On Thursday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) held a press briefing on economic investments in Pulaski County.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon, everybody, and I'd like to thank you all for joining us today.
00:04It's an honor to stand before you as we celebrate significant milestones in our
00:10county's and community's growth and prosperity.
00:14I'd like to start by welcoming Governor Youngkin, who has demonstrated
00:19steadfast commitment to Virginia's moving economy and moving us forward.
00:24His leadership has been the driving force behind Virginia's growth,
00:29fostering innovation, creating jobs, and strengthening our state's position
00:34into an economic powerhouse, not only for business, but for all Virginians,
00:39from our largest cities to our smallest towns.
00:43Governor Youngkin has shown that collaboration, bold action,
00:47and a clear vision create an economy that works for everyone.
00:53Governor, we're glad to have you back in Pulaski County for an economic
00:58announcement and not a disaster.
01:01Thank you very much.
01:10The last time we saw each other, we were out on the water trying to fight
01:14a minefield of debris.
01:17We're extremely happy to have you back for another exciting endeavor,
01:21and we are incredibly grateful for your ongoing support of Pulaski County
01:26and businesses like Patent Logistics.
01:30I would also like to thank all of our elected representatives
01:33who are here today.
01:36This first economic event I attended when I was elected was to welcome
01:42Patent Logistics to the Commerce Park.
01:45Six years ago, fast forward to today, and we're here recognizing Patent's
01:50continued success and their significant contribution to our local economy
01:55with the third major project that has been announced since 2018.
02:01Each expansion demonstrates Patent's commitment to growth, innovation,
02:06and success, which strengthens the foundation of our region.
02:11While Patent and I have originated in Pennsylvania, we forgive you,
02:16we proudly consider them to be a part of Virginia, the New River Valley,
02:20and more specifically, Pulaski County.
02:23Patent is not just a business that operates here, but a company that has
02:27woven themselves into our community's fabric.
02:31Their investment in our workforce, infrastructure, and local economy speaks
02:35volumes about their dedication and commitment.
02:38I also want to thank Steve Patent, your entire team for your vision
02:43and your ongoing investment and trust.
02:46We look forward to continued success and are proud to have you as an integral
02:51part of Virginia's logistics system.
02:55Your presence in Pulaski County makes this a great place to live, work,
03:00and for the second time, expand.
03:04Thank you all, and now it's my pleasure to introduce our Economic Development
03:08Director, Michael Solomon.
03:29Good afternoon.
03:31My name is Michael Solomon.
03:33I'm the Economic Development Director for Pulaski County, and I'm also the
03:36Executive Director of Virginia's First Industrial Facility Finance Party.
03:43We tried to have a longer name, but they ran out of notes.
03:49So in 1999, Virginia's First was formed with a clear mission to help
03:59communities in our area attract large operations that would bring jobs,
04:05investment, and lasting economic growth.
04:10The initiative was founded on the idea that by working together, urban
04:15and rural communities in southwest Virginia could create opportunities
04:20that benefit all.
04:23Today, I'm proud to say that Virginia's First has lived up to that mission
04:28and the results speak for themselves.
04:32We are an authority of 11 different counties, cities, towns, a partnership
04:39that spans both urban and rural areas, all with the shared goal of economic
04:46prosperity.
04:49In fact, it was the first time in Virginia's history that communities
04:53signed an agreement to share revenues and resources to build an industrial
04:58park.
05:00This innovative approach laid the foundation for the success we are seeing
05:05today.
05:09Fast forward 26 years later, and we have seen an incredible transformation
05:15at the park.
05:17Over $70 million has been invested here in our local community, and more than
05:22200 jobs have been created in the businesses here.
05:29Opportunities that have made a real difference in the lives of many families.
05:34This is not just a success story for our region, it's a testament to what
05:42happens when we work together toward a common goal.
05:47Speaking of success, we are beyond thrilled to have Patton Logistics as part
05:55of our success story.
