HR0615 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0615 LRB095 12763 KXB 38131 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the businesses that have been charter members of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association all of its first 50 years, as well as David Vite, President and CEO of IRMA, and his staff as they celebrate the Association's 50th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) is proud to mark a half century of service to the retail industry and the State of Illinois; in February of 1957 the Illinois Chain Store Council, the Illinois Retail Federation of Retail Associations, and the Chicago Retail Merchants Association joined forces under the collective umbrella of a new organization known as the Illinois Retail Merchants Association; and

WHEREAS, The new group was to maintain a balance between independent businesses and chains and between upstate and downstate, while creating an environment in which retailers could operate efficiently; IRMA represents this balance and continues to use this spectrum of opinion to fairly represent the broad interests of food, drug and general merchandise retailers of all sizes on public policy issues, program contents, and publications; and

WHEREAS, With a presence in both Chicago and Springfield, IRMA has represented retailing on thousands of legislative issues at both State and local levels; combining other aspects of its predecessor organizations, IRMA also developed strong member service and educational programs; and

WHEREAS, Since its inception, the Association has offered opportunities from group insurance to gas and electric buying, harnessing the collective buying power of merchants across the State; education programs have included annual public service campaigns against shoplifting, and seminars from sales training to Organized Retail Theft; and

WHEREAS, The strength of IRMA has rested in the active interest and participation of its members; the Association currently represents 23,000 stores of all sizes and merchandise lines across the State; of these retail companies, 26 have supported IRMA throughout all of its first 50 years; these charter retail members are: Arndt's, Newton; Baum's, Morris; Black & Co., Decatur; The Brown Drug Company, Quincy; Carson Pirie Scott; Cooper's Diamond Jewelers, Sycamore; The Fell Company, Winnetka; George Keller & Sons Co., Quincy; Good's Furniture House, Inc., Kewanee; Guzzardo's, Inc., Kewanee; Hams Pharmacy, Arlington Heights; Hendrick's Home Furnishings, Virden; House of Color, Palm Heights; Jewel-Osco; J.C. Penny; Kirlin's Hallmark, Quincy; K -Mart; Marshall Fields (Macy's Co); Quinn's Jewelry, Rochelle; Royalty's, Carthage; Schwenker-Mougin, Moline; Sears; Simon Jewelers Inc., Collinsville; Walgreen Co; Watseka Quality Supermarket, Watseka; and Ziegler's Ace Hardware, Elgin; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Retail Merchants Association will recognize these charter retail members during its 50th Anniversary Luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007 at the Palmer House Hilton, Chicago; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the businesses that have been charter members of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association for the entirety of the Association, and we congratulate David Vite, President and CEO of IRMA, and his staff on the golden anniversary of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to David Vite, President and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, as a symbol of our respect and admiration.