Company DescriptionKoppers Holdings Inc. provides treated wood products, wood preservation chemicals, and carbon compounds in the United States, Australasia, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Railroad and Utility Products and Services (RUPS), Performance Chemicals (PC), and Carbon Materials and Chemicals (CMC). The RUPS segment procures and treats crossties, switch ties, and various types of lumber used for railroad bridges and crossings. It also provides rail joint bars to join rails together for railroads; transmission and distribution poles for electric and telephone utilities; and pilings. This segment also provides railroad services, such as engineering, design, repair, and inspection services for railroad bridges. The PC segment develops, manufactures, and markets copper-based wood preservatives, including micronized copper azole, micronized pigments, alkaline copper quaternary, amine copper azole, and chromated copper arsenate for decking, fencing, utility poles, construction lumber and timbers, and various agricultural uses; and supplies fire-retardant chemicals for pressure treatment of wood primarily in commercial construction. The CMC segment manufactures creosote for the treatment of wood or as a feedstock in the production of carbon black; carbon pitch, a raw material used in the production of aluminum and steel; naphthalene for use as a feedstock in the production of phthalic anhydride and as a surfactant in the production of concrete; phthalic anhydride for the production of plasticizers, polyester resins, and alkyd paints; and carbon black feedstock for use in the production of carbon black. The company serves the railroad, specialty chemical, utility, residential lumber, agriculture, aluminum, steel, rubber, and construction industries. Koppers Holdings Inc. was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
How the Company Makes MoneyKoppers Holdings generates revenue through its three primary segments. The Railroad and Utility Products and Services segment supplies treated wood products, such as crossties and utility poles, to the railroad and utility industries. The Performance Chemicals segment offers wood treatment chemicals that protect against decay and extend the lifespan of wood products, targeting the residential and commercial construction sectors. The Carbon Materials and Chemicals segment produces carbon pitch, creosote, and other products derived from coal tar, serving the aluminum, steel, and other industrial markets. Key revenue streams include long-term contracts with railroad operators and utility companies, as well as partnerships with industrial manufacturers. Koppers' earnings are influenced by factors such as demand for infrastructure development, regulatory requirements for treated wood products, and global economic conditions affecting industrial production.