05:57Patton's decision to invest for the third time in the Commerce Park speaks
06:02volumes about the opportunities we've created here and the trust that
06:07businesses like Patton have in our community.
06:10We are so grateful to Steve Patton and Terry Lindor for your continued
06:16commitment to our region.
06:18Your investment is helping to secure a bright future for our area, and we
06:23truly appreciate everything you've done and continue to do.
06:36Of course, none of this would be possible with the hard work and dedication of
06:40many people.
06:43I would like to take a moment and express my gratitude to the Virginia's First
06:48Board for their tireless support, and especially to our Chairman Mary Biggs
06:53and our Vice Chair Laura Walters, whose leadership has been invaluable in
07:00bringing us to this point.
07:02I also want to thank the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors, the Pulaski
07:07County Economic Development Authority, and County Administrator Jonathan
07:11Sweet for their ongoing collaboration and dedication to ensuring that our
07:17community thrives.
07:20I'd like to make special mention of Drew Fox, our project manager, whose work
07:25and dedication to the Commerce Park has been essential in making today
07:28possible.
07:30Drew's efforts have been critical to the process, and we are fortunate to
07:34have him on our team.
07:37Lastly, I want to take a moment and thank our Governor, Glenn Youngkin, for
07:42being here today and for his unwavering support of Southwest Virginia.
07:48His commitment to the growth and prosperity of our region is something we are
07:52all deeply appreciative of, and it's clear that under his leadership, I'll leave
07:59you in suspense, Southwest Virginia is positioned for continued success.
08:05So thank you very much, Governor.
08:13Lastly, I want to thank you all for being here today and for your continued
08:18support.
08:19It's through our collective efforts that we are able to build a future full of
08:23opportunity for all.
08:25I look forward to the continued success of the Commerce Park and all of the
08:30exciting things yet to come.
08:33It is now my pleasure to introduce our United States Congressman from the
08:379th District, Congressman Morgan Gray.
08:52See if I can do this right.
08:53There we go.
08:56Laura needs it a little lower, doesn't she?
09:00And the Governor's going to readjust it when he gets up here.
09:03He's got to take it up another couple levels.
09:05I'm just so grateful to be with you all today and have an opportunity to
09:09celebrate this.
09:10I don't think the federal government had anything to do with it, but it's in my
09:13district, and I'm thrilled to be here.
09:16I am so glad.
09:23I'm a big believer in not taking credit for things that we didn't have
09:25something to do with, and this is Virginia and the local government.
09:28And in that line, let me say thanks to the Virginia First team.
09:33And I would just ask everybody who's a part of that Virginia First team,
09:36whether you're an elected official of one of the 11 jurisdictions or are
09:39otherwise involved, if you would just stand so we can give you all a good
09:43hand and a round of applause.
09:52Thank you all so much.
09:53Thank your predecessors for having the vision for this great park, and thank
09:57you all for being here today and for having made this happen.
10:02To Patton, I would say thank you so much.
10:05This is probably something I shouldn't say politically, but having been born in
10:08Pennsylvania but grown up in Southwest Virginia, I'm glad that even though you
10:13all may have been born in Pennsylvania, you're growing up in Southwest
10:16Virginia just like I did.
10:24And I've got to say to Governor Young in particular, we've been on the phone
10:28talking about what happened as a result of Hurricane Helene, and to Delegate
10:34Obenshain and to Senator Hackworth, thank you all so much for the relief money
10:39in your package because while the federal government is doing a lot there,
10:45it's great to have that additional help.
10:47There are so many people who are involved, and I just noticed the
10:51representative for Senator Kaine's office is here, and on these types of
10:55issues, this is not a party issue.
10:57We work together to try to make sure that when there's a disaster that hits
11:01that we're all working together, and so I appreciate that partnership and want
11:07to make sure you're ready.
11:08Is somebody here from Warner's office?
