Bill Text: VA SJR216 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending William G. Crutchfield, Jr.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-07 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ216ER) [SJR216 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-SJR216-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, William G. Crutchfield, Jr., founder and sole stockholder of Crutchfield Corporation, a leading electronics retailer based in Charlottesville, celebrates his company's 50th anniversary in 2024; and
WHEREAS, William "Bill" Crutchfield, a veteran of the United States Air Force who served in the Vietnam War, was working as vice president and general manager of a company that sold and serviced forklifts when his inability to find a modern stereo for the Porsche 356 he was restoring inspired him to found Crutchfield Corporation in 1974; and
WHEREAS, operating at first out of his mother's basement, Bill Crutchfield published the first car audio mail order catalog, which soon evolved from a simple listing of parts and prices into a "magalog" publication that also featured articles describing products and instructing readers on how to install certain items; and
WHEREAS, Bill Crutchfield would continue to guide Crutchfield Corporation's development over the years by establishing its new headquarters, diversifying its inventory, and reinforcing the core values upon which the company was founded, watching the company grow from one employee to more than 650; and
WHEREAS, in 1995, Bill Crutchfield launched Crutchfield.com, making Crutchfield Corporation the first authorized online retailer of consumer electronics and a pioneer of the online shopping industry; and
WHEREAS, two years later, Bill Crutchfield set out to open a call center for Crutchfield Corporation in Norton, an initiative that would ultimately have a profound impact on the economic vitality of Southwest Virginia; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of his professional achievements, Bill Crutchfield was named Ernst & Young's Master Entrepreneur of the Year for Virginia in 1999 and was inducted into the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame in 2007; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend William G. Crutchfield, Jr., for the stellar success of Crutchfield Corporation on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to William G. Crutchfield, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his contributions to the Commonwealth.
