[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 1219]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING NORTH EAST WIPERS

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, America is home to millions of 
innovative and forward-thinking small businesses, which is critical to 
our future. And, as President Obama said in this State of the Union 
Address, ``We need to out-innovate the . . . rest of the world'' to 
maintain our position of global economic power. As such, I rise today 
to recognize a small company from my home State of Maine that 
represents a shining example of America's ingenuity and innovative 
spirit.
  North East Wipers got its start a little over a year ago after a 
conversation between two long-time friends. Gerard Dubois, the owner of 
Pioneer Transport in Waterville, told his friend Ray Lawrence, a 
machinist with 25 years experience, about an idea to create mini wiper 
blades that can be affixed to rearview mirrors on big rig trucks, so 
that the driver would not have to stop every few minutes during 
inclement weather to clear off snow or remove dirt and salt. Not only 
was this a commonsense idea, it was a matter of safety for truckers who 
are often forced to drive in unforgiving weather conditions to deliver 
timely goods on which the American people rely.
  As a result of the conversation, Ray and Gerard gathered $10,000 in 
startup costs and set to work on creating a number of prototypes. They 
eventually coalesced around a simple yet durable model that attaches to 
mirror mounts without using electrical or motorized parts that cannot 
clog or freeze. Once affixed to the mirror, all the driver has to do is 
push a button for the wipers to work. Even more appealing is that the 
system costs $500, roughly the amount it costs to fill a tractor 
trailer with diesel fuel.
  While originally designed for logging trucks facing difficult 
conditions on roads across Maine and other snow-plagued States, Gerard 
Dubois and Ray Lawrence are seeking to make their invention available 
to other major commercial vehicles on the road. Recognizing the merits 
of North East Wipers' product, the Maine Technology Institute recently 
announced it will be providing the company with a seed grant to support 
further development and commercialization of the wiper blades. Such 
capital is critical for the success of a project like this, and it 
recognizes the value and practicality of this unique invention. Gerard 
and Ray's ultimate goal is to work with a truck manufacturer on making 
the wipers standard equipment for its big rigs.
  Maine is home to scores of groundbreaking entrepreneurs and creative 
thinkers, and clearly Gerard Dubois and Ray Lawrence fit that bill. I 
am extremely proud of the ingenuity they have demonstrated and the 
dedication they have shown in making their product a reality. I thank 
them for their inventiveness, and wish them much success in the 
future.

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