11:09I'm not trying to pick on them.
11:10Okay.
11:11That's fine.
11:12We all work together.
11:13We'll get the word.
11:14They'll get the word out.
11:16I just didn't want to leave anybody out.
11:19I tell you, whenever you have an economic development announcement, it's
11:23good news, particularly in southwest Virginia because we have so many
11:28economic stressors that every job we add is a blessing, and we are very,
11:33very blessed.
11:34So my role here today is simply to say thank you to everybody who's worked
11:38on this project and to introduce my friend, Senator Hackworth, who does a
11:44tremendous amount, has one of the largest, if not the largest, Senate seat.
11:48Are you the largest in Virginia from geographic?
11:51Second.
11:52Second.
11:53One of the largest geographic regions that he represents in the Virginia
11:56Senate.
11:57They came back last night or early this morning because they were in session
12:02in Richmond yesterday.
12:03So please welcome a great state senator, my friend, Travis Hackworth.
12:10Thank you, Congressman, and good afternoon, everyone.
12:21What a wonderful evening to be here in Pulaski County, and I think it was
12:28about two years ago I was asked to come and tour Patent Logistics, and I
12:35remember walking in this building and just seeing the amazing facility, the
12:39organization, the efficiency.
12:41I said, wow, this is a company that is going places.
12:45And, you know, we said this before, and we say it again, Pulaski County is
12:51on fire.
12:52And when I look out over this crowd, I not only see people, but I see
13:02leaders.
13:03I see leaders from even other counties, jurisdictions, those of you that
13:10stood for the Virginia First team.
13:12You know, it is a collaboration.
13:15We just came back from Richmond this morning after about 12 hours in the
13:20General Assembly and under the leadership of our great governor.
13:24And, you know, I feel good about some of the things that we got accomplished
13:28this year.
13:30And to be able to come on the way back and stop here in Pulaski, Virginia, for
13:35this great announcement, it's just the whipped cream on the ice cream.
13:40So it's very good.
13:42I've got a couple remarks here I'd like to say.
13:44First of all, Patent is not just a leader, a leading player in our region.
13:48They're the largest company in the Commerce Park.
13:53Their presence here has not only helped Pulaski County grow, but has also
13:57created valuable opportunities for local families.
14:00With over 100 employees, Patent is a key contributor to the livelihood of
14:05many in this area, offering not only jobs, but careers that provide stability
14:10and pride.
14:12Patent's incredible growth is due to the leadership of Steve Patent.
14:16From a small fleet to an impressive fleet of 515 Volvo and Mack trucks that
14:22are made in the USA.
14:24Their operation is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit and forward
14:34thinking vision that drives this community forward.
14:37These trucks, working in concert with the local economy, support not only
14:40Patent's success, but also contribute to the broader economic ecosystem of
14:45Pulaski County and beyond.
14:48Patent's story is one of continued growth.
14:50When I looked up Patent Logistics, it said Pennsylvania.
14:54It said different ones, and I was like, wow.
14:57Because I asked how long it would take me to get there, and it said eight
15:01hours, and I was like, whoa, I can't do that.
15:04Then I found out the different various locations, so it's just a testament,
15:09and we are proud to have Patent Logistics here in southwest Virginia.
15:14It is a story of continued growth of community and shared values as they
15:18continue to expand and invest in the future.
15:21We can all take pride in the role they play in the New River Valley area's
15:25ongoing success.
15:27So it's my privilege to introduce a friend and great colleague, the new,
15:33he previously served as the Chief Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade in
15:37the Youngkin Administration.
15:39Prior to his appointment last month as the Secretary of Commerce,
15:44Juan Pablo Segura.
15:46Now, Juan came down here just a minute.
15:48Juan came down here to southwest Virginia about six months ago, maybe,
15:54and he toured some of our schools, our CTE programs.
15:59He looked at some of these small businesses.
