HR0037

LRB096 04703 GRL 14765 r






1

HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
2
    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3
Representatives are pleased to congratulate Ross J. Centanni on 
4
the occasion of being inducted into the Quincy Area Chamber of 
5
Commerce's Business Hall of Fame; and

 
6
    WHEREAS, The Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce's Business 
7
Hall of Fame was begun in 2006 to celebrate the rich history 
8
and accomplishments of the Quincy area business community; and

 
9
    WHEREAS, Ross Centanni holds a bachelor's degree in 
10
industrial technology and a master's degree in business 
11
administration from Louisiana State University; and

 
12
    WHEREAS, Ross Centanni has guided the strategic direction 
13
of Gardner Denver since joining as Director of Sales and 
14
Marketing in 1985 from the corporate headquarters of its former 
15
parent company, Cooper Industries, Inc.; in 1990, Mr. Centanni 
16
was appointed to serve as Vice President and General Manager of 
17
the division that was to become Gardner Denver in 1993; Mr. 
18
Centanni served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of 
19
the company from 1993 until 2008 and as the Chairman of the 
20
company's Board of Directors from 1998 until 2008; and

 
21
    WHEREAS, Under Ross Centanni's leadership, Gardner Denver, 
 


 






HR0037
- 2 -
LRB096 04703 GRL 14765 r




1
Inc. has acquired multiple complementary companies, gained 
2
major product lines, and added Drum blowers and Emco Wheaton 
3
bulk storage and fluid transfer equipment, which have greatly 
4
increased Gardner Denver's annual revenues, broadened its 
5
global presence, and helped diversify the end markets it 
6
serves; and

 
7
    WHEREAS, Under the guidance of Ross Centanni, Gardner 
8
Denver moved from FORBES magazine's list of the 200 Best Small 
9
Companies in America, to the 100 Best Mid-Cap Companies to 
10
twice on the 100 Fastest Growing Companies and, most recently, 
11
to two designations on The 400 Best Big Companies in America; 
12
in 2006, Dow Jones & Company designated Gardner Denver as one 
13
of its highest rated stocks and the company was referred to in 
14
the "SmartMoney Stock Screen" of the Wall Street Journal; 
15
DeMarche Associates, Inc., one of the leading investment 
16
research firms in the nation, also recognized Gardner Denver as 
17
being one of the 100 best companies in the United States, 
18
putting it within the top 3 percent of all major U.S. 
19
corporations; and
 
20
    WHEREAS, Ross Centanni is active in the Petroleum Equipment 
21
Suppliers Association and the International Compressed Air and 
22
Allied Machinery Committee; he has served on the Board of 
23
Directors for the Great River Economic Development Foundation 
24
and Quincy University, among others, and he encouraged Quincy 
 


 






HR0037
- 3 -
LRB096 04703 GRL 14765 r




1
University in the development of its MBA Program; he currently 
2
serves as a director of Denman Services; and

 
3
    WHEREAS, Ross Centanni was selected as a finalist in Ernst &
4
 Young's 1998 Entrepreneur of the Year Program, a measure of 
5
his acute business acumen; therefore, be it

 
6
    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
7
NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
8
congratulate Ross J. Centanni on the occasion of being inducted 
9
into the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce's Business Hall of 
10
Fame and wish him continued success and happiness in the 
11
future; and be it further

 
12
    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
13
presented to Ross Centanni as a symbol of our esteem and 
14
respect.