Honoring The 75th Anniversary Of J. C. Ehrlich Co., Inc.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to bring an authentic American success story to your attention. The officers and coworkers of the J. C. Ehrlich Company are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of their company…
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to bring an authentic American success story to your attention.
The officers and coworkers of the J. C. Ehrlich Company are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of their company in 1928. The company's founder, Julius C. Ehrlich emigrated to this country from Germany at the age of 17, eventually moving to Reading, Pennsylvania where he had a job as a manufacturer's representative selling insecticides and sprayers. In 1928, there were very few pest control companies in the country and none in Berks County. Mr. Ehrlich's sales were primarily to businesses who would apply the materials themselves.
One day he called one of his customers, a department store in Reading, who had not used the material he had sold them during his last sales visit. When he learned that the custodian had been unable to apply the material, Mr. Ehrlich, wanting to satisfy his customer and not wanting to lose a sale, offered to apply the material himself. At that moment Mr. Ehrlich, who was 56, founded the pest control service organization now known as the J. C. Ehrlich Company. Even today, as the company celebrates its 75th anniversary, the management and coworkers look back at that moment as inspiring their current success by using the same principles that Mr. Ehrlich employed at that department store--Initiative, Ingenuity and Exceeding Customer Expectations.
So while others were contemplating retirement, Julius C. Ehrlich was developing a new business. Even more impressive is the fact that the formative years of Mr. Ehrlich's business were during the early 1930's and the Great Depression.
By 1939, four of Mr. Ehrlich's nephews had immigrated to this country in order to avoid the conditions facing them as Jews in Nazi Germany. In the great traditions of many Americans, these four nephews, Arthur Hammel, Simon Hammel, Alex Ehrlich and Victor Hammel, worked tirelessly. (Unfortunately, Victor Hammel, for whom the company's current President is named, passed away in the early 1940's.) Their work ethic is underscored by.the story of their arrival in late December 1937. Without knowing the English language, and without any knowledge of pest control, they started work just five days later. When questioned as to why they waited five whole days from the time they got off the ship to the time they started, Simon Hammel was quick to mention that they lost several days because of a weekend and New Year's Day. Otherwise, they would have started work more quickly. The hard work and determination of this second generation began the expansion of the J. C. Ehrlich Company beyond its Berks County roots. Its second district office was established in Pottsville. The third and fourth offices were in Lancaster and Allentown.
Today the third generation of Ehrlich family management includes three cousins, Victor Hammel, Robert Hammel and Richard Yashek.
The company's owners are quick to point out that it is the dedication of its coworkers that has made J. C. Ehrlich a premier company in its various businesses. In fact, the company states its core belief in its Vision Statement: ``Above all else, we value long-lasting relationships with coworkers and customers.'' Among its current 1,100 coworkers are many who have reaffirmed that sentiment by working for J. C. Ehrlich for 15 years, 20 years, 25 years and more. Today, in addition
to providing pest control services, the company provides termite control, bird control, vegetation management, and bioremediation services. The company also continues Mr. Ehrlich's very first business through a division known as Ehrlich Distribution, which sells products to control pest and vegetation.
As J. C. Ehrlich celebrates its 75th anniversary, there is much to be proud of. Consider these accomplishments:
Named as one of the ``Top 25 Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania'';
Named ``America's Finest Pest Control Company'' by Pest Control Technology Magazine;
Has grown to become the largest privately-owned pest control company in North America;
Has 39 local offices servicing 8 Mid-Atlantic States and the District of Columbia; and
Most importantly, 1,100 loyal coworkers providing more than 1 million services per year.
Mr. Speaker, these accomplishments are the proud results of J. C. Ehrlich's culture. This culture can be better understood by knowing how the company's coworkers are celebrating their 75th anniversary. Instead of a major corporate celebration, Ehrlich's 39 offices decided that they would volunteer their time and effort to the local communities that had supported them through the years. With the company's encouragement, coworkers in each district office selected a local charitable organization that they could contribute time to as a group. On the selected day, the office closed and everyone worked as a team to provide community service. In total, this represents approximately 8,000 hours of time Ehrlich coworkers have donated to their local communities. I am pleased to present to you the civic contributions that the men and women of J. C. Ehrlich have made to their communities during this, their 75th anniversary:
Pennsylvania
Allentown--Girl Scout Camp Clean-up.
Clarion--Cleaned park.
Erie--Worked at a soup kitchen for at-risk children.
Harrisburg--Riverbank Cleanup.
Hatfield--Dyed Easter Eggs and assembled baskets for the
needy.
Hazleton--Cleaned up a local park.
Johnstown--Donated time to local thrift shop and soup
kitchen.
Lancaster--Did clean-up and landscaping for area parks.
Lebanon--Helped to prepare for cancer fundraiser.
Lewistown--Worked on a Habitat for Humanity House.
Philadelphia--Worked at a local soup kitchen.
Pittsburgh--Cleaned up at a local zoo.
Pottstown--Yard clean up for area senior citizens.
Pottsville--Cleaned up a local park.
Reading Pest Control--Riverbank cleanup.
Reading Accounting--Children's Home of Reading.
Reading Administration--Reading Hospital.
Reading Customer Service Center--Volunteered at a local
festival.
Reading Audit--Distributing food at Salvation Army.
Reading VMS--Cleaned up a local park.
Reading Technical Trainers--Girl Scout Camp Clean Up.
Reading MIS--Cleaned up at local park, delivered meals on
wheels, donated special computer to needy child.
Scranton--Delivered food for Meals on Wheels.
Shamokin--Planted flowers in downtown area.
State College--Helping United Way Day of Caring.
Stroudsburg--Cleaning up local highways.
West Chester--Cleaned up a local park.
Wilkes Barre--Cleaned up a local park.
Williamsport--Cleaned up an old museum.
York--Clean up and landscaping at a local park.
New Jersey
Avenel--Shoreline cleanup.
Bergen County--Donated pest control services to local
museum.
Flemington--Fixed and helped to remodel homes for needy
residents.
Vineland--Cleaned up a park.
New York
Binghamton--Worked in a soup kitchen.
Hudson Valley--Beach clean up at a wild life sanctuary.
Middletown--Worked on houses for Habitat for Humanity.
Delaware
Delmarva--Worked at a nursing home.
Wilmington--Sorted clothing at a local clothing bank.
Maryland
Baltimore--Helped build homes for Chesapeake Habitat.
Gaithersburg--Cleaned up a park.
Hagerstown--Spent time with Senior Citizens at a local
center.
Millersville--Participated in United Way Day of Caring.
Virginia
Newington--Served food and cleaned up at a men's shelter.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have several J. C. Ehrlich offices throughout my Congressional District. On a personal level, my family has known the Hammel Family for at least two generations. My father, Joseph Holden and the father of the current owners, Simon Hammel, were friends in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. I am pleased to be able to continue that tradition of friendship. I congratulate them on their 75 years of success and wish them the best for the future.