Story below

Montana was not what Robert Agbede had in mind. A Nigerian native, Agbede long wanted to move to America, and in January 1976, he got that chance. He excelled in science and math at a private American high school outside his hometown of Lagos, and universities offered scholarships: Stanford, Penn State and the Colorado School of Mines, among others

Agbede chose Montana Tech in Butte because the school would let him start at once.

″I wanted to leave so bad,″ said Agbede, whose father died when Agbede was 8, leaving him to head the household that included his mother and three younger brothers. ″I had been taking care of my family. It was time to leave and enjoy myself.″

When he arrived in Montana, Agbede stared at the bleak, frozen landscape and wondered if he'd made a mistake.

″I had black platform shoes, a two-piece suit, bell bottoms. I grew a big afro. That was the era of 'Shaft,' and I learned how to walk like 'Super Fly,' ″ Agbede recalled. ″But I didn't even have a coat. Of all the places I could have picked... .″

Better days awaited him.

Agbede today heads Chester Engineers Inc., headquartered in Moon. On March 31, the National Society of Black Engineers will present him with its 2012 Golden Torch Award for Entrepreneur of the Year. The society said Chester Engineers is the largest black-owned environmental and engineering design company in the United States and the largest water and wastewater treatment plant design and management company in Western Pennsylvania.

″Every so often, I ask myself, 'Why me?' ″ Agbede said.

His unlikely rise strikes longtime friend Glenn Mahone, senior partner at the Downtown law firm Reed Smith, as mythical. In any good story, Mahone said, the hero comes from nothing. He embarks on an arduous quest, ends up in a strange, foreboding land and overcomes the odds through sheer determination.

″For a black guy from Lagos, looking like Shaft, to end up in Butte, Montana -- I mean, Butte, Montana! -- and eventually buy Chester Engineers? That takes courage, and it takes confidence,″ Mahone said.

Agbede spent six months in Butte before his uncle, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, convinced him to transfer.

″They said 'Pittsburgh is the smoky city,' but it was heaven to me,″ Agbede said. ″I loved it. My reference line was Butte. I said, let me get out of Butte, and I just left. I had an AMC Pacer, one of the worst cars ever, and I just left it there. In Pittsburgh, the cup was half full.″

In 1979, he graduated from Pitt with an engineering degree and entered the doctoral program while working for the research arm of the National Coal Council. Through most of the 1980s, he worked as an engineer with Babcock Co., and in 1987, his life changed, he said.

U.S. Steel called, seeking help with reducing dust from the longwall mining machine at its coal mine in Alabama, he said. The Mine Safety and Health Administration threatened to close the mine if U.S. Steel couldn't fix the problem.

″They asked how much I would charge to help,″ Agbede said. ″I didn't know; I said $1,000 because that number sounded nice to me. They agreed, and I came down for the weekend.″

In a Birmingham hotel room, Agbede could not sleep that night.

″I left the television on, and there was Jimmy Swaggart,″ Agbede said. ″He was on one knee, he was crying and saying, 'Lord, I have sinned; forgive me.' Well, I got down on my knees, too, and I prayed: 'Lord, don't use all your energy on Jimmy because I need your help, too!' ″

Underground the next morning, he quickly determined how to fix the dust problem, he said. Agbede designed a device he called a scrubber, which uses water sprayers to remove dust. He patented the design, one of several patent notices framed in the Chester Engineers offices.

″We walked out of the mine, we were wearing coveralls and gear, everyone was celebrating, and I was walking like Rambo,″ Agbede said.

Two days later, U.S. Steel asked for a proposal to work on seven other problematic mines, Agbede said. He was unsure whether he wanted to start his own business.

″I never prayed that hard in my life,″ he said. ″I called them and said, 'I need an advance' -- I was trying to make them tell me no. They said, 'How much?' and I said $17,500. They said, 'OK, go pick it up at Ross Street.' I went to pick up the check, and that's how I got started.″

He bought gear, rented an office in Monroeville and started Advance Technology Services Inc. The company grew steadily, and in 2003, Agbede bought Chester Engineers from U.S. Filter Co. Chester was founded in Pittsburgh's North Side in 1910. Today, Chester Engineers has offices throughout the country and does projects around the world. Agbede spent 225 days on the road last year.

