[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8623-8624]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




THE ALLEN-FAIRVIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF SERVICE 
                TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF NORTH TEXAS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. SAM JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 2, 2011

  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to join with 
the Allen-Fairview Chamber of Commerce in celebrating 40 years of 
service to the business community of North Texas.
  Since the Chamber's founding, its stated purpose has been to 
``advance the general welfare and prosperity of the city [. . .] so 
that its citizens and all areas of its business community shall 
prosper.'' I would venture to say that this goal has been met, time and 
again, in impressive fashion.
  Allen was officially incorporated as a town in the State of Texas 
back in 1953. Since that day, it has grown from a small community of 
400 to a bustling metropolitan suburb of nearly 90,000 citizens. The 
business climate of the city has matched the growth, transitioning from 
mom and pop shops to corporate headquarters and state of the art 
shopping centers--all while maintaining a strong sense of community.

[[Page 8624]]

  In fact, Allen has been recognized by Money Magazine as one of the 
top 20 places in America to live and by Forbes as one of the top 25 
places to relocate a business. These impressive designations not only 
attest to a friendly business environment, but to the great quality of 
life the city's residents enjoy.
  It's leadership from folks in city government, economic development 
groups, and the organization we honor today--the Allen-Fairview Chamber 
of Commerce--that has built this city into a shining example of 
Hometown USA.
  To the Allen-Fairview Chamber of Commerce, a business advocate at its 
best, congratulations on an outstanding 40 years, and best wishes for 
the years to come.
  God bless you. God bless America. God bless Texas. I salute you.

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