Irex Ltd.

What follows is a general overview of Irex Ltd, a company that no matter how hard one tries to avoid it, just seems to cast a shadow over the events of 2003.

And yet, Irex Ltd was a legal entity only and never fulfilled any contracts in Iraq.

Irex Ltd is not Irex Corp

Ryan Manelick was gunned down on December 14, 2003 shortly after leaving a meeting at Camp Anaconda in Iraq. His obituary in Pennsylvania newspapers listed his employers as Ultra Services and Irex Ltd – mistakenly identified as Irex Corp in his obituary.

This misidentification of Irex Ltd has caused some confusion. Irex Ltd had no relationship to a company of similar name, Irex Corp of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formerly a subsidiary of Armstrong, which earned some notoriety for its involvement in asbestos suits.

The company history starts in 2003 more or less coinciding with the split of another logistics supplier, Stratex Freedom Services, in to two entities: one American, one Uzbeki as shown in the middle of the graphic provided.


History of Irex Ltd

The story of Irex Ltd begins with the founding of another company, Ultra Services, in early 2003 to fulfill logistics contracts for the US Army in Iraq.

Through a $50,000 investment from a company working in Central Asia, Stratex Freedom Services LLC, a Turkish businessman, Mete Mutluoglu, agreed to change the name of his then inactive Turkish company, Microserve to Ultra Services. Through this arrangement, Mutluoglu would own 50% and Stratex Freedom Services LLC would own the other 50% of the new company Ultra Services. For putting the company together, an American businessman, John Dawkins, would own 25% of Ultra Services through his own share in Stratex by additionally providing “sweat equity” in Iraq.(1) Mete Mutluoglu brought in two Turkish employee managers to Ultra Services, Bora Tuncay and Egemen Çakmak.

Stratex' Chief Finanical Officer, Geoff Nordloh, traveled to Turkey to help in setting up the new company, subsequently returning to Central Asia. Norldoh was never an officer or employee of Ultra Services. John Dawkins handled sales and installation in Iraq while the managers oversaw production in Turkey.

By summer, Nordloh had heard from former Stanford Business School classmate, Albert “Charles” Phillips who read about Nordloh in Stanford’s Alumni notes. Phillips was interested in Nordloh’s work in Central Asia. While Stratex had no immediate need of Phillips in Central Asia, Dawkins was pressing his Stratex partners for more help in Iraq. After several phone calls, Phillips arrived mid-summer to work for Ultra Services out of their Istanbul office.(2) Also joining the company was Ryan Manelick, the son of a close personal friend of Dawkins. Initially intending to work out of the Istanbul office, Manelick was shifted to Iraq as he spoke some Arabic. Manelick oversaw site installation.

While in Turkey, Phillips was in contact with a former colleague from Siebel Systems of San Mateo, California, Kirk von Ackermann, a former Air Force officer who had served in Kosovo. Von Ackermann traveled to Iraq and joined Ultra Services in August of 2003.

By the Fall of 2003, relations within Ultra Services had begun to sour.

Several Ultra Services’ employees, unhappy with John Dawkins —- who had more or less pushed his Turkish partner Mutluoglu aside -- sought to create a new company, Irex Ltd. The employees sought to partner with Stratex Freedom Services LLC, later renamed TFI International LLC after the company severed ties with its former Uzbek partners.

Corporate Structure

Irex Ltd principals were originally intended to be:

Albert Charles Phillips – Chief Executive Officer
Geoff Nordloh – Chief Financial Officer
Egeman Cakmak
Bora Tuncay
Kirk von Ackermann

In addition, Charles Phillips suggested bringing in a third Stanford Business School colleague, Michael Finkelstein. Finkelstein would look into financing but never formally joined the company.

Irex Ltd had already developed its first product, a Demountable Guard Unit, designed by Kirk von Ackermann and his wife, Megan. Investors and manufacturers were showing considerable interest. Potential buyers were lining up in no small part due to von Ackermann's prior experience in the military. The product was already showing potential outside of Iraq.

The company website, www.irex-services.com, was registered on October 2, 2003. Cached pages from the original Irex Ltd website, now the site of an Internet services company, can be viewed at the Internet Archive.

