We at Integrity (and Marvin) were thrilled to be recognized — again — by President Obama in his speech last Thursday accepting his party’s nomination for the presidency. (In the video above, go to approximately 35:30.) The president praised our efforts to keep our skilled and loyal work force intact throughout the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

Said Obama: “The family business in Warroad, Minn., that didn’t lay off a single one of their 4,000 employees during this recession, even when their competitors shut down dozens of plants, even when it meant the owners gave up some perks and pay – because they understood their biggest asset was the community and the workers who helped build that business. They give me hope.”

It’s actually the second time in the past year that the president has praised Marvin’s record of preserving jobs. In a speech last December, he made a very similar point. So did the New York Times, in a lengthy article about Marvin and its deep ties to the community of Warroad.

We’re delighted with all this positive attention, of course. But for us, the important thing is that we’ve preserved good jobs and kept our community from the devastation that would follow widespread layoffs. We’ve maintained our ability to serve our customers to the fullest with high-quality products and superior service.

In the long run, those are the things that count most. And when the economy turns around — as it will — we’ll once more share the bounty of good times with all the hard-working employees who have persevered through the tough patches.