83R6817 JWI-D
By: Smith H.R. No. 395
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Helen Smith of Baytown is an innovative entrepreneur
and an inspiring role model for women; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Smith's success story began in the early 1980s,
when she was a single mother of three and had recently lost her job;
struggling to provide for her children, she took a risk and created
a professional opportunity for herself; because she had always
liked to bake, she approached five local restaurants, asking them
to include her homemade pies on their menus until she could find
employment; soon thereafter, Mrs. Smith was overwhelmed by
enthusiastic pastry lovers who wanted to place their own personal
orders for her pies; and
WHEREAS, To keep up with the demand, Mrs. Smith purchased a
second oven at a garage sale and began waking at 3 a.m. to bake pies,
which she then carefully packed into her car to deliver around town;
though she temporarily slowed down when she took on a position as a
secretary for Texaco for four years, she never lost sight of her
culinary and entrepreneurial aspirations; and
WHEREAS, With the support of her family and friends and
advice from the Lee College Small Business Assistance Center,
Mrs. Smith applied for a small business loan; when her application
was approved, she rented and renovated a small building, and on the
opening day of Helen's Kitchen, a line of customers gathered
outside the front door; sales surpassed more than $100,000 that
first year, and soon Baytown's Pie Lady, as she was newly nicknamed,
moved into a larger space and hired employees to keep up with the
demand for as many as 200 pies a day; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Smith made another savvy business decision
when she approached area grocery stores to see if they were
interested in selling her frozen, cholesterol-free pie shells; they
agreed, and shortly after, her homemade crusts graced the shelves
of small stores throughout Baytown, and then larger chain grocery
stores across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi; her pie shells can
now be found at Sam's Clubs across the country; and
WHEREAS, In 1988, the United States Small Business
Administration named Mrs. Smith the "Woman Advocate of the Year" in
Texas; as a result of this honor, she began receiving requests to
visit seminars across the country; in the fall of 2011, she gained
national attention when she was invited to appear on Good Morning
America to share a new pie she invented; inspired by President
Obama's two favorite kinds of pie, sweet potato and pecan,
Mrs. Smith combined the two into one; the then 77-year-old, who had
never been to New York before, was featured in a segment with
renowned chef Emeril Lagasse; and
WHEREAS, Helen Smith's determination and creativity proved
to be a winning recipe for a flourishing business, and she may take
justifiable pride in the sweet success she has achieved; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize Helen Smith for her dedication to
preserving the tradition of making pies from scratch and extend to
her sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mrs. Smith as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.