[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 166 (Monday, October 16, 2017)] [Senate] [Pages S6398-S6399] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF ASHER'S CHOCOLATESMr. CASEY. Mr. President, I wish to recognize and honor Chester Asher Candy Co., Inc., ``Asher's Chocolates,'' as it celebrates the 125th anniversary of its founding in Pennsylvania. In 1892, Chester A. Asher founded Asher's Chocolates in the city of Philadelphia, near Independence Hall. A farm boy from Scotland, who had previously lived in Canada, Chester had a ``passion for chocolates'' and a ``knack for getting to the heart of a sugar craving.'' In 1899, he moved the company to the historical area of Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia. Chester worked tirelessly to perfect his candies and chocolates and was constantly searching for innovative ways to please his customers. Following World War II, Chester's four sons took over the business, and they subsequently passed the company on to their sons in their retirement. After their father's passing in 1968, the third generation of Ashers, brothers John ``Jack'' and Bob Asher, assumed leadership of the company. Asher's Chocolates quickly grew from the [[Page S6399]] brothers producing each piece of candy individually with just two candy-making machines to building a warehouse and being regarded throughout the East Coast as a well-known candy company. While both of the third-generation brothers were vital to the company's increasing success, it was Jack who became lovingly referred to as, ``the Candy Man.'' Jack was very engaged in hands-on management of the company. When he wasn't on the ground overseeing production, Jack served as a volunteer firefighter with the Wissahickon and Flourtown fire companies. Jack also became a prominent member of the community by serving on the boards of the First Presbyterian Church in Germantown and the historic Cliveden, where he sponsored the Battle of Germantown reenactment for 40 years. Jack's proactive involvement and dedication to the community did not go unrecognized. In 1988, the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce awarded Jack the Small Business Person of the Year award, and in 2006, he was inducted into the National Confectionary Sales Association's Candy Hall of Fame. Though it is with great sadness that Jack Asher passed away in September of 2017, his legacy will undoubtedly continue through the life of Asher's Chocolates. While over a century has passed since its founding, Asher's Chocolates still remains family owned. Currently, Jeff, a fourth- generation Asher, serves as the CEO of Asher's Chocolates and believes it is his family's ``stubborn, common commitment to providing excellent chocolate at an affordable price'' that has allowed Asher's Chocolates to remain in business for so long. Today Asher's Chocolates has expanded its business, selling over 3.3 million pounds of candy each year, employing over 100 people, and supplying delicious treats on a national and worldwide level to Canada, Mexico, Japan, China, South America, and Europe. As Asher's Chocolates has reached global success, I am honored it calls Pennsylvania home. Founded by a Scottish man who emigrated from Canada and was devoted to operating a family-run business, Asher's Chocolates is rich in both diversity and tradition. While their impact is great and long-standing, Asher's Chocolates hasn't lost sight of what is important: family and ``one of life's sweetest pleasures . . . [is] a simple box of chocolate.'' Asher's Chocolates serves as a symbol of success, history, and family, and I commend the Asher family and the company's employees on the 125th anniversary of its founding. ____________________