U.S. Interior Secretary Tours Mercury Marine
FOND DU LAC, Wis. - October 29, 2004 - U.S. Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton presented a "Take Pride in America" award to Mercury Marine officials in Fond Du Lac, Wis. on Tuesday after touring the company's castings and Verado engine assembly areas, Mercury said in a release yesterday.
Norton spoke for about 30 minutes to approximately 200 salaried and hourly Mercury employees, and presented the award to Jon Norgren, a board member representing the Marine Operators Association of America.
The "Take Pride" program originated during the Reagan administration with the ultimate goal of preserving the country's resources by raising public awareness about public lands and waters.
United States Congressman Tom Petri introduced Secretary Norton and spoke briefly to the employees. Petri was introduced by Wisconsin State Senator Carol Roessler. Also attending were Allen Buechel, Fond du Lac County Executive; and John Townsend, Wisconsin State Representative.
Receiving the award for Mercury were David Michaelson, vice president of Manufacturing, and Joe Pomeroy, Mercury's general counsel.
Norton toured Mercury's high-pressure lost-foam castings facility, one of only two such operations in the world, and then saw Mercury's new Verado assembly area. Verado is Mercury's four-stroke outboard engine.
