Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to speak to mark the passing of Frederik Meijer, one of Michigan's most distinguished leaders in business and philanthropy. Barbara and I were saddened to learn of his passing on Friday at the age of 91. It is by no means an overstatement to say that Fred Meijer changed the face of our State, and the legacy he leaves will continue to affect us in Michigan and America and beyond for decades hence. Most Michiganians know him best through the business he built, one of the largest family owned companies in the Nation. Fred grew up working long hours in the Greenville, MI, grocery store that his father, an immigrant from Holland, opened in 1934. Over the next three decades the business grew until, in 1962, Fred and his father expanded from groceries into general merchandise. They called their new store ``Thrifty Acres,'' and it led the way to the supercenter retail stores that are now so much a part of the American consumer's daily experience. Today, Grand Rapids-based Meijer, Inc. has more than 200 stores across the Midwest, and the company is a major part of the West Michigan economy. But Fred Meijer was not content to be just a pioneering entrepreneur. As the company grew, so did his lifelong drive to make the world around him a better place. He was an early and eager supporter of the civil rights movement. He was deeply involved in efforts by the Urban League to promote education and equal opportunity.…”