He won't release financial numbers, for competitive reasons. He wouldn't even say how many people he employs.

He is more forthcoming about his efforts to help students. Agbede has not forgotten his roots. He established the Robert O. Agbede Scholarship at Pitt to help black students pursuing engineering degrees and has given more than $3 million in other endowments.

His desire to give back is one reason former WQED President George Miles Jr. took a position as chairman of Chester Engineer's board of directors when he and his wife planned to retire to Florida. Miles knows little about engineering, both men acknowledge, but Agbede wanted him as a mentor and moral compass.

″A lot of people work and make a lot of money, and then later on, they realize that their lives made no difference at all,″ Miles said. ″I'm about trying to make a difference. So is Bob. This company, if we're successful, we're going to make some money. But we're also going to make a difference. ... Bob takes that seriously.″

Today, Agbede's engineering firm is the largest African-American-owned firm of its kind in the United States.

http://www.africanoutlookonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4070%3Aachiever-nigerian-native-agbede-owns-us-largest-black-engineering-firm-&catid=99%3Aoutlookscroller

Big ups to our brothers doing us proud home and abroad

A truly remarkable success story for us youth to endeavor to emulate.

This is a good motivational story. With God's help, the sky is my limit.

you are desperately looking for some new heros rite?(economic,business,scientific,technological and academic)don't worry you hear. but do yourselves good and feed your life and stop living on someones else greatness to feel good and validate your insecurity.congrats to him anyway, good for him and his life and family but he is not putting food on my table neither is he affecting my life.

Of which benefits is it to fellow Nigerians. He should be advise to come back home and do likewise.

Just imagine! This is somebody that comes from a very under-develope country, very large percent of youths here are unemployed. This rediculous

badesco: Of which benefits is it to fellow Nigerians. He should be advise to come back home and do likewise.

Gbam.!!!!well said.

Dangote is the rich man in Africa, how has that affected the his people in northern Nigeria which is the poorest region in the world.bill gate had to come for the united state to vaccinate his people in Kano.is that not shameful.

manchy7531: you are desperately looking for some new heros rite?(economic,business,scientific,technological and academic)don't worry you hear. but do yourselves good and feed your life and stop living on someones else greatness to feel good and validate your insecurity.congrats to him anyway, good for him and his life and family but he is not putting food on my table neither is he affecting my life.

If you need any further reason why you are a hopless fellow, look no further than this post.

Ppl who want to be succesful celerate succesful ppl but ppl like you who are full of bitterness would end up as paupers. Look around in your community, those old men who ended up as diseased 1mbeciles and beggars that was how they started.

Given that you have spent a quarter of your life on earth, that means you have a higher percentage of ending up like those ppl in your clan who died sad and sorrowful

dipo :
A truly remarkable success story for us youth to endeavor to emulate.

. Yes it's worth emulating but not when we deny this country of such remarkable development. Thank you

manchy7531: you are desperately looking for some new heros rite?(economic,business,scientific,technological and academic)don't worry you hear. but do yourselves good and feed your life and stop living on someones else greatness to feel good and validate your insecurity.congrats to him anyway, good for him and his life and family but he is not putting food on my table neither is he affecting my life.

badesco: Of which benefits is it to fellow Nigerians. He should be advise to come back home and do likewise.

Bad case of bad belle. Why do you think the OP is looking for a hero? He just saw a story about a successful black man, and decided to share.

You guys just reminded me of one time I listed to Matthew Ashimolowo analysing black people.
He said he saw Danny Glover on a flight, and went over to shake hands and get his autograph. In his words, the average black man would typically go 'Shior, what has he done for the neighbourhood, gerrout!' rather than trying to ceebrate a successful fellow black man.

We need heroes desperately, and this chap is much better reading than the criminals strutting around Lagos parading themselves as 'successful businessmen'.

^^ Thank you bros.

