[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9345-9346]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING THE NEHEMIAN

  Mr. RISCH. Madam President, during Small Business Week it is 
important to recognize the ingenuity of small business owners who take 
a leap of faith and invest in an idea in order to make their dream of 
being an entrepreneur a reality. I rise today to honor The Nehemian of 
Buhl, ID, a small business that has shown over the course of 25 years 
in business that they can take chances and survive in this economic 
climate.
  Over 26 years ago, Nancy Tyrrell and her husband, Ed, opened The 
Nehemian, a shop that sold antiques and offered custom picture framing. 
But after years of being in business, the Tyrrells wanted to expand 
their services and increase their sales. Tyrrell began designing custom 
key fobs which depict Idaho points of pride, including the Boise State 
Broncos and the University of Idaho Vandals. As a result of this risk 
to produce and market new product, The Nehemian found great success in 
the sale of these local treasures.
  Tyrrell has faced her share of entrepreneurial challenges. After a 
$25,000 loss on a project, Tyrrell considered going back to teaching 
instead of continuing as a small business owner. But her love for the 
creative opportunities her business provided convinced her that she 
wouldn't be happy doing anything else. Instead of giving up, Tyrrell 
rededicated herself to her store and sought to expand into an untapped 
market. Her custom key fobs are manufactured by Silver Creek Mint, 
another local business located in Buhl and where her son is employed. 
Tyrrell licensed both the Boise State Bronco and University of Idaho 
Vandal key fob with Collegiate Licensing Co. in order to sell to a 
market in which she recognized a demand for her product. After only 6 
weeks of selling her custom key fobs, Tyrrell had recouped two thirds 
of her investment. Currently, The

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Nehemian sells 12 different variations of key fobs. There is even a 
Great Seal of Idaho key fob which is sold at the Idaho State Capitol 
gift shop. Tyrrell also offers key fob design services to large 
companies to commemorate special milestones.
  Though The Nehemian is a small company, they have learned to manage 
their resources well and expand their products. Nancy Tyrrell's 
business has achieved a reputation of quality, as well as that of a 
unique Idaho gem. I would like to recognize The Nehemian as an Idaho 
Small Business of the Day based on their resiliency through hard times, 
their willingness to take a risk and their creative spirit.

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