[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10611]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                      IN HONOR OF ROBERT V. ANTLE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 19, 2014

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Robert V. Antle on the 
occasion of his recognition by the Grower-Shipper Association with the 
E.E. ``Gene'' Harden Award for Lifetime Achievement. Bob is a 
remarkable American whose vision, innovation, and hard work has helped 
to shape the Salinas Valley and build one of the largest and most 
innovative family-owned produce companies in the world.
  Bob was born in Salinas, California, in 1935. In 1949, while still in 
high school, Bob joined his father, Bud Antle, in the family's lettuce 
harvest operation. During that time he started to learn the produce 
business from the ground up. After graduating from Watsonville High 
School, Bob attended Stanford University. While at Stanford, Bob 
married Sue Merrill Crawford. Bob and Sue have been blessed with four 
children, Rick, Karen, Kathy, and Mike and further blessed with 17 
wonderful grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.
  After graduating from Stanford in 1957, Bob joined his family's 
business and took charge of its carrot operation known as ``Antle 
Carrots.'' He excelled in all aspects of the business and even built a 
field pack carrot machine. Bob then moved into Sales and Marketing 
eventually becoming the General Sales Manager. In 1966, Bob relocated 
to the East Coast to develop the House of Bud, a fruit and vegetable 
wholesaler. Under Bob's leadership, the House of Bud opened facilities 
in New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Belgium.
  In 1972, Bud Antle unexpectedly passed away at age 58. Bob, following 
his father's leadership and example, then became the CEO of all Antle 
activities. After six years of further developing and growing these 
businesses, Bob merged the Bud Antle companies with Castle & Cooke, now 
Dole Food Company, and joined their senior management team. Over the 
course of his produce career, Bob is credited with implementing several 
major produce industry initiatives, such as wrapping fresh vegetables 
in the field, developing distribution centers for the introduction of 
wrapped lettuce and other source packaged fruits and vegetables, and 
producing crops from transplants.
  During the late 1940s, Bob met the Tanimura family who operated one 
of the produce farming operations that his father Bud worked with. Bob 
and the Tanimuras maintained and strengthened that relationship over 
the years. Finally in 1982, Bob and the Tanimura brothers combined over 
50 years of mutual friendship, respect, and experience to create 
Tanimura & Antle. The new company combined the Antles' packing, 
shipping, and marketing expertise with the Tanimuras' growing 
expertise. That combination has helped T&A grow into one of the world's 
premier fresh produce companies. And it forms the basis of T&A's 
continued success.
  While Bob is a towering figure in the fresh produce community, his 
leadership extends well beyond the industry. Bob is Co-Chairman of the 
Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute, past president of the President's 
Council at California State University Monterey Bay, and Founding 
President of Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc. Bob also 
actively supports the University of Arizona. In March 2005, he was 
appointed to the California State Senate Commission: Agricultural 
Worker Housing and Health.
  Mr. Speaker, I know I speak for the whole House in commending Bob 
Antle for helping Americans eat better food and the people of the 
Central Coast live better lives.

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