In an email to Nordloh, on October 8, 2003 (2) , Phillips sketched out in considerable detail the corporate structure of what would eventually be Irex Ltd. He noted that Mete Mutluoglu was “under the impression that he is Stratex’ exclusive partner in Turkey”, and that this would need to be resolved. Even though he was essentially John Dawkins' business partner in Ultra Services, Mutluoglu's agreement was actually signed with Stratex. It was anticipated some sort of financial arrangement with Mutluoglu would need to be worked out.

The next day, on October 9, 2003, Kirk von Ackermann disappeared while traveling on business in Iraq.

Irex Ltd was incorporated in Bermuda on October 22, 2003. The company would exist as a legal entity only and would never fulfill any contracts.

By mid-November, Ryan Manelick had decided to join Irex Ltd as the company's representative in Iraq, writing an email to his father on November 16, 2003 that he and Charles Phillips had split from Dawkins. (3)

On December 14, 2003, Ryan Manelick was killed shortly after leaving a meeting at Camp Anaconda. Charles Phillips, Bora Tuncay and Egemen Cakmak continued to try to get Irex Ltd off the ground.

By February of 2004, Phillips returned to the United States for good.

By March, Irex Ltd and Ultra Services both ceased to exist.

Most of the information that follows originated from what still remains of the original website at the Internet Archive.

Contact Information

From the Irex Ltd website:

Acıbadem cad. Bayir sok. Neyyire hanim apt. No:4 D:2 Uskudar
Istanbul / TURKEY
Tel: +90 (216) 545 4610
Fax: +90 (216) 545 4602
E-mail: info@irex-services.com

Clarendon House (registered agent for Irex Ltd)
2 Church Street
Hamilton HM11
BERMUDA
E-mail: bermudainfo@irex-services.com

Corporate Mission

From the Irex Ltd website:

Irex Services is dedicated to supporting the execution of United States policy and maintaining the safety and well-being of United States citizens and personnel throughout the globe. We are committed to the highest levels of safety, product design, and operational effectiveness. Each of our employees represents our outstanding standards of customer service and corporate integrity in each and every interaction with one of our customers.

About Irex Ltd

From the Irex Ltd website:

Irex Services, Ltd. was founded and incorporated in 2003 to provide a base of operations to serve the construction needs of the United States government in Southern Turkey and Northern Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi freedom. Irex' formation is a direct response to the previous absence of regionally owned, American-staffed companies providing services in the rebuilding of Iraq after the recent war. Irex contracts directly with the United States government for goods and services in the construction arena. Irex is also available to sub-contract to foreign firms looking to tap local vendors for projects. Irex is committed to providing the highest level of service at the most effective price.

Irex' diverse management team is specifically designed to effectively provide logistical and supply support to the United States Armed Services. Irex' American management component provides a familiar point of contact to U.S. personnel, providing a level of comfort unusual in companies which are managed solely by local talent in areas of deployment. Irex' Turkish management component is able to source and sub-contract with vendors who can fill the materials and labor needs of Irex' contracts, utilizing decades of expertise in Turkey and the rest of Europe and Asia . The combination of these components allows Irex to design, manufacture, and deliver goods and services throughout the Eastern Hemisphere . Since its formation, the company has successfully won and executed contracts to provide good and services in Baghdad and throughout Northern Iraq totaling more than $10 million. Irex Services, Ltd. is a Bermuda corporation corporate headquarters in Hamilton , Bermuda and operational offices in Istanbul, Turkey.

Company Catalogue

The website originally included information about products available through Irex Ltd. such as:

Armored Protection – Steel Umbrella for Containerized Units

Containerized Office Units

Mobile Armored Guard Units This product was designed by Kirk von Ackermann and his wife Megan. More information on the Guard Unit including pictures can be found here: The Demountable Guard Shack

General Information of Irex Ltd Principals

Albert Charles Phillips - Chief Executive Officer
(Information from the Irex Ltd website)

Charles Phillips has been a sales, marketing and operations executive at a mix of new ventures and established firms in the arenas of software, telecommunications, and professional services. His most significant recent experience is at Siebel Systems where he managed the company's $10 million relationship with its largest channel partner (Microsoft). He also worked in Global Sales Operations where he architected Siebel's Global/Strategic Accounts program, and served as an Engineering Operations manager, supervising 1000+ engineers in the release of the latest version of Siebel's suite of Customer Relationship Management software (v. 7.5). Prior to Siebel, Charles was director of Business Development for Certive Corporation, a small business application services provider. At Certive, Charles was solely responsible for the relationship and strategic initiatives with the company's largest channel partner and chief investor, Office Depot. Charles also spent two years as a consultant for the Boston Consulting Group, covering healthcare and the pulp and paper industry.

