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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives are pleased to honor Rich Niemann Sr. on being 
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named to the Quincy Chamber of Commerce "Business Hall of 
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Fame"; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Rich Niemann Sr. was born in Quincy and grew up in 
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the family grocery business founded by his father and uncle in 
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1917; in his early years, the business consisted of a number of 
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small stores and a wholesale house; the Niemann family 
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introduced Quincy's first full-service supermarket in 1940 
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when Rich was only nine-years old;

and

 
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    WHEREAS, In 1953, Rich Niemann graduated from Quincy 
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College, where he played 4 years of college baseball, with a 
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degree in marketing, and continued in the wholesale operation 
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on a fulltime basis, becoming warehouse manager in 1956; and

 
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    WHEREAS, In 1969, Rich Niemann and his brother purchased 
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controlling interest in the family business and began to 
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aggressively develop the company; Mr. Niemann was named 
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President, and the brothers decided to phase out the wholesale 
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segment of the food business and concentrate on the expansion 
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of the five retail stores, which then accounted for 
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approximately $5 million in annual sales; and

 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, Under Mr. Niemann's leadership, the company 
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introduced the discount superstore concept in Champaign in 
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1980, with the opening of the first Valu Check warehouse store; 
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this concept evolved into the Cub Foods and County Market 
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discount superstores; today, Niemann Foods, Inc., an Associate 
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Owned/Family Company, and nationally recognized industry 
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leader, operates 64 stores in 3 states, under the banners of 
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County Market, Cub Foods, Niemann Market, Save-A-Lot, and 
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County Market Express, along with County Market Catering; the 
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Company employs about 3,600 associates with annual sales of 
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$500 million; and

 
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    WHEREAS,
Mr. Niemann serves as Chairman of the Board of 
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Niemann Foods, Inc., and as Managing Partner of Food Co. Land 
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Trust; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Niemann currently serves on the Board of the 
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State Street Bank and Trust Company; he serves as a Director of 
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the Food Marketing Institute in Washington, D.C, and Chairman 
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of the Illinois Food Retailers Association Political Action 
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Committee; he has served as Vice-Chairman of the Food Marketing 
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Institute and as Chairman of the Illinois Food Retailer 
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Association; he has been named Illinois Retail Manufacturing 
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Association Illinois Retailer of the Year; and the Illinois 
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Retail Association's Food Industry Leader of the Year; and
 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, He was the first recipient of the Parker S. Gates 
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Industry Leader Award presented by the Quincy Area Chamber of 
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Commerce; he and his wife, Connie, recently received the Quincy 
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Notre Dame Band award and the Catholic Charities Distinguished 
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Service Award;

and
 
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    WHEREAS, He has served as President of the Board of 
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Education for the Quincy Public Schools; he is a longtime 
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member of the Quincy University Board of Trustees, and has 
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served as Finance Chairman; he has served as the Chairman of 
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St. Mary Hospital's Board of Directors, a founding member of 
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the Great River Economic Development Foundation, the President 
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of the Quincy Rotary Club, and a Board Member of the Quincy 
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Area Chamber of Commerce; he has been active in fund-raising 
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campaigns in Quincy as Chairman of the Salvation Army Annual 
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Fund, and Chairman of the United Way Annual Campaign; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Niemann continues to remain active in the 
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Quincy Community; in 2006, Rich Sr., along with Rich Niemann, 
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Jr., and Chris Niemann, established the Niemann Foods 
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Foundation benefitting the needs of children and families;

Mr. 
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Niemann and his wife, Connie, are parents of 8 children, 24 
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grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren; they are members of 
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St. Peter Catholic Church; therefore, be it

 
 


 






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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate Rich Niemann Sr. on being named to the Quincy 
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Chamber of Commerce "Business Hall of Fame"; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to Rich Niemann Sr. as a sign of our respect.