HR0439 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0439 LRB101 12538 ALS 60883 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Marcus Lemonis on his successful career as a businessman, philanthropist, and visionary; and

WHEREAS, Marcus Lemonis, who now calls Illinois home, was born in Beirut, Lebanon during a civil war and foreign invasion in 1973; he was adopted by Leo and Sophia Lemonis, a couple living in Miami, Florida, on July 29, 1974; and

WHEREAS, Marcus Lemonis was introduced to the automobile industry at a young age by his grandfather, who owned two of the largest Chevrolet dealerships in the United States; and

WHEREAS, After working for his grandfather for several years, Marcus Lemonis received an offer from family friend and financial investor Lee Lacocca to start a large recreational vehicle chain; the offer led to a long and successful career in the RV dealership business; and

WHEREAS, Marcus Lemonis served as CEO of Holiday RV Superstores Inc. from June 2001 to February 2003; following that, he co-founded FreedomRoads and began acquiring RV dealerships; in 2006, the company merged with Camping World, and he served as CEO; in 2011, he oversaw the company's merger with Good Sam Enterprises; and

WHEREAS, Under the direction of Marcus Lemonis, Camping World and Good Sam launched Project Good Samaritan as part of their 2013 goal to foster corporate responsibility; the project requires a team of nearly 7,000 employees to volunteer 32 hours per year to causes that are meaningful to them; and

WHEREAS, In October 2016, Camping World went public, and the stock was valued at $22 per share, giving it a market value of approximately $2 billion; and

WHEREAS, Marcus Lemonis' philanthropic efforts include support for the Joffrey Ballet, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the Ravinia Festival, Lincoln Park Zoo, the RV/MH Hall of Fame, the Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center, National Voices for Equality, Education, and Enlightenment, New Journey's Transitional Home, and Neat Stuff; and

WHEREAS, Marcus Lemonis is the host of the CNBC reality show The Profit, which seeks out promising but faltering small businesses; in the show, he invests his own money for part ownership and helps make the businesses profitable; and

WHEREAS, In 2007, Marcus Lemonis was named "Newsmaker of the Year" by RV Business Magazine; he is an example of a modern citizen whose humble beginnings show an American Dream realized; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Marcus Lemonis on his successful career and commend his philanthropic work; and be it further

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