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“TRIBUTE TO DR. LOUIS LYNN” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1959 on Dec. 19, 2012.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO DR. LOUIS LYNN
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HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN
of south carolina
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a South Carolina entrepreneur and leading landscape designer, Dr. Louis Lynn, a recent recipient of the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency's 2012 Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award. The Award recognizes exceptional leaders who have made great strides in creating diversity in the public or private sector. Dr. Lynn is a tremendous small business leader in South Carolina, and I am proud to call him a friend.
Dr. Lynn is a native of Lamar, South Carolina. His childhood in a rural area prompted his love of nature, and he spent his youth participating in the 4-H club and selling produce. He also came from a family of entrepreneurs--his grandfather was a shop owner and his father, Lawton, ran a butcher plant. His father was an influential figure in his life, who taught him to take a sense of pride in hard work, and the elder Lynn was even once named South Carolina Father of the Year.
In 1964, Louis Lynn entered the second freshman class to integrate Clemson University. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Horticulture from Clemson, and went on to earn a PhD in Horticulture from the University of Maryland. Early in his career, Dr. Lynn was a research scientist. His work at Monsanto led to the development of Roundup' herbicide. But he was called to more hands-on horticultural work.
In 1985, Dr. Lynn established ENVIRO Ag Science, Inc., which has become the largest African-American-owned landscape business in South Carolina. As the company has grown, it has added offices in Atlanta and Tucker, Georgia and now employs 85 full-time people. ENVIRO Ag Science, Inc. was recently named one of the 25 Fastest Growing Companies in South Carolina. His business began as a small residential landscaping business, but today is recognized for very high-profile projects including the landscaping of the Columbia Convention Center, the University of South Carolina Colonial Center, and BMW Manufacturing. Other clients include Ft. Jackson, Shaw Air Force Base, Fort Gordon and the Savannah River Nuclear site. As a SBA HUBZone Certified contractor, his firm is currently under contract with the Department of Defense for repair and renovation services on historic buildings at Fort Benning, Georgia and Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Dr. Lynn is a man of great faith. He feels called to give back to the community. In 1988, he was elected to the Clemson Board of Trustees, and is serving his seventh four-year term. He has also served on the boards of the BB&T Bank, South Carolina Workforce Investment, the State Chamber of Commerce, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, the Palmetto Agribusiness Council, the Midlands Business Leadership Council, the State Museum Foundation, the South Carolina Horticulture Society and the South Carolina Commission of Higher Education.
Dr. Lynn and his wife, Audrey, are the parents of three adult children.
Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dr. Louis Lynn on receiving the prestigious Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award. He has made extraordinary contributions as an entrepreneur, a community leader, and a man of faith. I can think of no one more deserving of this honor.
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