Charles Phillips has an AB in Government from Harvard University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Geoff Nordloh - Chief Financial Officer
(Information provided by Geoff Nordloh - also see About Geoff Nordloh)

Geoff Nordloh received his bachelor’s degree (magna cum laude) from Princeton University in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He received a full fellowship to study Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University and completed his master’s degree there in 1993 followed by an MBA from its Graduate School of Business in June 1999.

From 1993 to 1997 he served as an officer in the United States Air Force, responsible for the launch, deployment, and operations of several communications satellite programs. Nordloh co-founded Mesopotamia Group LLC and now serves as the company’s CFO traveling between the United States and Afghanistan.

Bora Tuncay – partner

Bora Tuncay with Egeman Çakmak and Kirk von Ackermann, was to hold a 20% interest in the company, vested after 2 years. (4)

Egemen Çakmak – partner

Egeman Çakmak with Bora Tuncay and Kirk von Ackermann, was to hold a 20% interest in the company, vested after 2 years. (5)

Kirk von Ackermann - partner

A former Air Force Captain, Kirk von Ackermann, with Bora Tuncay and Egeman Çakmak, was to hold a 20% interest in the company, vested after 2 years. (6) Von Ackermann had previously served with distinction as a Russian linguist for the US Army then as an officer with the US Air Force where he was decorated for work for NATO operations in Bosnia behind enemy lines, eventually working with with an elite joint force command counter-terrorism unit that regularly briefed the White House. After leaving the military, he went to work as a manager at Siebel Systems in San Mateo, CA.

Extensive biographical information on von Ackermann can be found at the weblog, Missing in Iraq by Megan von Ackermann, see March - August 2006

Footnotes

(1) Information provided by Geoff Nordloh for the article
One Missing, One Dead: An Iraq Contractor in the Fog of War
By Susie Dow with Steven Reich, ePluribus Media, May 15, 2006
(2) Ibid
(3) Death of a Contractor: Greed and Murder in Iraq's Lawless Desert
By Dan Halpern, Rolling Stone, March 8, 2007, Issue 1021
pp 70-74, 76-69 (print version includes photos)
(4) Email from Charles Phillips to Geoff Nordloh sent October 8, 2003 10:23 AM Subject: Corporate Structure (A copy of the full text of this email is available to read here: Irex Ltd. - Corporate Structure)
(5) Ibid
(6) Ibid

Irex Ltd. - Corporate Structure

I recently wrote a fictional piece, The Mind of Susie Dow, based on the idea that Kirk von Ackermann was killed due to mistaken identity. Specifically, von Ackermann was mistaken for the founder of Ultra Services, John Dawkins. Where did that idea come from? John Dawkins was so universally disliked by the fall of 2003, that I caught myself wondering one day why nobody took a sledge hammer to him. It was a pivotal 'bingo!' moment for me.

What does this have to do with Irex Ltd?

It would be an understatement to say that there was a lot of 'dissatisfaction' with the quality of leadership skills of the founder, John Dawkins, at Ultra Services. A small group were busy planning to shoplift the business out from under Dawkins and launch their own new venture, Irex Ltd. Irex Ltd. already had its first product in development, an armored demountable Guard Booth, designed by Kirk von Ackermann and his wife, Megan.

Irex Ltd. never quite got off the ground--Kirk von Ackermann disappeared and Ryan Manelick was killed. Irex Ltd. never received any contracts and was a legal entity in name only. However, there are two possible ways the creation of Irex Ltd. could have played a role in the disappearance of Kikr von Ackermann and the murder of Ryan Manelick. Both involve money:

1. Irex Ltd. was a threat to Ultra Services and by extension, John Dawkins
2. John Dawkins stood in the way of Irex Ltd. moving forward quickly
   

Just to be clear, there's no indication Irex Ltd. played ANY role in the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann or the murder of Ryan Manelick. After all, Manelick alleged 'fraud' shortly before he died. While fraud can easily be interwoven in to either of the above, it also isn't necessary as a sole motivating factor. If fraud IS the sole basis and sole motivating factor of events then Irex Ltd. has NO role:

1. Kirk von Ackermann was killed because he was going to blow the whistle on fraud
2. Ryan Manelick was killed because he found out

I hope the above is clear because I'd like to spend a few posts on Irex Ltd. but I don't want people to be confused in to thinking there's any evidence of a direct correlation or connection between Irex Ltd and the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann or the murder of Ryan Manelick. There is none.

