IISRP to honour Schremp, Graves of Firestone

Houston, Texas - The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers Inc. (IISRP) will honour two Firestone Polymer leaders at its next Annual General Meeting. John Schremp, retired President will be the recipient of its prestigious General Award and Daniel Graves will receive the Technical Award. The awards will be formally presented during the IISRP's 47th Annual General Meeting in Barcelona, Spain the week of 15 May 2006.

John Schremp is being honored for his contribution to the industry and to the success of the IISRP. He became a Director to the IISRP Board in 1991 and has served as International President, Americas Section President, Director Sponsor to the Technical Committee, and as a member of the Performance Review Committee, the IISRP's primary oversight committee.

Daniel Graves, Firestone Polymer's Manager of Product Development, began his 32-year career as a technician at Firestone's Central Research Elastomer Synthesis Group where he contributed to the development of specialty elastomers. During this time he received his B.S. and M.S. in Polymer Science from the University of Akron.

He continued his research working as a tire compounder to develop elastomers with reduced rolling resistance. His research continued leading to the development and commercialization of styrenic butadiene block copolymers, low rolling resistance BR and SBR and SSBR substitutes for ESBR and high cis BR. Mr. Graves has numerous publications and holds over 48 patents.