HR0219 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0219 LRB101 11701 MST 58352 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In April 1936, Edward "Lefty" Meier purchased a used bottling machine with reward money he received from catching a bank robber in Germantown and set up a bottling plant in Breese with his wife, Catherine Bruegge Meier; and

WHEREAS, The Meiers set up their bottling machine in Catherine's grandmother's house; they called their company Excel Bottling, and Catherine continued to manage the bookkeeping until she was 97; today, the house has expanded into a modern soda bottling and brewery plant; and

WHEREAS, Excel Bottling remains one of the few independent family bottlers in the nation and is currently managed by the third generation of the Meier family; and

WHEREAS, Excel Bottling is the only returnable bottling line remaining in Illinois, and people still pick up soda and return bottles to the plant in Breese; and

WHEREAS, Since 1961, Excel Bottling has produced a naturally-flavored citrus soda called Ski and has kept the same recipe, which uses pure cane sugar, for 58 years; and

WHEREAS, The sweet and satisfying taste of Ski soda has garnered tremendous popularity in Illinois and the St. Louis area and is enjoyed by young and old alike; and

WHEREAS, For over 60 years, Excel Bottling has generated jobs and economic growth for the State of Illinois, and Ski soda has been an important cultural icon for the Prairie State; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that in the spirit of the Excel Bottling Company motto, "Good things don't have to change", we commend and celebrate the tradition of Ski soda and the culture of community it has fostered and wish them continued success in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Meier family as an expression of our esteem and respect.