Political Quotes

“Before I got into the political arena, I was in the family construction and development business. It was seldom that I ever heard of or witnessed a company that stayed in business for 20, 50, or 70 years, and especially not 100 years. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate United Infrastructure Group, a South Carolina company that has done just that. It has been a successful business for 100 years, performing outstanding work in engineering, construction, alternative project delivery, and service. United Infrastructure Group, or UIG, was founded in 1924 by Frederick Triplett as a partnership named Small and Triplett Construction Company. The company began construction of its first bridge in Morristown, Tennessee, then continued in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and the two Carolinas. The company completed its first major bridge project in 1926 in Chester County, South Carolina, carrying SC-9 over the Catawba River to replace the existing ferry. For the next 20 years before his death, Frederick served as a pioneer in the bridge construction industry. His legacy continues in his two sons, Fred and Tom. An innovator and inventor, Fred graduated from Clemson College in 1948 with a civil engineering degree and began working in his father's business. He was known for designing and building overhead gantry cranes used on bridge projects during the 1950s and the 1960s.…”