South Carolina H 4238: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO CELEBRATE THE THIRTY-FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA POULTRY FESTIVAL TO BE HELD IN BATESBURG-LEESVILLE ON MAY 11-13, 2017, AND TO HONOR THOSE PLANNING AND PARTICIPATING IN THE FESTIVAL.

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4238 Text of Previous Version (Mar. 27, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4238

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A house RESOLUTION

to commend and honor Walter P. Rawl & Sons, 
Inc., a recognized South Carolina leader in the production of fresh vegetables 
in Lexington County, and to congratulate the company upon the occasion of its 
one hundredth anniversary.

Whereas, the South 
Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to learn that Walter P. Rawl & 
Sons, Inc., a company that distributes products and produce throughout the 
Eastern and Midwestern United States, is celebrating a century of service and of 
contributing to the state's economy; and

Whereas, Walter Phillip Rawl 
and Ernestine Price Rawl were married in 1925, the beginning of what has become 
known in the industry as WP Rawl. The couple would have nine children, eighteen 
grandchildren, twenty-four great-grandchildren, and sixteen 
great-great-grandchildren; and

Whereas, following the Great 
Depression during the 1930s and 1940s, the Rawls provided a needed source of 
employment for local residents and family members. They operated their family 
and the business on the principle of two favorite sayings, "Sell the best and 
eat the rest" and "SELL what you can and CAN what you can't"; and

Whereas, taking the latter 
motto to heart, Mr. Rawl established a cannery to ensure utilization of all 
crops. In the 1960s, the Rawls began complementing the production of peaches 
with leafy greens and other vegetable crops, and in the late 1970s, WP Rawl 
became a fully diversified fresh vegetable operation; and

Whereas, Walter and Ernestine 
Rawl, visionaries in the agricultural industry, pioneered irrigation, 
hydrocooling, exporting, marketing, diversification, and food safety. They were 
ardent advocates for the promotion of South Carolina's fruits and vegetables; 
and

Whereas, devoted to the 
community, Mr. Rawl served in leadership roles at St. John's Lutheran Church, 
Lexington School District One, Newberry College, South Carolina Farm Bureau, 
and South Carolina Highway Commission. Mrs. Rawl served the community well as 
the family matriarch and supervising the harvesting on the farm; and

Whereas, currently a recognized 
leader in the production of fresh leafy greens, green onions, and other fresh 
vegetables, WP Rawl remains a family-run business with approximately nine 
thousand acres of production operations in South Carolina, Florida, 
Pennsylvania, and Michigan and processing/distribution facilities in South 
Carolina and Florida; and

Whereas, today there are eleven 
family members of the second, third, and fourth generations actively engaged in 
the operations, alongside seven hundred fifty additional employees of WP Rawl, 
a leader in the agricultural community and the fresh produce industry, and supporting 
the local communities in which they operate; and

Whereas, WP Rawl gives all 
praise, honor, and glory to God for allowing members of the family one hundred 
years in stewardship of the company. The family members strive to uphold the 
principles that were instilled in them from their patriarch and matriarch, 
Walter and Ernestine Rawl: faith, family, and farming; and

Whereas, the South 
Carolina House of Representatives values the innovations, perseverance, and 
standard of excellence that WP Rawl has exemplified for the past century, and 
the members wish the company many more years of successful production in the 
Palmetto State. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House 
of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, commend 
and honor Walter P. Rawl & Sons, Inc., a recognized South Carolina leader 
in the production of fresh vegetables in Lexington County, and congratulate the 
company upon the occasion of its one hundredth anniversary.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution 
be presented to Walter P. Rawl & Sons, Inc.

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