Additional Statements

Floor Speech

Mr. RISCH. Madam President, sustaining the longevity of American small businesses should be a primary focus of today's lawmakers. When we find a company that has managed to endure through difficult economic times, we should honor their commitments to the American dream and learn from them so that others can follow in their footsteps. The Whiteman Lumber Company, from the Silver Valley in northern Idaho, is a prime example of this. It is a small family business that has survived recessions and fires but continues to thrive and enhance the lumber industry.

In 1928, Harry H. Whiteman started what has now become the oldest continuously operating sawmill in all of Idaho. When the neighboring Sunshine Mining Company needed a constant supply of mining timbers to operate, Mr. Whiteman saw an opportunity and financed his lumber company by becoming the mine's primary and reliable lumber source. Whiteman Lumber then expanded distribution to other surrounding mines until arduous environmental regulations caused the decline of the mineral markets in the area.

Brad and Mary Corkill bought Whiteman Lumber in 1988 and maintained the strong relationship with the Sunshine Mining Company until its closure in 2001. Since then, Mr. Corkill has grown the business by focusing on both the national and local markets, selling materials to individuals, timber framers, contractors, and wholesalers, in addition to the remaining regional silver mines. Whiteman Lumber also supports the Silver Valley community by sustaining a supply of almost exclusively large logs from local mills, which are no longer capable of milling bigger trees. Moreover, they add a distinctive rustic look to their product by using circular saw technology and offer customized kiln drying to achieve specific levels of lumber moisture content for their clients.

Whiteman Lumber Company continues to be an essential part of the Silver Valley thanks to fortitude and their longstanding relationships with buyers. In 2009, the middle of the recession, a fire burned down the lumber mill, but Mr. Corkill quickly rebuilt into a more efficient layout and had their employees back to work within the year, several of whom are still related to Harry Whiteman.

The family-run business of the Whiteman Lumber Company is perfect representation of resiliency. They survived a devastating fire and the collapse of the mining industry by giving their clients desirable products while also giving back to their community. Mr. Corkill's business model is a vital tool that can be used by small businesses across the country striving to support the local and national economy while maintaining their own permanency.

Source