America’s 400th Anniversary Honors Free Enterprise
WILLIAMSBURG, Va., March 19 /PRNewswire/ — America’s 400th Anniversary Founding Colony Sponsors Norfolk Southern Corporation and Verizon will ring The Closing Bell(SM) at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on March 21 as a tribute to Jamestown, Va., and the start of America’s free enterprise economy.
(LOGO: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051111/DCF015LOGO )
186 years before the NYSE was founded, England’s King James I granted a charter to a group of London entrepreneurs — the Virginia Company — to establish an English settlement in the Chesapeake region of North America. This New World business venture lead to the 1607 founding of the first permanent English settlement — Jamestown, Va. The 104 Jamestown settlers brought with them the sprit of free enterprise and entrepreneurialism, and laid the foundations for the American way of life.
“Norfolk Southern Corporation and Verizon understand the importance of Jamestown as the place where America’s free enterprise system took root. Their support of America’s 400th Anniversary has helped focus the world’s attention on Jamestown as America’s first permanent English settlement,” said Jeanne Zeidler, executive director of Jamestown 2007, the planning organization for America’s 400th Anniversary.
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a private educational institution, joins Norfolk Southern and Verizon as Founding Colony Sponsor of the commemoration.
Today, forward-thinking companies like Norfolk Southern Corporation and Verizon are carrying on Jamestown’s great free enterprise tradition. As a result, America enjoys a competitive marketplace that fosters ingenuity and the same entrepreneurial spirit that led to the founding of Jamestown in 1607.
The ceremony will take place at 4:00 p.m. on March 21 and will feature members of Jamestown Settlement’s Honor Guard in addition to the following corporate leaders:
Norfolk Southern Corporation Henry C. Wolf, Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer Robert C. Fort, Vice President Corporate Communications Leanne D. Marilley, Director Investor Relations Debbie A. Malbon, Assistant to Vice Chairman Verizon Maura Breen, Senior Vice President & General Manager New York Region Ron Lataille, Senior Vice President Investor Relations Jamestown 2007 Jeanne Zeidler, Executive Director
Jamestown 2007, a sub-agency of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, is coordinating efforts to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Va., the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The nation’s first representative government, free enterprise system and culturally diverse society began at Jamestown. State, national, and international commemorative events to salute these legacies began in May 2006 and continue into 2008. Major corporate sponsors of America’s 400th Anniversary include Norfolk Southern Corporation , Verizon and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Other supporters include Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , AirTran Airways , Consol Energy and CNX Gas Corporation, Dominion, James City County, Lockheed-Martin, McGuireWood LLP, Philip Morris USA, SunTrust, TowneBank and Wolseley PLC/Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. Contributors include the City of Poquoson and Rutherfoord Insurance. More information about the commemoration is available at http://www.americas400thanniversary.com/.
Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nation’s premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 21,200 route miles in 22 states, the District of Columbia and Ontario, Canada, serving every major container port in the eastern United States and providing superior connections to western rail carriers. NS operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is North America’s largest rail carrier of metals and automotive products.
Verizon Communications Inc. , a Dow 30 company, is a leader in delivering broadband and other communication innovations to wireline and wireless customers. Verizon operates America’s most reliable wireless network, serving 51.3 million customers nationwide; one of the most expansive wholly- owned global IP networks; and one of the nation’s premier wireline networks, serving home, business and wholesale customers. Based in New York, Verizon has a diverse workforce of approximately 250,000 and generates annual consolidated operating revenues of approximately $90 billion. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com/.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051111/DCF015LOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Jamestown 2007
CONTACT: Courtney Quattrini, +1-202-974-5029, quattrinic@ruderfinn.com,for Jamestown 2007; or Allison Circle of the New York Stock Exchange,+1-212-656-5717, acircle@nyse.com
Web site: http://www.verizon.com/http://www.americas400thanniversary.com/