A house RESOLUTION

 

to commend and honor Walter P. Rawl & Sons, Inc., a recognized South Carolina leader  in the production of fresh vegetables in Lexington County, and to congratulate the company upon the occasion of its one hundredth anniversary.

 

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to learn that Walter P. Rawl & Sons, Inc., a company that distributes products and produce throughout the Eastern and Midwestern United States, is celebrating a century of service and of contributing to the state's economy; and

 

Whereas, Walter Phillip Rawl and Ernestine Price Rawl were married in 1925, the beginning of what has become known in the industry as WP Rawl. The couple would have nine children, eighteen grandchildren, twenty-four great-grandchildren, and sixteen great-great-grandchildren; and

 

Whereas, following the Great Depression during the 1930s and 1940s, the Rawls provided a needed source of employment for local residents and family members. They operated their family and the business on the principle of two favorite sayings, "Sell the best and eat the rest" and "SELL what you can and CAN what you can't"; and

 

Whereas, taking the latter motto to heart, Mr. Rawl established a cannery to ensure utilization of all crops. In the 1960s, the Rawls began complementing the production of peaches with leafy greens and other vegetable crops, and in the late 1970s, WP Rawl became a fully diversified fresh vegetable operation; and

 

Whereas, Walter and Ernestine Rawl, visionaries in the agricultural industry, pioneered irrigation, hydrocooling, exporting, marketing, diversification, and food safety. They were ardent advocates for the promotion of South Carolina's fruits and vegetables; and

 

Whereas, devoted to the community, Mr. Rawl served in leadership roles at St. John's Lutheran Church, Lexington School District One, Newberry College, South Carolina Farm Bureau, and South Carolina Highway Commission. Mrs. Rawl served the community well as the family matriarch and supervising the harvesting on the farm; and

 

Whereas, currently a recognized leader in the production of fresh leafy greens, green onions, and other fresh vegetables, WP Rawl remains a family-run business with approximately nine thousand acres of production operations in South Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Michigan and processing/distribution facilities in South Carolina and Florida; and

 

Whereas, today there are eleven family members of the second, third, and fourth generations actively engaged in the operations, alongside seven hundred fifty additional employees of WP Rawl, a leader in the agricultural community and the fresh produce industry, and supporting the local communities in which they operate; and

 

Whereas, WP Rawl gives all praise, honor, and glory to God for allowing members of the family one hundred years in stewardship of the company. The family members strive to uphold the principles that were instilled in them from their patriarch and matriarch, Walter and Ernestine Rawl: faith, family, and farming; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives values the innovations, perseverance, and standard of excellence that WP Rawl has exemplified for the past century, and the members wish the company many more years of successful production in the Palmetto State. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

 

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, commend and honor Walter P. Rawl & Sons, Inc., a recognized South Carolina leader in the production of fresh vegetables in Lexington County, and congratulate the company upon the occasion of its one hundredth anniversary.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Walter P. Rawl & Sons, Inc.

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