Corporate Structure

An email was sent from Charles Phillips to Geoff Nordloh just days before Kirk von Ackermann disappeared. I have referenced this email on various occasions, including in an article I wrote for ePluribus Media on the corporate history of Ultra Services:

One Missing, One Dead: An Iraq Contractor in the Fog of War
by Susie Dow with Steven Reich, ePluribus Media, May 15, 2006

Geoff Nordloh was kind enough to grant me permission to post this here at the Missing Man.

--------------------------

From: Geoff Nordloh
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 03:10 AM
To: Susie Dow
Subject: FW: Corporate Structure

This is a long email, but in it Charles makes reference to Kirk vis-à-vis the “new” company setup. Although this email doesn’t list Irex by name, I know that’s what we were talking about…

Geoff

-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Phillips [mailto:charles@ultra-services.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2003 10:23 AM
To: 'Geoff Nordloh'
Subject: FW: Corporate Structure

I sent it to the wrong services.

(Note: this is a reference to initially sending the email to the wrong address. I have included this short note because of the date the email was sent and then re-sent.

Keep in mind that internal company emails were monitored and read, and that there was the ability to forward emails to unknown outside parties. This adds an extra layer to the potential to abuse the information in the email below.

All of this raises two questions: 1. who had a vested interest in interfering with Irex Ltd. plans and 2. who might have seen the email?

That Charles Phillips sent the email through the Ultra Services email server shows an almost naivete on cyber security one would not normally expect to see in a person who had had previously worked at a software company. That in itself raises more questions. At some point, I'll address all of the questions I've just mentioned here in a later post. - Susie Dow)

-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Phillips [mailto:charles@ultra-services.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2003 7:45 PM
To: 'Geoff@ultra-services.com'
Subject: Corporate Structure

Geoff,

I’ve been giving our corporate structure a lot of thought and I’d like to share them with you so that we can lay out a blueprint for what the company ought to look like going forward. First, a bit of corporate news: we are currently in the process of scaling back the John Dawkins model of service in Iraq . This model involves securing contracts in Iraq and then managing the purchasing and packaging of all the piece parts which are necessary to make those projects successful.

An example is a shower unit. This unit requires the following pieces to be sourced in Turkey for its completion:

• 2 AC/ECU units
• 1 5000 Lt fresh water tank
• 1 5000 Lt grey water tank
• 1 5000 Lt black water tank
• 1 250 Lt water heater (3KW x 2 heating element)
• 1 Water Pressure tank
• 1 Sump Pump
• 1 Grey Water collection tank
• Miscellaneous Pipes, Valves, Cables

These items must then be packaged with the shower unit itself and shipped to Iraq . Once in Iraq , the unit has to be effectively escorted to the base and then installation must take place with a team of local workers. This process involves working with at least 7 different vendors in three languages, and a rather precarious financing structure which is heavily dependent on advance payments from the U.S. military. Typically, this process leaves us strapped for personnel and cash, and while it potentially garners a larger margin on each individual projects, it necessarily limits the number and size of projects you can take on. It also puts us at considerable risk of finishing projects late which has an opportunity cost if nothing else.

Company management has of course found a more viable option. We are currently working with Turkish partners who are able to secure financing and financial terms which require substantially less financial outlay from the company. These companies manage all sourcing and logistics of the projects, sub-contracting them out to trusted vendors. Typically, their costs are more predictable and the logistical flow to the installation site is much smoother. What they require from us is firm contract specifications and help contacting the military, getting onto the bases, etc.

Many of these vendors we have worked with and a few we haven’t worked with have approached us about extending this idea even further…in short, they promise to provide all financing, logistics, and installation as long as we help them source and negotiate the contracts and deal with the military on an ongoing basis (getting onto bases, securing living privileges, etc.). In some cases, these companies even promise to help source contracts for us. Effectively, we would switching our core competency from sourcing and logistical support to contract consulting, negotiations, and high-level strategic support.

This switch is not without risk. The proprietary model, although limiting, had some built in protection against partner risk. We owned our sourcing and many of the vendor relationships were effectively isolated from the U.S. Army. If we follow a tighter partnership model, we are exposed in the following ways (but there are ways we can limit that exposure):

• We could enter into partnerships with companies which are not capable of filling out their responsibilities, either financially or operationally.