16:02There was an instant likability about Juan Pablo.
16:06Juan Pablo is a man that gets things done.
16:08He is known.
16:09He's an experienced entrepreneur, innovator, focused on transforming
16:13industries, notably found a leading maternity monitoring platform.
16:17He's been widely recognized for his work in the health care
16:20and hospitality industry.
16:22We are privileged and honored to have him as the new Secretary of Commerce.
16:27I welcome you to this platform.
16:29Juan Pablo Segura.
16:39What a great introduction, Senator Hackworth.
16:42What a great guy, Senator Hackworth.
16:44Let's give him another round of applause.
16:50We're definitely going to have to adjust this for the governor a little later.
16:53It's getting higher every time.
16:55But first of all, good afternoon, everyone.
16:59What an honor to be here with you all today to celebrate this incredible
17:03reinvestment in Virginia.
17:06I also want to thank Steve Patton, the Patton Logistics team,
17:11and his partner, Terry, for hosting us today.
17:15Also a note to thank the leadership of Montgomery County, Pulaski,
17:21so many great leaders.
17:22I mean, the crowd woke up, stood up.
17:25I mean, everyone's involved in making economic development happen,
17:30and we can see that this area is prospering economically.
17:35Now, Virginia is truly the best place to live, work, and raise a family.
17:40It's also the best place to start and grow a business because we have
17:44something here that no one else has.
17:47We have great leaders, leaders like Steve and Terry,
17:52who are marshalling the growth of a 70-year-old company
17:55and are taking it to new frontiers.
17:58I mean, 24 years ago, this company had 75 trucks and 150 trailers.
18:05Now it has 500 trucks and 1,500 trailers.
18:10That's almost 1,000% growth, folks.
18:14That's amazing.
18:16And we know that this kind of leadership is not just about the executive team.
18:21It's about the rest of the team.
18:23It's about the folks that show up every day and get the job done,
18:28folks like Rob Williams, the first driver hired at Dublin, Virginia.
18:32Where's Robby?
18:33There he is.
18:35We didn't know that was coming, so there you go.
18:45So talking about leadership, we have another leader right here
18:48who's ushering a new era of confidence and belief in this great commonwealth,
18:53our great Governor Glenn Young.
18:56One of the things I learned growing my own business to one of the 150
19:00most innovative health care technology companies in the world
19:04was that there's a fact in business.
19:07We entrepreneurs and business leaders invest when we believe
19:12that tomorrow will be better than today.
19:17And this governor's leadership is unleashing the true potential of Virginia.
19:21Under his leadership, Virginia is back to its rightful place
19:26as the number one state to do business.
19:30Virginia has already put 270,000 more people back to work since 21,
19:41cut 60,000 regulations, ushered in an additional $100 billion of new capital investment,
19:48and created an environment where today there's more than 250,000 job openings
19:54across this great commonwealth.
19:56The list keeps going.
19:57I can keep going, but we're here to listen to someone a lot more important than me.
20:01But all of this is making Virginia the land of opportunity.
20:05So anything's possible in Virginia.
20:07And so it is my honor to introduce our 74th governor,
20:11the governor who believes Virginia has no limits,
20:14Governor Glenn Young.
20:28Thank you so much. I never get used to that.
20:31My wife doesn't stand up.
20:34She tells me to sit down.
20:36So I want to welcome everybody for my favorite event that we get to do,
20:41which is to announce investment in jobs.
20:45Investment, because as Juan Pablo just said, that is an owner, an entrepreneur, investors,
20:53basically saying we trust Virginia's future.
20:57We want to build. We want to invest right here.
21:01So for that, I want to say thank you, Steve.
21:04Thank you to Patent Logistics.
21:06Thank you for believing in the future of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
21:10Thank you for believing in the future of Gillaspie County.
21:13But most importantly, thank you for believing in the future of Virginians.
21:17And that's the second part.
21:19Today, we're also celebrating more jobs.
