In Honor of William I. "Irvin" Warren
In Honor of William I. "Irvin" Warren -- (Extensions of Remarks - May 12, 2004)
SPEECH OF
HON. BOB ETHERIDGE
OF NORTH CAROLINA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2004
Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of North Carolina's leading citizens, Mr. William I. "Irvin" Warren of the Harnett County community of Dunn.
tomorrow evening, I will have the honor of presenting to Irvin the Distinguished Service Award from the Occoneecheee Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The award is to be presented in recognition of his "Exemplary Public Service and Lifelong Fidelity to the Scouting Creed of Service to the Community." As a longtime leader of the Occoneechee Council, I can think of no individual more deserving of this award.
William I. Warren was born on June 2, 1942 in Sampson County, North Carolina, and like me, worked on his family tobacco farm growing up. He graduated from the Sampson County public schools and East Carolina University where he earned his bachelor's degree in education in 1964. He went on to get his master's degree at North Carolina State University, in my Congressional District, where he taught for 6 years.
in 1975, Mr. Warren took his life savings of $14,000 and founded Warren Oil Company, inc., where he sold motor oils packaged in his name. Mr. Warren is now Chief Operating officer of Warren Oil, having led the company for 29 years. The company, which formerly was housed in 5,000 feet of rental space, now owns and occupies more than one million square feet of warehouse space, storing more than fifty million gallons of oil. Currently, Warren Oil Company has locations in North Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas and employs more than four hundred and fifty workers. Throughout the course of his career, Mr. Warren has increased the size of this local business from a small community business to the largest independent oil company in North America. Warren Oil Company, inc. currently owns twenty U.S. registered trademarks and exports to more than twenty countries worldwide.
Throughout his successful career in business, William Warren has served our community in numerous capacities. He has served on the boards of the Betsey Johnson Regional Hospital, Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce, Standard Bank & Trust Company, Harnett County industrial Development and the New Century Bank. He has been a member of the Masonic Lodge and Shrine Club for more than 30 years and is past Chairman of the Board of Directors for Divine Street United Methodist Church. As a community activist myself for more than thirty years, I know that whenever a good cause needs support, the first thought on folks' minds is, "Call Irv."
A proud family man, William I. Warren has two children, Wendy and Bill, five grandchildren, Reed, Colby, Jaimmy Warren, Morgan Spell and Benjamin Spell. The Warren Oil Company is truly a family business. Finally, Mr. Speaker, as the father of an Eagle Scout, it gives me great pleasure to present Boy Scouts of America's Distinguished Service Award to William I. "Irvin" Warren. and on behalf of the Congress of the United States and the people of North Carolina, let me offer my friend our heartfelt gratitude.