE ISLAND SMALL BUSINESS PERSONS OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 4, 2004

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate Ian Hardman, 
David Fowlkes, and Henry Seemore, who were all recently honored as the 
2004 Rhode Island Small Business Persons of the Year by the United 
States Small Business Administration. Mr. Hardman, Mr. Fowlkes, and Mr. 
Seemore are the founders of Davin Wheels, an automobile wheel company 
based in Providence, RI.
  It was David Fowlkes' design that made Davin Wheels so popular. While 
attending the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Fowlkes created a 
stylish wheel composed of the base wheel and a spinner. After the car 
stops moving, the spinner continues to rotate, giving the appearance 
that the car's wheels are still in motion. Today, with 12 years of 
experience in the engineering and manufacturing industries, Fowlkes 
still puts his creative touch on all the products of Davin Wheels, 
where he currently serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer.
  Ian Hardman, the Chief Executive Officer of Davin, met Fowlkes while 
they were both working at Reebok. Ian worked in marketing while David 
was a senior designer. Ian used his 15 years of experience in finance, 
operations, and marketing to help launch and run Davin Wheels. His 
knowledge and expertise have driven the development, expansion, and 
success of Davin Wheels since the beginning.
  Hank Seemore, Davin's Chief Financial Officer, met Fowlkes while he 
was Vice President of Fleet Bank's Private Client Group. After 17 years 
in the banking industry, Seemore was responsible for a $200 million 
portfolio. Upon observing Fowlkes' prototype, Seemore and Hardman 
teamed up with Fowlkes to launch the company in 1998.
  Davin Wheels' first product, the Revolution 1.0, made its official 
debut in January 2001. Since then, sales have been driven by word of 
mouth and celebrity plugs, including features on MTV, ESPN, and in 
various music videos. Davin Wheels is seen as the final touch to many 
celebrities' and athletes' flashy cars. The first three lines of the 
Revolution wheels have completely sold out, a sign that this Rhode 
Island company is sure to succeed for years to come on this simple, 
stylish product.
  Fowlkes, Seemore, and Hardman join a distinguished group of Rhode 
Islanders who have been named Small Business Person of the Year. Small 
businesses are key to the economic growth in my home state, and I wish 
these gentlemen, and the 33,000 other small business owners in Rhode 
Island, great success in the future.

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