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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Skeeter Products, a noted Texas manufacturer whose |
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boats have won the admiration of fishing enthusiasts around the |
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world, is approaching its 60th anniversary, and this milestone |
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provides an opportunity to honor the many accomplishments of this |
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successful company; and |
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WHEREAS, The Skeeter story begins in 1948, when avid |
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fisherman Holmes Thurmond of Marshall built a 13-foot wooden boat |
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that was designed specifically for bass fishing; its stability and |
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shallow-water hull design caught the attention of other bass |
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fishermen in East Texas and western Louisiana, and Mr. Thurmond's |
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model soon became the center of a thriving business; the |
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needle-shaped nose on these craft made them resemble a mosquito, |
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resulting in the name Skeeter, which soon became well known |
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throughout the United States; and |
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WHEREAS, Pioneering new ways to improve its product, Skeeter |
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became one of the first companies to use fiberglass in boat |
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manufacturing, introducing this durable new material in 1961; that |
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same year, operations were moved to Longview after the Stemco |
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Corporation became the owner of Skeeter; in subsequent years, the |
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company has been associated with other leading firms in the |
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recreational sports industry, including the Coleman Company and the |
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Yamaha Marine Company; and |
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WHEREAS, Innovation has continued to be a hallmark of this |
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Texas corporation, with Skeeter helping to introduce |
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groundbreaking elements such as the V-bottom hull and boat designs |
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that are compatible with the ever more powerful motors being |
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developed by engine manufacturers; in the 1990s, the company was |
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one of the first to market a boat made from the technologically |
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advanced composite materials that had been initially used in the |
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aerospace industry; Skeeter has also designed popular craft that |
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are used by walleye and inland bay anglers, while remaining a |
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leading name in bass fishing; and |
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WHEREAS, Skeeter settled into its longtime home in Kilgore in |
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the early 1970s, where it continues to build its exceptional |
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products; today, Skeeter is the only bass boat manufacturer in the |
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State of Texas, and its many decades of producing superior fishing |
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craft have made it a well-respected member of the state's business |
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community and a source of homegrown pride to several generations of |
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Lone Star fishermen; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby congratulate Skeeter Products on its 60th anniversary and |
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extend best wishes to the company's management and staff for |
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continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Skeeter Products as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives and Senate. |
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Merritt |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 188 was adopted by the House on |
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April 19, 2007, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 188 was adopted by the Senate on May |
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2, 2007, by a viva-voce vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |