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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Texas Basket Company of Jacksonville is |
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celebrating its 100th anniversary on May 2, 2019; and |
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WHEREAS, Located on the same Myrtle Drive site since at least |
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1919, Texas Basket Company was originally known as the Slover Box |
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Company; it made containers for transporting produce at a time when |
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Jacksonville was known as the "Tomato Capital of the World"; and |
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WHEREAS, The name of the company changed twice in the early |
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decades as owners took on new business partners; in 1977, |
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J. C. Swanson and his son, Martin, purchased the enterprise, and |
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after Martin Swanson bought out his father a few years later, he |
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adopted the company's current name; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Swanson has expanded the product line from |
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bushel and half-bushel baskets to more than 200 different types of |
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baskets, crates, display racks, and other items; in the 1980s, |
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Southern Living magazine featured the company in an article, |
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resulting in a stream of visitors, and the Swansons subsequently |
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opened a retail store at the factory; and |
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WHEREAS, One of the nation's few remaining basket |
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manufacturers, TBC produces thousands of items daily for sale to |
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farmers, local shops, mail-order businesses, and stores across the |
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country, including such well-known retailers as Williams Sonoma, |
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Whole Foods Market, Pottery Barn, and Dollar Tree; in addition, it |
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has a number of customers overseas; and |
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WHEREAS, Many members of the extended Swanson family have |
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been involved in TBC operations over the years; in 2013, the Texas |
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Historical Commission presented the firm with the Texas Treasure |
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Business Award in recognition of its long history of contributions |
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to the state's prosperity; and |
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WHEREAS, For the past century, the Texas Basket Company has |
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created jobs and helped to strengthen the economic vitality of |
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Jacksonville, and its remarkable longevity as a local, family-owned |
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business is a source of pride to the community; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Texas |
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Basket Company and extend to all those associated with this |
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noteworthy enterprise sincere best wishes for continued success; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the company as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Clardy |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1310 was adopted by the House on April |
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24, 2019, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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