HR0529 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0529 LRB103 35646 ECR 65721 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Willy Goellner for his more than five decades of success and innovation in manufacturing and to recognize the positive impact he has made by employing hundreds of local workers and mentoring the next generation of thought leaders in the industrial sector; and

WHEREAS, Willy Goellner was born to Austrian parents residing in Poland in the early 1930s, and his childhood and family were greatly affected by World War II; and

WHEREAS, Willy Goellner's father died in a work camp in Siberia, and the rest of his family was sent to a concentration camp; he and one of his sisters were the only two members of his family to survive; and

WHEREAS, Willy Goellner worked as a manual laborer after the war but sought to improve his life through education; he studied engineering at the Higher Technical College in Steyr, Austria; after speaking with classmates who had returned from the U.S., he chose to immigrate to America in 1958; and

WHEREAS, Willy Goellner began working for Ingersoll Manufacturing Tools in Rockford in 1960; he worked at Ingersoll for six years before leaving to start his own business; and

WHEREAS, Willy Goellner established his own company, Advanced Machine and Engineering (AME), in 1966; the company started in a 1,000-square-foot office space in Loves Park but quickly relocated to a larger facility in Rockford; and

WHEREAS, AME initially specialized in design and engineering services for the machine tool and assembly industries but later shifted focus to the engineering and manufacturing of machine tools and components for a variety of industries; and

WHEREAS, Willy Goellner transformed AME from a small business to a global corporation; under his leadership, the company has become a leading manufacturer of high-precision parts for major industries from aerospace to health care; and

WHEREAS, AME partnered with German company Hennig, Inc. in 1977 and acquired the company in 1999, partnering with and incorporating the American company Advanced Boring; and

WHEREAS, Willy Goellner mentors the next generation of industrial workers through his apprenticeship and international internship programs; his students focus on the design and build of industrial machinery, specifically carbide saws; and

WHEREAS, Willy Goellner authored an autobiography, Against All Odds From There to Here, which tells the story of his life and survival at the end of World War II, the terrible experiences he faced in the years after, and his wife's struggle with ALS; and

WHEREAS, Despite experiencing extreme hardship in his youth, Willy Goellner demonstrates the drive and determination that exemplify the American dream; he came to this country as a young immigrant seeking a better life and now owns a corporation that operates globally, and he continues to share his success with others by employing hundreds of employees, mentoring young industry professionals, and donating to a variety of charities and non-profits; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Willy Goellner for his more than five decades of success and innovation in manufacturing, and we recognize the positive impact he has made by employing hundreds of local workers and mentoring the next generation of thought leaders in the industrial sector; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Willy Goellner and his family as a symbol of our respect and esteem.