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“IN HONOR OF E.E. WARD MOVING AND STORAGE COMPANY LLC OF COLUMBUS, OHIO” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Senate section on pages S5480 on April 29, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN HONOR OF E.E. WARD MOVING AND STORAGE COMPANY LLC OF COLUMBUS, OHIO
Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate and pay tribute to the E.E. Ward Moving and Storage Company LLC of Columbus, OH, for 122 years of service to the great State of Ohio. Recently, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Congressional Black Caucus recognized the E.E. Ward Company as the oldest African-American-
owned business in America.
The Ward family has longstanding roots in Ohio dating back before the Civil War. From 1842 to 1858, John T. Ward was a conductor on the Underground Railroad which ran through Columbus, and the Ward home was a well-known stop. During the Civil War, John T. Ward received government contracts to haul munitions, supplies, and equipment for the U.S. Army.
After the Civil War, John's son, William Ward, began working for his father, and then he went to work for the Union Transfer and Storage Company. At Union Transfer, he moved up through the ranks serving as teamster, work supervisor, foreman, and rate clerk. In 1881, William Ward rejoined his father John T. Ward and together they founded the Ward Transfer Line, a wagon transportation business in downtown Columbus.
Since 1881 the company has evolved and changed with the times. In 1889, the company changed its name to E.E. Ward Transfer and Storage Company, when the youngest son, Edgar Earl Ward, assumed management of the company. He was 18 years old. Twenty-five years later, in 1914, the company began its shift to motorized moving and retired its last horse in 1921.
Over the years, E.E. Ward has performed moves for schools, museums, libraries, business, and homes. In the 1950s, the E.E. Ward Company was awarded two notable contracts in Columbus--from the Steinway Piano Company and the Franklin County Board of Elections. During the course of those contracts, it is estimated that the company moved over 900,000 pianos and hundreds of voting machines to various precincts in Columbus.
The Company's Chairman Emeritus is Eldon W. Ward, the grandson of William Ward. He joined the company in 1945 and retired 51 years later in 1996. Mr. Eldon Ward has been recognized as an accomplished business leader and is admired by many. He was inducted into the Ohio Corporate Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Central Ohio Business Hall of Fame in 1992. Under his leadership, the E.E. Ward Company received the National Torch Award of Marketplace Ethics from the Better Business Bureau.
As a community leader, Eldon Ward served on the boards of over 40 community organizations, including the local chapter of the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the Chamber of Commerce. He served as board president of the Columbus Foundation, the Franklin County United Way, and the Central Ohio YMCA, which was renamed the Eldon W. Ward YMCA in 1991.
Today, E.E. Ward Moving & Storage Company is an agent of Bekins Van Lines and provides local and interstate household goods relocation services and a variety of logistics services to residential, government and corporate customers. The company focuses primarily on residential and business moves and storage.
The longevity of the E.E. Ward Company is the result of its commitment to excellent service. The current owners, Brian A. Brooks, president and godson of Eldon Ward, and Otto Beatty III, co-owner, recently purchased the company. Both are in their early thirties. They have chosen to carry on the entrepreneurial torch of their parents and grandparents and are wonderful examples to other young business owners. In fact, the company was recently awarded the 2002 Super Service Award from Angie's List, a consumer and household rating company.
Brian Brooks and Otto Beatty are privy to a wealth of experience and wisdom from family members and community members. Like their forebears, they focus on providing excellent service to their customers and giving generously to their community. Their dedication and commitment is a shining example of good corporate citizenship, something we need more of throughout America.
I am pleased that this year the King Arts Complex in Columbus will be the recipient of a beautiful painting by famed Columbus Artist Aminah Lynn Robinson that illustrates the history of the company and the Ward family's role in the Underground Railroad. We shall all pay tribute to people like the John T. Ward family who helped America's enslaved citizens gain freedom. That is why in my first year in the United States Senate, I co-sponsored the bill to provide Federal funding to the Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, the only national center of its kind in the country. I hope the painting about the Ward Family will inspire people of all ages to learn more about the significant role of the Underground Railroad in our history.
Recently, on the occasion of Ohio's bicentennial, I reminded a joint session of the Ohio General Assembly in Chillicothe that our forefathers delivered for us and now the future of our great State is in our hands. Throughout Ohio's history, the Ward family has made major contributions to the quality of life by creating jobs and opportunities for countless Americans and we should all be grateful for their hard work and dedication.
I believe Brian Brooks's and Otto Beatty's ancestors would be very proud of their work today. With the two of them at the helm of the E.E. Ward Moving and Storage Company, I think its future will be bright for many years to come.
I wish the E.E. Ward Moving and Storage Company the best of luck in all of its endeavors and I look forward to congratulating them on many successes in the future.
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