| Bill Farley is a well known name in | | | | and acquisitions department. It was after |
| industrial circles. He is the chairman and | | | | quite a few years that he was sent to Chicago |
| owner of Farley Industries located in | | | | on transfer for the post of regional manager |
| Chicago, Illinois. An avid follower of | | | | in charge of NL's metals division. After |
| fitness he has several leading brands to his | | | | having worked with NL industries for a good 6 |
| credit such as the likes of Munsingwear, BVD | | | | years, he shifted to Lehman Brothers in 1972, |
| and the very popular Fruit of the Loom. | | | | as an associate in corporate finance. |
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| His humble beginnings | | | | The acquisitions that followed |
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| Bill Farley was born in the town of Pawtucket | | | | Bill Farley bought his first ever company - |
| in Rhode Island. His mother was a factory | | | | Anaheim Citrus Products in the year 1976 - |
| worker and his father worked as a musician | | | | just 4 years after joining Lehman Brothers. |
| and a mailman. In his early days of struggle, | | | | It was during the same year that Farley |
| Bill Farley used to earn his living by | | | | became a partial owner of the famous Chicago |
| delivering Sunday newspapers. Later on he | | | | White Sox. Then a year later he acquired |
| switched jobs to work for a toy manufacturer | | | | Baumfolder, which happened to be a subsidiary |
| and later as a lifeguard. Farley did his | | | | of Bell & Howell. During a time span of five |
| schooling from the Bowdoin College. A | | | | years - from 1980 to 1985, Bill Farley |
| proficient scholar as well as an athlete, | | | | managed a series of acquisitions - from |
| Farley graduated from college in 1964 with a | | | | companies such as Coal Creek Mining Company, |
| degree in government. He decided to try his | | | | Health Foods, Inc., The NL Industries' Metals |
| luck in the world by traveling in the United | | | | Group, and Northwest Industries (which |
| States. | | | | included Fruit of the Loom). His companies |
| | | | were at an all time high during the 1990s - |
| From rags to riches | | | | during that time his companies employed more |
| | | | than 50000 people and had a turnover of over |
| Like many clichés even this one seems to | | | | 4 billion USD. |
| hold true for Bill Farley - the man literally | | | | |
| made it from rags to riches. There used to be | | | | The way things stand today |
| a time when he didn't have enough money to | | | | |
| eat. At such times he would earn his living | | | | Today Farley has an impressive empire to his |
| by selling encyclopedias from door to door in | | | | credit. He is the proud owner of Farley |
| Los Angeles. This ad-hoc training in | | | | industries (FI), as well as the CEO of Body |
| door-to-door selling helped him become a | | | | Wise International located in Tustin |
| leading sales manager and trainer as time | | | | California. Body Wise is a leading marketer |
| went by. He decided that education would play | | | | of nutritional supplements. Farley |
| a key role in shaping his career growth. | | | | incidentally is also the CEO of Unity Group |
| That's why in 1966 Bill Farley enrolled in | | | | LLC located in Washington D.C. which is a |
| law school at Boston College. He graduated | | | | private security force and defense contractor |
| three years later with a J.D. degree. Soon he | | | | that operates in high risk zones like |
| went on to join the famous NL industries in | | | | Indonesia, Iraq and Sudan etc. |
| New York and started working in their mergers | | | | |