[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2697-2698]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING GEORGE W. KOCH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 6, 2014

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of 
George W. Koch,

[[Page 2698]]

who passed away on January 26, 2014, at the age of 87.
  Mr. Koch spent more than 50 years in Washington, DC. After 6 years as 
manager of the Washington, DC office of Sears, Roebuck & Co., he took 
over as President and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association 
(GMA) in 1966. During his 24 years with the GMA, he transformed the 
organization into a leading industry advocacy group. Major efforts 
during his tenure included the adoption of the Universal Product Code 
in 1974 and the development of tamper-resistant packaging in 1982. Mr. 
Koch became known for his passion, his work ethic and his strong sense 
of morality. In the late 1970s, the Washington Afro-American honored 
Mr. Koch for his personal efforts to combat wage-skimming at the 
Congressional Country Club from its minority wait staff.
  After his retirement from the GMA, he became a partner at K&L Gates. 
He served on the Board of Directors for Borden Chemicals and Plastics, 
McCormick & Company, and the Watchdogs of the Treasury; the Advisory 
Council of the International Executive Service Corps; and the Board of 
Trustees for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. He also served as 
North American Counsel for the International Center for Companies of 
the Food Industry and as Congressional Advisor to the Transatlantic 
Policy Network.
  In May of 2013, the Grocery Manufacturers Association chose to honor 
Mr. Koch with the first-ever George W. Koch Leadership in Public Policy 
Award, for his decades of service to the organization. This award is 
now given out annually to exemplary individuals.
  Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we honor and thank 
George W. Koch for his years of service, his tireless advocacy, and his 
exceptional moral character.

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