Some ppl obviously prefer the Nwude, Ade-Bendel, Anajemba, Morris ibekwe, Akindele "Ile-eru" type of heroes as long as they put food on their table

Its not Agbedes fault that you are hungry and need ppl to put food on your table, While young ppl of your age are reading his story and deriving motivation from it to succeed, these ones are yelling about who puts food on their table

Only a parasite like manchy would be looking for ppl to feed him, PARASITE

AjanleKoko:




Bad case of bad belle. Why do you think the OP is looking for a hero? He just saw a story about a successful black man, and decided to share.

You guys just reminded me of one time I listed to Matthew Ashimolowo analysing black people.
He said he saw Danny Glover on a flight, and went over to shake hands and get his autograph. In his words, the average black man would typically go 'Shior, what has he done for the neighbourhood, gerrout!' rather than trying to ceebrate a successful fellow black man.

We need heroes desperately, and this chap is much better reading than the criminals strutting around Lagos parading themselves as 'successful businessmen'.

don't get me wrong.if you read my first post, i congartulated him.am not against his sucess cost will wnat sucess and to get it h=i have to encourage and congratulate others too and also wish them well.but my problem is that him not based in nigeria when we want jobs and IMO i think it is time we stoopd praising all this tokubo people who dont contiribut to our economy and our life.it will rather appreceite those businessmen you call crimals cos every money they spend goes to nigerias purse,in their busines the employ people,which all that are contributing to the economy of the nation diretly and indirectly.

imagine him having the largest black engineering firm in the US.This is the same problem the igbos complain about their people investing outside their homeland.

. . .hez prolly related 2 d Agbede iknw

manchy7531:
i will rather appreceite those businessmen you call crimals cos every money they spend goes to nigerias purse,in their busines the employ people,which all that are contributing to the economy of the nation diretly and indirectly.
.

That is the whole story. Thief ole barawo. you would rather appreciate ppl who make fortunes from crooked means even if its killing ppl, swindling, rituals etc.

No wonder your heroes are Anajemba, Ade-Bendel, Oyenusi, osisikankwu, Anini, Alams, Ibori as long as they contribute to the economy.

What a useless life. Imagine someone coming on the web to say he would rather appreciate criminals as long as they contribute

Maybe when your direct family is swindled by Anajemba, Ade bendel, Tobechukwu Uba and Nwude, kidnapped by Osisikankwu, Robbed by Oyenusi and Anini, murdered and eaten by Clifford orji, you would still appreciate them as long as they contribute to the economy

the only way to be unsuccessful in life is not to celebrate successful people. haters take note

...though it does affect the price of staple food in our markets but atleast this is a departure from the usual kind of wealth making by his brothers Bode George,mrs Eteh(former speaker),Iyabo Obasanjo,Tinubu,Tafa Balogun,Baba Suwe,Ganiyu Adams,etc& the otedola's& his ilks whose corrupt practices are been subsidized by the federal govt!

dayokanu:

He is more forthcoming about his efforts to help students. Agbede has not forgotten his roots. He established the Robert O. Agbede Scholarship at Pitt to help black students pursuing engineering degrees and has given more than $3 million in other endowments.

His desire to give back is one reason former WQED President George Miles Jr. took a position as chairman of Chester Engineer's board of directors when he and his wife planned to retire to Florida. Miles knows little about engineering, both men acknowledge, but Agbede wanted him as a mentor and moral compass.

″A lot of people work and make a lot of money, and then later on, they realize that their lives made no difference at all,″ Miles said. ″I'm about trying to make a difference. So is Bob. This company, if we're successful, we're going to make some money. But we're also going to make a difference. ... Bob takes that seriously.″

The above is the part I like most and which is missing from most of our rich folks. They forget that no man is an island and you need to raise equally good people around you as you grow in life.
The only thing missing is what he has done for the school(s) he attended in Nigeria and those in his home town?
Each one of us will always be placed in the context of where we are from no matter how individually rich we are.

ppl who got money dnt talk it, dey make it. wit dat said, i'm out.