• Solution: We are currently engaging the preeminent law-firm in Turkey to do due diligence on each of these companies and allow us to pick companies which have the proven financial base and operational expertise to service the contracts

• We could enter into partnerships with companies which engage in predatory tactics and end up taking our clients from us.

• Solution: Engage in high value projects and maintain a strong corporate front. Ensure that all contracts signed with Turkish partners are backed by enforceable confidentiality and exclusivity agreements. Build as much "intellectual property" as possible into projects and maintain tight institutional control of client relationships (primary mover of all meetings with decision-makers).

We continue to be one of the only American groups cognizant enough of the real risk in the region to do business throughout Iraq and the time is ripe to leverage Turkish company’s interest in the region.

To that end, I am trying to achieve the following milestones as quickly as possible:

• Finishing Bermudan incorporation
• Finishing Turkish subsidiary incorporation
• Replenishing deal pipeline
• Selecting financial and strategic partners
• Finalizing and servicing deals

A word on the Bermudan Partnership:

Stratex and I will be 50-50 partners in the initial corporation, as promised. One of the board members will be your employee, one of the board members will be me, and one of the board members will be chosen from Kirk, Bora, and Egemen. After that (and hopefully concurrent with it), I want us to immediately ask our Bermudan lawyers to issue an agreement that allows for an issuance of more shares which will end with the shares conferred in the following proportions:

• Stratex: 10% vested (founder)
• Charles Phillips: 10% vested (founcer)
• Bora, Egemen, Kirk: 20% options (vested over 2 years)
• Charles Phillips: 30% options (key employee, vested over 2 years)
• Key Financial Partner: 10% (Key Financial partner defined as $15 million in available equity or loan)
• Future employees/key strategic partners: 20%

As you can see, I want to make sure everyone is incentivised to add value going forward. To that end, many of the shares are performance based. Of particular note is the share block set aside for the Key financial partners. This item is for partners who wish to add cash to the concern which is in excess of what our current partnership portfolio can effectively provide. The number I’m looking for for full participation is $15 million—that number gets a partner in at full 10% value. Any number short of that allows entrance to the partner at a pro rata share.

The same is true of the pool for future employees or key strategic partners. As we go forward, we will need to add employees, board members, and/or partners which clearly provide an entrée into large businesses we wish to enter. These individuals or entities will be allowed to have equity in the company provided they present a compelling case about the business interest they represent.

Finally, a word on some of the administrative functions of the company:

• Legal: I would like to have a word with Conyers, Dill, & Peterman about handling our ongoing legal relationships in Bermuda . I will also be working with Izzet Hatem, a prominent lawyer here in Turkey to do business here.


• Financial: I think it would make sense for Stratex to provide some CFO functions, but most of the active controlling and accounting work I would like to farm out to local people here in Turkey. Basically, we will need our CFO to be someone who lives and works here and therefore can help perform regular audits on our partners to make sure that we are getting the right information from them


• Marketing: We will quickly move to get a website up and running and I have talked to some people in the U.S. about getting funding.

These are my thoughts, but I feel that time is of the essence. Additionally, and this is an important point: Mete is under the impression that he is Stratex’ exclusive partner in Turkey . If this is the case, then these details will have to be changed pending reconciliation of that situation.

Let me know what you think…I’d like to close on these items as quickly as possible.

Charles

The Demountable Guard Shack

In the spring of 2006, with a small group of volunteer researchers from ePluribus Media, I spent a great deal of time looking into the hijacking of the registration of www.mesopotamiagroup.com, the domain of John Dawkins latest company, Mesopotamia Group LLC.

In the process of researching associated domains in shared IP blocks and cross referencing internal html code -- exciting stuff -- I came across images of a guard shack, a product once offered on the Ultra Services website. The guard shack was designed by Kirk von Ackermann with the help of his wife, Megan (credit where credit is due after all).

I pulled the images of the guard shack off of the archived version of the Ultra Services website at the Web Archive. The Ultra Services website has not been maintained and the data has since degenerated further making access to images no longer possible. But fortunately, I had the presence of mind to take screen captures of what still remained of the pages.


Caption above the photographs reads:

Mobile & Demountable Armored Guard Booth Units :

Ultra Services has designed a mobile armored fighting unit to provide force protection for forward units in hostile environments. The units are armored according to client specifications (U. S. Level IV maximum). The units are designed to be mobilized or demobilized by no more than 10 personnel within 1 hour of deployment at the site.

