[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5512]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         RECOGNIZING NELA PARK

 Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I rise in recognition of General 
Electric's famed Nela Park, which is celebrating its 100th Anniversary 
this year.
  Nela Park was built in 1913, but its roots go back even further.
  In 1879, American hero and one of Ohio's great luminaries, Thomas 
Edison, invented the carbon filament lamp. This invention led to the 
founding of Edison Electric, which in 1892 would merge with a 
competitor to become General Electric.
  GE had many competitors by the turn of the century. When the National 
Electric Lamp Company, NELA, was acquired by GE, it prompted the 
development of Nela Park in East Cleveland. The 92 acre campus was 
completed 2 years later and was the world's first industrial park, 
another example of Ohio's leadership and trailblazing spirit.
  Nela Park is famous for its Georgian Revival architecture and every 
year features a world-renowned Christmas lighting display, modeled 
after the lighting display in Washington, DC. By 1975, the park earned 
the recognition it deserved and was listed as a Historic Place in the 
U.S. Department of the Interior's National Register.
  Today, Nela Park is the national headquarters of GE's Lighting & 
Electrical Institute and serves as a source of innovation and a 
testament to Ohio's manufacturing strength. In an age of environmental 
and efficiency conscientiousness, GE lighting still illuminates the 
world, advancing new technologies such as fluorescents and light-
emitting diodes.
  For more than a century GE has employed Ohioans--at all levels of the 
company--and has been a significant part of our State and our Nation's 
economy. I commend GE for its positive impact on Ohio, the United 
States, and the world.
  I am proud that GE Lighting calls Ohio its home, and I look forward 
to its continued production and innovation in the Buckeye 
state.

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