21:24More jobs.
21:26You see, there are a lot of powerful words in the English language.
21:29A lot of them.
21:31I think the three most powerful ones are I love you.
21:34And when we can say that to one another, we are saying something truly magnificent.
21:39But right up behind I love you is you are hired.
21:42That is a great set of words.
21:46It means that, one, I respect you.
21:49Two, I honor what you can do, and I need you to be part of our team.
21:53And three, let's work on building a future for you together with us.
21:59What a comment.
22:01And so once again, Patent Logistics is saying exactly that.
22:05And yes, we just heard the story, but Steve, I'm going to steal a little bit of your probably own story,
22:10which is he was just sharing with me.
22:13And I want to remind everybody that this business is a business that has to be built out in front of getting the customer.
22:21This is a spec business, if you will.
22:25You invest and then hope customers will come because customers come quickly.
22:30And if you don't have room, you don't have a facility, they're going someplace else.
22:34So Steve believed, believed in Virginia, and particularly in southwest Virginia.
22:40And so he opened up a long time ago, 2015, a few trucks on gravel parking lot.
22:50And they went to work.
22:52And it wasn't long before they saw a lot of business.
22:56And since then, there's been three massive commitments.
23:00Two for everything you see around us, and the third coming today.
23:05Another vote of confidence at a time where he is investing into the future.
23:12And we'll invite customers to come here.
23:15He's hiring into the future, and we'll invite customers to come here.
23:20He's believing in our collective future that this investment will allow him to sleep well at night.
23:28What a statement.
23:30Because I believe more than anything else, we're at a moment where we should see opportunity in front of us.
23:38When Pablo talked about the last three years, and I've got to tell you, it's been a rip-roaring three years for us.
23:45We've seen companies make that exact same commitment to Virginia in such an extraordinary way.
23:51$104 billion of capital committed to build and expand in the Commonwealth.
23:57That's jobs for a long time.
24:00There's 70,000 jobs that will be created by that investment over the next number of years.
24:08270,000 more people working today than just three years ago.
24:14270,000 people who've heard those magic three words of, you are hired, which is a quiet way of saying I love you.
24:23And now we're seeing, on top of that, 259,000 open positions around the Commonwealth of Virginia of companies who want to hire because they want to grow.
24:35Let me tell you, folks, don't believe the naysayers.
24:39America is on the move.
24:42And the businesses that are lining up to move here, while Pablo and I were just going through the pipeline, is as full a pipeline as we have seen.
24:52And we have seen so much.
24:55Now it helps for Virginia to be named the top state in America to do business.
24:59That's a nice thing.
25:01But I'm a big fan of results, not rankings.
25:04Rankings are nice results you can take to the bank.
25:07And the results that we see over and over and over again are exactly that.
25:13Investments, jobs.
25:16Now, at the heart of all of that is the talent that exists here in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
25:21And let me tell you, it is the easiest thing to recruit companies to come to this state or companies that are here to expand because of all of you.
25:31Because you represent that future that every business is looking for.
25:38Reliable, dedicated, passionate partners in what we do together, whatever that business may be.
25:46And when I have a chance to talk to any business leader, I start with talent.
25:52Because we got a lot of them.
25:55And I have to say that Virginia's educational system, which was ranked by CNBC as the number one educational system in America, is blessed.
26:04We're blessed with great K-12 teachers.
26:07We're blessed with an amazing community college system.
26:10We're blessed with great institutions of higher education.
26:14We are blessed.
26:16And those pathways are available to all Virginians to find their way into the amazing opportunities that exist.
26:24One of my favorite things, and I was talking to one of the administration senior officials last night, is the opportunities for Virginians and Americans to find their way into great careers.
26:36Whether they're going to come right out of high school.
26:39Whether they're going to go into the military and then serve our nation and then come find a great job.
26:44Whether they want to go on to our community colleges or one of our institutions of higher learning.
