By: Tallas H.R. No. 606 73R9031 KMP-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The oldest business in the State of Texas, the 1-2 Imperial Sugar Company, is commemorating its sesquicentennial this 1-3 year, and the Texas House of Representatives is proud to honor this 1-4 remarkable enterprise for its many outstanding contributions to the 1-5 state during the past 150 years; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Founded in 1843, just seven years after the Republic 1-7 of Texas won its independence and two years before Texas became the 1-8 28th state, the Imperial Sugar Company was born of the pioneer 1-9 spirit on a small plantation owned by Samuel May Williams, a Texian 1-10 who provided financial support in the war against Mexico and who 1-11 became secretary to Stephen F. Austin; and 1-12 WHEREAS, Mr. Williams planted sugar cane on his plantation in 1-13 1840 and three years later purchased a commercial raw sugar 1-14 grinding mill to process the cane on-site; a decade later, the mill 1-15 and plantation were sold to B. F. Terry and W. J. Kyle, who 1-16 renamed the location Sugar Land, acquired more land from adjoining 1-17 plantations, and helped make the company one of the largest sugar 1-18 producers in the state; and 1-19 WHEREAS, Following the Civil War, the Sugar Land plantation 1-20 and mill was bought by Col. Edward H. Cunningham and Col. 1-21 Littleberry Ellis, who by 1890 had invested nearly $1 million to 1-22 build one of the South's finest sugar refinery complexes; the 1-23 business changed hands yet again in 1907, when the Kempner family 1-24 of Galveston and W. T. Eldridge of Eagle Lake purchased the mill, 2-1 refinery, and all the land in the Sugar Land area; and 2-2 WHEREAS, Borrowing the name and insignia of the magnificent 2-3 Imperial Hotel in New York City for their company, the new owners 2-4 worked diligently to attract more families to Sugar Land and to 2-5 develop a reputation for quality and excellence that continues to 2-6 this day; in only two decades, the community around the mill and 2-7 refinery had grown to include beautiful new homes, churches, 2-8 graveled streets, sidewalks, modern medical and educational 2-9 facilities, and company-provided electricity, gas, and water 2-10 service; and 2-11 WHEREAS, The Imperial Sugar Company responded to changes in 2-12 the post-World War II marketplace by launching an ambitious program 2-13 of modernization and expansion in 1948, under the able guidance of 2-14 president I. H. Kempner, Jr.; after his death in 1953, his two 2-15 sons, I. H. Kempner III and James C. Kempner, joined the company 2-16 and have led the Imperial Sugar Company to national and worldwide 2-17 prominence; and 2-18 WHEREAS, This Texas firm acquired the Holly Sugar Company in 2-19 1988 and became the Imperial Holly Corporation, a public entity 2-20 listed on the American Stock Exchange; although today the second 2-21 largest publicly traded sugar company in the United States, it has 2-22 remained and continued to operate on the same site where it started 2-23 in 1843; and 2-24 WHEREAS, The Imperial Sugar Company remains firmly dedicated 2-25 to the local community of Sugar Land and to the principles of 2-26 integrity, fairness, and quality, and its many outstanding 2-27 achievements are indeed worthy of special legislative recognition; 3-1 now, therefore, be it 3-2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas 3-3 Legislature hereby congratulate the officers and employees of the 3-4 Imperial Sugar Company on the occasion of the company's 150th 3-5 anniversary and commend them on their outstanding contributions to 3-6 the community of Sugar Land, to the county of Fort Bend, and to the 3-7 State of Texas; and, be it further 3-8 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-9 prepared for the officers and employees of the Imperial Sugar 3-10 Company as an expression of highest esteem by the Texas House of 3-11 Representatives.