Koppers
Koppers is a Pittsburgh-based global producer of carbon materials, chemicals, and treated wood products for infrastructure and industrial markets.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
Koppers is a global industrial materials and chemicals company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its business is centered on the processing of carbon-based raw materials and the manufacture of products used in infrastructure, transportation, utilities, metals, chemicals, rubber, agriculture, and construction. Unlike a consumer-facing brand, Koppers primarily sells specialized materials, treated wood, and industrial services to other businesses and public infrastructure operators. The company traces its origins to 1912, when German immigrant engineer Heinrich Koppers founded Koppers Company in Chicago. The organization moved to Pittsburgh in 1915, where it became closely associated with the city’s industrial economy and later occupied the landmark Koppers Building, completed in 1929. Andrew Mellon, a prominent Pittsburgh financier, acquired the founder’s interest and became a significant shareholder during the company’s early development. Koppers expanded substantially through coal- and petroleum-derived chemistry, materials processing, and industrial manufacturing. During the Second World War, it built a plant at Kobuta, Pennsylvania, to produce styrene-butadiene monomer for synthetic rubber used in the American defense effort. In the early 1950s, it added ethylbenzene production at Port Arthur, Texas, using ethylene from a nearby refinery and benzene associated with Pennsylvania coke operations. These materials supported the production of styrene and expandable polystyrene. Koppers also obtained a license to manufacture polyethylene, and its chemical operations later contributed to the formation of Sinclair-Koppers Company with Sinclair Oil Corporation in 1965. The company historically operated beyond basic chemical production. In the 1960s it established a Noise Control division that manufactured prefabricated sound traps. Over time, its portfolio became more concentrated in carbon materials, treated wood, railroad products, utility products, and related environmental and industrial services. Koppers currently describes its activities through four main business areas: Performance Chemicals; Railroad Products and Services; Utility and Industrial Products; and Carbon Materials and Chemicals. Its products include treated railroad crossties, utility and transmission poles, marine pilings, carbon pitch, coal-tar-derived chemicals, and other materials used by aluminum, steel, plastics, resins, rubber, railroad, utility, agricultural, and construction customers. In North America, it is a major supplier of railroad crossties to Class I railroads and is associated with pre-plated crossties prepared for more efficient installation. Koppers’ international network includes manufacturing and distribution operations in North America, South America, Australasia, China, and Europe. It processes coal tar from multiple regions, including through the 2010 acquisition of Dutch coal-tar processor Cindu Chemicals. Its materials can improve the durability and service life of infrastructure products, although some coal-tar-derived materials and wood-treatment chemicals carry environmental and public-health risks that require regulatory control. Koppers underwent a major ownership change at the end of the twentieth century. British conglomerate Beazer completed a hostile takeover of Koppers Company in June 1988 for approximately $1.81 billion. Later that year, local management bought back the smaller Koppers Industries unit. The reorganized enterprise eventually became independent again and returned to public markets in 2006. In the 2020s, Koppers continued to invest in production capacity, including a planned $17 million manufacturing facility in Louisiana announced in 2023.
History
Koppers was founded in Chicago in 1912 by Heinrich Koppers, a German immigrant engineer whose work and business interests were connected to industrial chemistry and coke-oven technology. The organization moved to Pittsburgh in 1915. Pittsburgh became the company’s long-term corporate home and linked Koppers to the region’s steel, coal, transportation, and heavy-industrial economy. Andrew Mellon later purchased the founder’s interest and became a major shareholder. The company’s Pittsburgh identity was reinforced by the construction of the Koppers Building, an art-deco skyscraper completed in 1929. The building became a prominent downtown landmark and reflected the scale and confidence of the company during the interwar industrial period. During the Second World War, Koppers expanded its chemical manufacturing role. In 1943, at the request of the United States government, it constructed a plant at Kobuta, Pennsylvania, on the Ohio River. The facility manufactured styrene-butadiene monomer, a key input for synthetic rubber used in wartime defense production. This project connected Koppers directly to national industrial mobilization and demonstrated the strategic importance of its chemical operations. In 1951, Koppers built an ethylbenzene plant at Port Arthur, Texas. The plant used ethylene supplied by a nearby Gulf Oil refinery and benzene produced as a byproduct of Koppers’ Pennsylvania coke ovens. Benzene was transported by barge from Pennsylvania to Texas, while the resulting ethylbenzene was shipped back to the Kobuta area for conversion into styrene monomer and subsequent polymerization into expandable polystyrene. During the early 1950s, Koppers also acquired a license to manufacture polyethylene at Port Arthur. These activities broadened the company’s role from traditional coke-related operations into large-scale petrochemical and polymer production. Koppers’ chemical interests later helped form Sinclair-Koppers Company in 1965 through a combination with Sinclair Oil Corporation. The company also experimented with adjacent industrial markets. In the 1960s, it created a Noise Control division that manufactured prefabricated sound traps, showing an effort to apply industrial fabrication capabilities to environmental and infrastructure problems. By the late twentieth century, Koppers’ history included both diversification and restructuring. In early 1988, British conglomerate Beazer launched and completed a hostile takeover of Koppers Company. The transaction was completed on June 17, 1988, for approximately $1.81 billion. Beazer’s ownership resulted in a more streamlined domestic business structure. Later in 1988, local management bought back the smaller Koppers Industries unit, restoring an independent company focused on core industrial activities. Koppers subsequently rebuilt its business around carbon materials, chemical processing, treated wood, railroad products, and utility and industrial products. In 2001, it closed a wood-treatment plant in Oroville, California, after contamination was identified at the 205-acre facility and nearby areas. Reported contaminants included pentachlorophenol and chromium, and the episode raised concerns about impacts on local drinking water. The event remains an important part of the company’s environmental history because wood preservation and coal-tar-related operations require careful handling of hazardous substances. In 2006, the reorganized independent Koppers returned to the public markets. The company continued internationalizing its production and sourcing network, with operations and facilities in North America, Europe, Australasia, China, and other regions. In 2010, it acquired Cindu Chemicals in the Netherlands, strengthening its coal-tar processing capabilities and access to European operations. Koppers’ modern business is organized into four principal areas: Performance Chemicals; Railroad Products and Services; Utility and Industrial Products; and Carbon Materials and Chemicals. Its products serve aluminum and steel producers, railroads, electric utilities, chemical manufacturers, rubber and plastics companies, agriculture, construction, and other industrial customers. In 2023, the company announced a planned $17 million investment in a new Louisiana manufacturing facility, indicating continued expansion of its North American production base.