26:48There are so many pathways to great, great jobs.
26:51That is what today is all about.
26:55And so a company that, yes, has grown at an extraordinary rate, is also a company that has fat on Virginia.
27:06And so I want to thank you for believing in us.
27:10I also want to remind everyone that it's a lot better to go work for a company that's growing at 1,000% over a 10-year period.
27:17Because there's lots of job openings and opportunities for advancement.
27:20Finally, what an amazing moment for us to see Virginia continuing to grow.
27:28Just in the last literally three weeks, we've been in Lynchburg with VWXT announcing their new nuclear innovation campus.
27:37We were in Bonnetot County for Munter's announcement of their new HVAC facility that they are expanding in order to supply into their growing marketplace.
27:47VDAR, just down in Virginia Beach, expanded their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.
27:52That's just in the last couple weeks.
27:54And friends, this is every single week.
27:57Companies asking these most important questions and answering them, yes.
28:02Does Virginia have the best talent and the most dedicated workforce in the nation?
28:07The answer is yes.
28:09Does Virginia have a pro-business climate that will allow me to run as fast as I can and not get bogged down with regulations?
28:16The answer is yes.
28:18Does Virginia have world-class logistics infrastructure?
28:22And that's what Patton is adding to today.
28:24And the answer is yes.
28:26Does Virginia have immediate access to key markets within a day's drive to half of our nation?
28:32And by the way, get to our port, you can go anywhere.
28:35The answer is yes.
28:37And is Virginia's tomorrow even better than our yesterday?
28:42The answer is yes.
28:45That is why we celebrate today, not just because a company is once again investing their future in our future,
28:54but I think we can have a collective sense of confidence that that is an amazing future that we get to all experience together.
29:04And so, Steve, I want to thank you.
29:06I have a gift for you.
29:11Travis, I went over to the Capitol while you guys were taking all those votes yesterday,
29:16and I happened to take the flag off the top.
29:20I'm kidding.
29:22I'm kidding.
29:23But this, Steve, is a flag from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
29:27It did fly over top of our Capitol.
29:29And by the way, if anybody hasn't really studied our flag recently during this period of celebrating the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry's most famous speech,
29:40I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death, that was 250 years ago.
29:47Our flag stands for freedom and liberty.
29:51It stands for the opportunities that this great nation, this great nation that, of course, we've seen a state adopt Virginia first,
30:00a nation that understands that America must be first, what an opportunity for us to once again celebrate our history, which underpins our future.
30:13And so this flag is really dear to all of us.
30:16You can't take it to Pennsylvania.
30:18It's got to stay here.
30:20So I look forward to presenting this to you, and I hope you will do me one favor.
30:24When this new facility is built, that you will fly it out front, and everyone who works here or comes through these gates and these doors will see it and know that there is a forever partnership between Patton Logistics and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
30:38God bless you.
30:51So where is my son-in-law, Terry Lindborg?
30:55Come on up.
30:59This is beyond overwhelming for us to be here today and see the support.
31:06It really means a lot to us.
31:08I know from Terry and I's standpoint, when we're thinking about doing a project, you know, you're thinking, will the customers come?
31:19Will the economic development people work with us?
31:22And to say that Virginia leads the nation in all of our economic development projects, I hate to say it because I'm from Pennsylvania.
31:31I'd love to say Pennsylvania was the best, but there isn't anywhere close to the way that we're treated here.
31:37And the support that we get from you all is very, very, very nice.
31:42And I don't want to forget the Pulaski County High School culinary students.
32:11So I'll be very brief.
32:16When you're thinking of a project such as this, you need three things.
32:22You need strong economic development, and we have that here.
32:26It's a winner.
32:28You all are here.
32:29You're supporting us.
32:31The second thing you need is strong customer support.
32:35So you have economic support.
32:36You have customer support.
32:37What's the third thing you need?
32:39You need the workforce.
