[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 22987] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]CONGRATULATING MIDWAYUSA ______ HON. BLAINE LUETKEMEYER of missouri in the house of representatives Friday, December 17, 2010 Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating MidwayUSA for receiving the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Earlier this week representatives from MidwayUSA traveled to Washington, DC, to accept the award. MidwayUSA is a family-owned, catalog/Internet-based retail merchant that offers shooting, reloading, gunsmithing, and hunting products. Retail customers represent 90 percent of the firm's total business at its two Columbia, Missouri locations, with dealers and international customers making up the remaining 10 percent. More than 95,000 different products from more than 700 vendors are distributed by the company, which employs 243 full-time and 100 part-time workers. Named after Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th Secretary of Commerce, the Baldrige Award was established by Congress in 1987 to enhance the competitiveness and performance of U.S. businesses. The award promotes excellence in organizational performance, recognizes the achievements and results of U.S. organizations, and publicizes successful performance strategies. The award recipients were selected from a field of 70 applicants. All of the applicants were evaluated rigorously by an independent board of examiners in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results. The evaluation process for each of the recipients included about 1,000 hours of review and an on-site visit by a team of examiners to clarify questions and verify information in the applications. Since 1988, 80 organizations have received Baldrige Awards. I am extremely proud that MidwayUSA has joined this exclusive list. Small businesses create jobs and spur economic growth, and I am extremely proud that Columbia's MidwayUSA has been recognized for productivity and quality at a time when our economy is struggling. This kind of success is yet another example of the key role that Missouri's small businesses play in the state and national economies. I would like to take this time to commend MidwayUSA for all their hard work, and I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing MidwayUSA for a job well done. ____________________