Woooooooooooooooooo!
I smell some decency on here; it appears our mod are doing gr8 by hiding senseless comments. Good work. Am happy

If you've never dream or have any intention of being at the top based on shared hard-work, perserverance; then, success of Africans who rose from bottom of the pit will not matter to you. But if your aim in life is to get to the top, from the bottom of the pit ...then people like these are your role models. Africans such as Agbede does not have to create employments in Africa before their impacts can be felt. They don't have to erect one ounce of Bore-hole or educational facilities in Nigeria before we know who they are. Although, all those employments and social amenities will go a long way. Their shared courage, Hard-work, perserverance and success stories will resonate with every African descents out there, striving to make it to the top. Mr Agbede has contributed his quota in raising the bar of excellence as a Nigerian, African and as an African American. Knowing something is possible based on fact can only improve our motivation, hence the urge to suceed, it can never deter it. His success story deserve commendation and celebration, in respective of his country of operation. Only God knows how many people will achieve their success stories, just by reading and learning from this man's history. Most/all of us are living witness to the success story of Obama and how it is reorienting the minds of all African descents.

Let us all view and appreciate success for what they really are, in respective of where they're coming from. Reading negative meaning into every success stories will cloud our judgement and stop us from learning from their verse experience. We all need Other Peoples Experieince (OPE) to be great in this life.

Mr Agbede, Kudos to you and thank you for making Africans proud and for raising the bar of excellence a little higher.

Thanks bros.

The low lifers would tell you that Nothing matters about the Obama, Agbede, the Chimamanda story as long as they dont put food on their table

What a waste of seminal fluid some ppl are

AjanleKoko:




Bad case of bad belle. Why do you think the OP is looking for a hero? He just saw a story about a successful black man, and decided to share.

You guys just reminded me of one time I listed to Matthew Ashimolowo analysing black people.
He said he saw Danny Glover on a flight, and went over to shake hands and get his autograph. In his words, the average black man would typically go 'Shior, what has he done for the neighbourhood, gerrout!' rather than trying to ceebrate a successful fellow black man.

We need heroes desperately, and this chap is much better reading than the criminals strutting around Lagos parading themselves as 'successful businessmen'.

God bless you my Brother, bad Bele dey kill ooo.

Some folks here will rather support and defend theiving people who av negative influence on their lives than one who is a positive influence to humanity at large.
Bad belle na bad thing oh ! ! !

manchy7531:

Gbam.!!!!well said.

Dangote is the rich man in Africa, how has that affected the his people in northern Nigeria which is the poorest region in the world.bill gate had to come for the united state to vaccinate his people in Kano.is that not shameful.

Even if he donates all his money to his people, it still won't solve the poverty in the North. In the case of the North, it is poverty of the mind that is holding them back. Why do you think that boko haram wants to islamize the whole Nigeria? Mind you, Dangote has provided millions of job opportunities for Nigerians. I feel ur pain but sorry u weren't employed by him neither am i.

Standing5: Some folks here will rather support and defend theiving people who av negative influence on their lives than one who is a positive influence to humanity at large.
Bad belle na bad thing oh ! ! !

They already stated it clearly see post below.

manchy7531:
I will rather appreceite those businessmen you call crimals cos every money they spend goes to nigerias purse,in their busines the employ people,which all that are contributing to the economy of the nation diretly and indirectly.
.

Do you now wonder why it would be hard to progress in this country?

Ppl who have no scrupples hailing Ibori, Alams Akala and Anajemba as long as those thieves put food on their table

This is great inspiration for Nigerians but he should invest in Africa and gives jobs in Africa because jobs are needed. There are many great engineers in Africa who need jobs. THis can be an opportunity to make a difference.

more grease with Okonjo as world bank president.

Kudos to him.

Very impressive.

If the guy comes to Nigeria to set up an engineering firm, half of the government people will ask for bribe, and the other half would frustrate him because he's not from their tribe or religion.

Imagine a dimwit customs officer sitting on potentially-lifesaving medical equipment, because of a few naira he wants to earn, to drink cheap beer and frolick with AIDS-eaten prostitutes. That's Nigeria for you. Who cares if Agbede invested in Papua New Guinea?