H.R. No. 2215
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The H-E-B chain of grocery stores is celebrating the
110th anniversary of its founding in 2015, and this is an
appropriate occasion to take note of this signature Texan
enterprise; and
WHEREAS, On November 26, 1905, Florence Butt invested $60 and
opened the C. C. Butt Grocery Store in Kerrville in order to
support her three children and her husband, who was suffering from
tuberculosis; in its first month, the store made $50.60; and
WHEREAS, During the 1920s, Mrs. Butt's youngest son, Howard
E. Butt, took over the company and established new locations in Del
Rio and Laredo; by the 1940s, H-E-B had opened its first
air-conditioned stores and begun to stock frozen foods and its own
exclusive brands; three more stores were opened in San Antonio; and
WHEREAS, By the 1950s, H-E-B had created its first
supermarkets, incorporating a fish market, butcher shop, bakery,
and pharmacy in one building, and by the 1970s, the chain owned the
largest milk plant and the largest bread bakery in Texas; and
WHEREAS, Expanding its reach even further, H-E-B launched an
upscale grocery brand with the opening of Central Market in Austin
in 1994, and in 2006, it opened Mi Tienda, a store designed for the
Latino market in Houston; and
WHEREAS, Today, H-E-B is one of the largest grocery chains in
the nation, and its more than 400 stores in Texas and northern
Mexico employ over 71,000 employees; with annual sales of $15
billion, the chain is the largest privately held company in Texas;
and
WHEREAS, Since 2002, H-E-B has been sponsoring its annual
Excellence in Education Awards, granting more than $600,000 to
outstanding educators each year; the store has received top ratings
from Consumer Reports, and in 2010, Progressive Grocer magazine
cited the chain as Retailer of the Year for its leadership in the
industry and its achievements in community service; and
WHEREAS, From its humble beginnings in Kerrville more than a
century ago, H-E-B has grown to become a retail institution relied
upon by millions of Texans every day and an inspiring story of
triumphant Lone Star entrepreneurship; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 110th anniversary of H-E-B and
extend to the company and its owners and employees sincere best
wishes for continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for H-E-B as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
Bernal
Murr
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2215 was adopted by the House on April
23, 2015, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House