H*3698 Concurrent Resolution, By D. Smith, Allison, D.W. Beatty, Davenport, 
Lanford, Littlejohn, C.C. Wells and Wilder

Similar(S 594)
 A Concurrent Resolution to recognize and commend Mr. Jerry Richardson,
 Chairman of Flagstar Companies, Inc., for his extraordinary contributions and
 loyalty to the city of Spartanburg and the State of South Carolina.

   03/01/95  House  Introduced, adopted, sent to Senate HJ-3
   03/02/95  Senate Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence SJ-16

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE AND COMMEND MR. JERRY RICHARDSON, CHAIRMAN OF FLAGSTAR COMPANIES, INC., FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOYALTY TO THE CITY OF SPARTANBURG AND THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

Whereas, Mr. Jerry Richardson, a native of Spring Hope, North Carolina, was graduated from Wofford College in 1958 with a B.A. degree. A small-college All-American football player, he led every college receiver in the State of South Carolina in touchdowns for three straight seasons and went on to play for two years as an outstanding wide-receiver with the National Football League's Baltimore Colts; and

Whereas, Mr. Richardson began his career in the restaurant industry in 1961 as a co-founder of Spartan Food Systems, Inc., in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the first franchisee of Hardee's Food Systems. In 1977, Spartan acquired the then nine-unit Quincy's Family Steakhouse chain and in 1979, merged with Trans World Corporation. Shortly after the New York-based company named Mr. Richardson President and Chief Executive Officer, he moved Trans World's headquarters from New York to Spartanburg; and

Whereas, in June of 1993, the company's name was changed to Flagstar Companies, Inc. The largest publicly-held company based in South Carolina, Flagstar has more than one thousand five hundred company and franchised Denny's restaurants, two hundred ten company and franchised El Pollo Loco restaurants, five hundred ninety-two Hardee's and two hundred eleven Quincy's restaurants. Flagstar's Volume Services division is a leading concessionaire to a number of stadiums and arenas, including six NFL facilities. The company, which also owns and operates Proficient Food Company and Portion-Trol, employs approximately one hundred thousand people; and

Whereas, Mr. Richardson, his family and partners, through a private venture, have successfully won a bid to bring a National Football League expansion franchise to the Carolinas. The Carolina Panthers are scheduled to begin their first season in 1995 at the Clemson University facility, while a single-purpose, privately-funded, seventy-two thousand seat football stadium is being erected in Charlotte, North Carolina. When it came to fulfilling his dream of owning an NFL football team, he always knew it would be in the Carolinas: "This region and its people have been so good to me and my family that there was never any question of what we wanted to do. My dream was returning something to this special area;" and

Whereas, Mr. Richardson is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including, among others, the 1977 Wofford College Distinguished Service Award, the 1989 Neville Holcombe Distinguished Citizenship Award presented by the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, the Spartanburg Board of Realtors 1990 Distinguished Citizen, the Kiwanis Club of Spartanburg 1990 Citizen of the Year, the South Carolina Black Media Group 1993 Corporate Citizen of the Year; the 1995 Distinguished South Carolina Sportsman presented by the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame; and the South Carolina State Chairman of the 1993-96 United States Olympic Committee; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the General Assembly, by this resolution, recognize and commend Mr. Jerry Richardson for his extraordinary contributions and loyalty to the city of Spartanburg and the State of South Carolina.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the family of Mr. Jerry Richardson.