[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12920]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         JUAN AND LUIS YEPEZ, RECIPIENTS OF SBA'S PHOENIX AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NIKI TSONGAS

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 19, 2009

  Ms. TSONGAS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Juan and Luis 
Yepez, small business owners in Lawrence, MA, for receiving the Small 
Business Administration's 2009 Phoenix Award for Small Business 
Disaster Recovery. The SBA gives the Phoenix Award to individuals who 
display selflessness, ingenuity and tenacity in the aftermath of a 
disaster, while contributing to the rebuilding of their communities.
  The entrepreneurial Yepez brothers are owners of Mainstream Global, a 
small computer product distribution company. The Yepez brothers chose 
to locate their business in the old industrial City of Lawrence and to 
become part of the surrounding community. Unfortunately, in May 2006 
the company's facilities along the banks of the Merrimack River 
flooded, destroying hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment and 
forcing a three-month shutdown of the business.
  Despite this setback, Juan and Luis kept their twelve employees on 
payroll throughout the recovery process, and now, in the midst of a 
deep recession, they have expanded Mainstream Global to a staff of 
thirty-two. The Yepez brothers continue to be committed partners in the 
rebirth of Lawrence by investing in the renovation of other old, 
abandoned mill buildings in the downtown, converting these buildings 
into office space, educational facilities, and affordable housing.
  I congratulate the Yepez brothers for their outstanding contribution 
to the City of Lawrence and its residents, and their dedication to the 
revitalization of our community.

                          ____________________