H.R. No. 2215

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The H-E-B chain of grocery stores is celebrating the
	110th anniversary of its founding in 2015, and this is an
	appropriate occasion to take note of this signature Texan
	enterprise; and
	WHEREAS, On November 26, 1905, Florence Butt invested $60 and
	opened the C. C. Butt Grocery Store in Kerrville in order to
	support her three children and her husband, who was suffering from
	tuberculosis; in its first month, the store made $50.60; and
	WHEREAS, During the 1920s, Mrs. Butt's youngest son, Howard
	E. Butt, took over the company and established new locations in Del
	Rio and Laredo; by the 1940s, H-E-B had opened its first
	air-conditioned stores and begun to stock frozen foods and its own
	exclusive brands; three more stores were opened in San Antonio; and
	WHEREAS, By the 1950s, H-E-B had created its first
	supermarkets, incorporating a fish market, butcher shop, bakery,
	and pharmacy in one building, and by the 1970s, the chain owned the
	largest milk plant and the largest bread bakery in Texas; and
	WHEREAS, Expanding its reach even further, H-E-B launched an
	upscale grocery brand with the opening of Central Market in Austin
	in 1994, and in 2006, it opened Mi Tienda, a store designed for the
	Latino market in Houston; and
	WHEREAS, Today, H-E-B is one of the largest grocery chains in
	the nation, and its more than 400 stores in Texas and northern
	Mexico employ over 71,000 employees; with annual sales of $15
	billion, the chain is the largest privately held company in Texas;
	and
	WHEREAS, Since 2002, H-E-B has been sponsoring its annual
	Excellence in Education Awards, granting more than $600,000 to
	outstanding educators each year; the store has received top ratings
	from Consumer Reports, and in 2010, Progressive Grocer magazine
	cited the chain as Retailer of the Year for its leadership in the
	industry and its achievements in community service; and
	WHEREAS, From its humble beginnings in Kerrville more than a
	century ago, H-E-B has grown to become a retail institution relied
	upon by millions of Texans every day and an inspiring story of
	triumphant Lone Star entrepreneurship; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
	Legislature hereby commemorate the 110th anniversary of H-E-B and
	extend to the company and its owners and employees sincere best
	wishes for continued success; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for H-E-B as an expression of high regard by the Texas
	House of Representatives.
	Bernal
	Murr
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 2215 was adopted by the House on April
	23, 2015, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House