32:41I need co-workers that are going to have my back.
32:44They're going to perform these duties flawlessly every day for our customers so they keep coming back, keep giving us opportunities in other projects.
32:55So saying that, you all, I know you personally, most of you, I really appreciate it.
33:03And there are several of you that were here on day one.
33:08I don't remember all of you, but I'll start and see how good I can get.
33:15Steve Neal, he is the manager of this facility and started about six months prior to us kicking off this project in 2020.
33:29Pam Martin.
33:31Pam, raise your hand.
33:33Mayor of Bradford, Pulaski County.
33:37Pam started shortly after.
33:40And I won't get it right, but I can look around the room.
33:44Taisha.
33:46Raise your hand.
33:47Taisha started early.
33:49Robbie Chenal, very early.
33:54Eric.
33:56Then I just don't want to forget anyone, so I'm going to read.
34:04James Hay.
34:06Where's James?
34:10Casey Hill.
34:14There he is.
34:17Stephanie Miller.
34:19Where are you, Stephanie?
34:22Okay.
34:27Eric Peters, I mentioned you earlier, but I forgot your last name.
34:32Josh Snyder.
34:35Logan.
34:38Travis Underwood.
34:40And then on the trucking side, we talked about Robbie.
34:45He was here really from third parking lot, small office, really believed in us when nobody would believe in us if he would have seen the facility that we had.
35:00And for the early people to believe in us is really thankful for that.
35:11So you have Rob Williams, Todd Williams, Don Tucker, Jody Reed, and Chris Jones.
35:19And so there's others here.
35:21You're very important to us.
35:23I wanted to just pull out the people that were here on day one with me.
35:29Help me get through the nervousness, the uncertainty.
35:36There's customers that I'd love to call out and support.
35:39They know where they are.
35:41If you look at the racking system and you see this fantastic facility, they know who they are.
35:46They know what they mean to me.
35:48I can't thank them enough.
35:51They help me sleep at night.
35:53And I really, really appreciate you, Governor, being here and all the other people that came here to see this.
36:01I can only hope that we can double the size of this facility.
36:06We're starting out with 100,000 square foot facility.
36:09I think we already have it filled.
36:13So we've got a year to go until it's completed.
36:16And I think we should be able to double the size of the project at some point.
36:22That's Terry's job.
36:24But I want to introduce you.
36:26Terry has the great, unfortunate thing to travel with me a lot.
36:32When things go wrong and right, I'm not the best to be around.
36:36Even when they go right, I'm not the best to be around because I don't act the best.
36:41So he has to sit in the car with me for hours and hours and listen to me Monday morning quarterbacking or micromanaging the business.
36:50But I want to acknowledge him.
36:52He's not only my partner, but he's also my son-in-law.
36:57And so it's kind of cool that we get to work together.
37:00For him, it's probably like, oh, my God, I can't wait for him to retire and move on.
37:06But I want you to meet him and know who leads this initiative here to make this right for our clients.
37:17So, Terry.
37:26I wasn't prepared for that.
37:32I was born in Haiti.
37:35I grew up outside of Boston.
37:37And when I met my wife in 2010 in Philly, I remember the first time when she introduced me to her father.
37:50We had a good time.
37:52And, you know, he always had this confidence in me.
37:57And, you know, coming on a jointed team, had these opportunities, and we started the warehousing business.
38:04And I grew up without a father.
38:07And I think, you know, spending this time with Steve has been very impactful.
38:13I've learned a lot.
38:14He has a lot to teach.
38:16And I've learned a lot from him.
38:17So I appreciate it.
38:19I appreciate all the opportunities I've been given to be here, to be in this situation.
38:23I never expected this growing up.
38:26And so I have him to thank for that.
38:29And I just want to say, you know, thank you.
38:32Appreciate it.
38:33Appreciate it.
38:34I love it.
38:38Appreciate it.
38:39Appreciate it.