The units are fully modularized, meaning that if one of the armor or glass panels must be replaced, additional panels can be purchased from Ultra-Services on an individual basis-the unit does not have to be totally replaced. Ultra-Services will train and certify personnel on construction of the units. Ultra-Services will also provide certification teams to perform periodic inspections of the panels to insure their readiness for force protection.

Each unit has 360 degree visibility, 360 degrees of fighting position

72 piece unit - assembled by hand, each component 65kg or less; damaged parts can be replaced (see picture).

5 piece unit

1 piece unit

We produce vehicles made to transport and quickly support the assembly of the 72 and 5 piece units.

This was the product Irex Ltd. was in the process of researching and developing when Kirk von Ackermann disappeared.

PS One day, I'll get around to telling the story of the domain hijacking. It's a fascinating whodunnit for geeks like myself. But for now, it would prove an unnecessary distraction to an already full plate.

Irex Corp

Irex Corp. is mentioned only once, as the employer of Ryan Manelick. It is the only known reference to date. There is no on-line information to indicate how Irex Corp. is participating in Iraq reconstruction. There is also nothing further than this one article to ascertain the relationship of Irex Corp. to Ultra Services.

Family mourns CV grad killed in Iraq ambush
by Cindy Stauffer, Lancaster New Era, December 18, 2003

Mrs. Manelick said her family found out about her son's death via a telephone call from the State Department.

She said a representative from her son's company, Ultra Services/Irex Corp., plans to attend her son's funeral Monday. She does not know if that person will be able to tell them more about the attack.

Manelick had gone to Baghdad in August and was living in company-supplied housing, his mother said. He was chief operations officer and logistics and services manager for the company.

More...

The Lancaster New Era, which published the article, has an avearge daily circulation of 45,000. Their offices are located in Lancaster, PA.

Editor's Note: Irex was mis-identified in the above article as "Irex Corp". The correct name of the business is Irex Ltd. Additional information will follow in a later post. - July 21, 2005

Irex Corporation, also known as Irex Contracting Group, is listed in Lancaster, PA.

Irex Corporation
120 North Lime Street
Lancaster, PA 17608
http://www.irexcontracting.com/
info@irexcorp.com

The company website reports $144 million in revenues for 2003.

Irex Corporation Management is listed as:

W. Kirk Liddell - President & Chief Executive Officer

Irex subsidiaries:

Advanced Specialty Contractors, LLC, Aston, PA
Altair Contracting, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Argus Contracting, LLC, Long Beach, CA
Atlantic Contracting and Specialties, Westwood, MA
Cornerstone Services Group, LLC, Kansas City, MO
New States Contracting, LLC, Linden, NJ
Pyro-Stop, LLC, Aston, PA
SpaceCon LLC Architectural, Lancaster, PA
SpaceCon LLC Marine, Thibodaux, LA
Summit Contracting, LLC, Salt Lake City, UT

Side Note

The following is provided as additional background information on Irex Corporation.

Armstrong Linoleum was first offered for trade in 1909 from its factory in Lancaster, PA.

From the sale of one of Armstrong's subsidiaries, Armstrong Contracting and Supply Corporation, renamed AC&S, Irex Corporation was formed in 1968.

The wholly-owned subsidiary of Irex Corporation, AC&S, filed for bankruptcy due to asbestos litigation--a situation that Halliburton has also found itself in due to their merger in 1998 with Dresser Industries. According to one site that monitors asbestos litigation, "Certain of the products installed by AC&S between 1958 and 1974 contained asbestos. Effective January 1, 1974, AC&S adopted the policy that it would no longer handle, furnish or install friable asbestos-containing materials."

The President and CEO of Irex Corporation, W. Kirk Liddell, was a guest at the White House for the February 18, 2005 signing of the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 by President Bush.

Law on class action suits a triumph for Bush
by Ken Herman, Cox News Service, February 19, 2005

Kirk Liddell, president of the Irex Corporation of Lancaster, Pa., and one of the guests at the East Room signing ceremony, praised the new law and echoed Bush's call for further efforts to protect businesses.

"It's imperative that Congress builds on this momentum and presses ahead with critical asbestos, medical liability and other comprehensive legal reforms," said Liddell, chairman of the National Association of Manufacturers legal issues policy committee.

More...