MIDDLEBURY, CT, Sept. 9, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Chemtura Corp. (formerly BioLab) announced that former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rocky Bleier will be the keynote speaker at the 2005 Association of Water Technologies Convention & Exposition to be held Sept. 21-24 at the Palm Springs Convention Center in Palm Springs, Calif. Mr. Bleier, one of today's most sought-after motivation speakers, will deliver his address on the opening day of the Exposition at 8:00 am at the Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel.
Bleier holds the attention of his audiences with gripping tales of courage on the football fields of America and the battle fields of Vietnam for many years. His message details how ordinary people can become extraordinary achievers.
A late round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bleier was drafted by the U.S. Army before the season ended and sent to Vietnam. Barely able to walk after being seriously wounded in his legs, his doctors told him that his football career was over. The story of how he overcame adversity to become a starting running back on the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that won four Super Bowls, is one of courage and determination.
Bleier believes that the lessons he learned during those years helped him overcome adversity and reach his goals after football. He parallels the challenges he faced with those faced by all business people in today's crowded, competitive marketplace. According to Paul Turgeon of Chemtura's Water Purification Division, "Rocky Bleier uses his experience to illustrate how business obstacles, such those we met when forming Chemtura Corporation, can be overcome and how goals can be achieved." Chemtura Corp. was formed when Great Lakes Chemical Corp. and its subsidiary, BioLab, merged with Crompton Corp. in July of this year. Turgeon said, "Our expanded capabilities and resources are enabling us to enhance our products and provide exceptional service to our clients worldwide."
Rocky Blier's long list of clients includes AT&T, IBM Corp., U.S. Department of Energy, Merrill Lynch and Applied Computer Technologies Sun Micro Systems. His speech, "Be the Best You Can Be" motivates audiences to keep on striving for greater accomplishments. The story of his life has been made into a book, "Fighting Back," and an ABC-TV movie by the same name.
Chemtura Corp. (www.chemtura.com), with pro forma 2004 sales of $3.7 billion, is a global manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals, crop protection and pool, spa and home care products. Based in Middlebury, Conn., the company has 7,300 employees around the world.
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