H.R. No. 156
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, For nearly three decades, Jesus Rudy Casas and Ann
Casas have contributed to the economy of South Texas and provided an
invaluable service to the petroleum industry through their
business, Freer Iron Works; and
WHEREAS, Rudy and Ann Casas met and married in 1965 in Hawaii,
where Mr. Casas, a trained welder, was serving in the U.S. Navy as a
pipe fitter; the couple settled in Texas after his discharge, and
Mr. Casas started his own business, Casas Welding and Bit Retipping
Service, in Benavides; and
WHEREAS, In 1984, Mr. and Mrs. Casas purchased Freer Iron
Works, a machine shop that specializes in fabricating and repairing
oil field piping, from the previous owners; the company originally
consisted of Mr. Casas, another welder, and a machinist, with
Mrs. Casas serving as the secretary; in addition, the couple's four
sons, Rene, Adan, Jaime, and Javier, often worked as the cleanup
crew; and
WHEREAS, Thanks to the family's outstanding efforts, the
company survived the oil bust of the 1980s, and in 1993, Mr. and
Mrs. Casas started Duval Lease Service, which provides heavy
equipment and crews for the oil industry; in 2007, they also founded
South Texas Process Equipment, which manufactures and installs oil
field production tanks; and
WHEREAS, Today, the three businesses together employ more
than 200 people; Rene and Javier Casas manage the locations in
Freer, Zapata, Kenedy, and Carrizo Springs, in partnership with
their father, who also continues to work as a crane operator at the
age of 69; and
WHEREAS, Providing jobs and valuable services to the region,
Freer Iron Works and its sister companies are a Lone Star success
story, and Mr. and Mrs. Casas, their sons, and their employees may
indeed take great pride in their achievements over the years; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby honor Rudy and Ann Casas
and their family for their business success and extend to all those
associated with Freer Iron Works and its sister companies sincere
best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Casas as an expression of high regard by
the Texas House of Representatives.
Guillen
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 156 was adopted by the House on June
28, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House