[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 6678-6679]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF MR. BERT BERKLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 9, 2013

  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today in recognition of the 
90th birthday of Mr. Bert Berkley, Chairman of the Board, and former 
President of the Tension Envelope Corporation. Tension is a prestigious 
family-owned business in Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which 
I am honored to represent. Bert and his late wife, Joan, have three 
children and seven grandchildren.
   Mr. Berkley was born May 8, 1923, son of E.B. Berkowitz and grandson 
of William Berkowitz, who founded the forerunner of Tension Envelope in 
Kansas City, Missouri in 1886, Berkowitz and Company. The company 
specialized in popular advertising novelties and business stationery. 
In 1894, the company put into operation the first envelope machine west 
of the Mississippi River.
   In 1937, the company acquired another pioneer in the U.S. envelope 
industry, the Tension Envelope Company of Brooklyn, New York, with all 
sales operations consolidated under the widely recognized name of 
Tension Envelope Corporation. In 1962, Bert Berkley, took over his 
grandfather's company as President and CEO of Tension. In 1967, Bert 
was named Chairman of the Board.
   During his time as President and CEO, the Tension Envelope Company 
opened a plant and established a sales organization in Los Angeles, 
California. In addition, a satellite of their Kansas City plant was 
opened in Marysville, Kansas, furthering their production and 
manufacturing capabilities. In 1981, Bill Berkley, Bert's son, joined 
the company and helped his father open yet another manufacturing 
facility in St. Clair, Pennsylvania, creating a satellite location for 
the already established South Hackensack plant and a nationwide 
presence for the Tension Envelope Company. In 1988, Bill Berkley went 
on to become President and CEO of the company, while

[[Page 6679]]

Bert remained in his role as Chairman of the Board, overseeing 
international expansion of the company to Australia, Taiwan, and China.
   Today, Tension Envelope Corporation is one of the nation's leading 
manufacturers of envelope products, selling directly to companies and 
organizations across the United States. With its headquarters in Kansas 
City, Missouri, the heart of Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, 
Tension produces over eleven billion envelopes a year with plants, 
distribution, and service offices stretching from coast to coast.
   Not only has Mr. Berkley revolutionized an industry with his 
ingenuity, he is also a dedicated philanthropist. He has a long history 
of participation in local, regional, and national civic and advisory 
councils. He even co-authored a book, Giving Back, on the subject of 
volunteering, sharing with the community, and involvement with 
charitable endeavors.
   Considering the tremendous contributions of Tension Envelope 
Corporation to Missouri's Fifth Congressional District and surrounding 
areas, it is an honor and a privilege to recognize Mr. Bert Berkley in 
celebration of his ninetieth birthday. My wife, Dianne, and I have had 
the pleasure of knowing the Berkley family for many years and we are 
better people for it. Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating Mr. 
Bert Berkley and expressing our gratitude to his incredible dedication 
to both the industry and our community.

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