- 2023
Louisiana manufacturing investment announced
[1]Koppers announced plans to invest approximately $17 million in a new Louisiana manufacturing facility.
- 2010
Cindu Chemicals acquired
[1]Koppers acquired Dutch coal-tar processor Cindu Chemicals, expanding its international carbon-materials operations.
- 2006
Koppers returned to public markets
[1]The independent Koppers business became publicly traded again after its post-Beazer restructuring.
- 2001
Oroville wood-treatment plant closed
[1]Koppers closed the contaminated Oroville, California, wood-treatment facility.
- 1988
Beazer takeover completed and Koppers Industries repurchased
[1]Beazer completed its hostile takeover of Koppers Company, while local management later bought back Koppers Industries.
- 1965
Sinclair-Koppers Company formed
[1]Koppers’ chemical operations contributed to the creation of Sinclair-Koppers Company with Sinclair Oil Corporation.
- 1951
Port Arthur ethylbenzene plant opened
[1]Koppers established ethylbenzene production in Port Arthur, Texas, supporting a wider chain of styrene and polymer manufacturing.
- 1943
Kobuta synthetic-rubber materials plant built
[1]Koppers built a Pennsylvania plant to produce styrene-butadiene monomer for wartime synthetic-rubber manufacturing.
- 1929
Koppers Building completed
[1]The landmark Koppers Building opened in downtown Pittsburgh and became a prominent symbol of the company.
- 1915
Corporate base moved to Pittsburgh
[1]The organization relocated from Chicago to Pittsburgh, which became its enduring headquarters and corporate center.
Products and positioning
A business-to-business industrial materials and infrastructure supplier combining carbon chemistry, chemical processing, wood preservation, railroad products, and utility products. Koppers positions its offerings around durability, infrastructure life extension, and specialized materials for demanding industrial applications.
Industrial chemicals and materials
Carbon Materials and Chemicals
Koppers processes coal tar and other carbon-based feedstocks into materials and chemicals used in aluminum, steel, plastics, resins, rubber, treated wood, and other industrial applications. These products include carbon-based inputs that support high-temperature industrial processes and materials designed to improve the durability of infrastructure products.
Wood preservatives and industrial chemicals
Performance Chemicals
The Performance Chemicals business provides chemical treatments intended to preserve wood and improve its resistance to decay, insects, weather, and demanding service conditions. Its applications include railroad, utility, construction, agricultural, and other treated-wood markets.
Railroad infrastructure
Railroad Products and Services
Koppers supplies treated railroad crossties and related railroad products and services. In North America, it is described as a major supplier to Class I railroads. Its pre-plated crossties are prepared with hardware before installation, supporting more efficient track construction and maintenance.
Treated wood and infrastructure products
Utility and Industrial Products
This business supplies treated wood and related products for utilities, transmission systems, marine infrastructure, and industrial applications. Products such as poles and marine pilings are designed to withstand prolonged exposure to moisture, biological deterioration, and structural demands.
Industrial environmental equipment · 1960
Noise Control Products
Koppers operated a Noise Control division during the 1960s that manufactured prefabricated sound traps. The division represented an adjacent industrial activity applying the company’s manufacturing capabilities to noise mitigation.
Controversies
2020
Koppers agrees to settlement over facility violations
Koppers agreed to a proposed settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency addressing more than 30 violations at facilities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Under the proposed agreement, Koppers did not admit to the violations and agreed to pay amounts to the United States, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
2001
Oroville wood-treatment contamination
Koppers closed a 205-acre wood-treatment facility in Oroville, California, after contamination was identified at the site and in surrounding areas. Reported substances included pentachlorophenol and chromium, and the contamination was associated with concerns about chemicals entering the local drinking-water supply.
Brand decisions
2023
Louisiana manufacturing expansionStrategyBackground
Koppers identified additional North American manufacturing capacity as part of its continuing industrial expansion.
Action taken
The company announced an approximately $17 million investment to establish a new manufacturing facility in Louisiana.
Announced investment. $17 million (2023)
2006
Return to public marketsStrategyBackground
Following the post-Beazer restructuring and management buyback, Koppers rebuilt a more focused industrial business.
Action taken
Koppers became publicly traded again in 2006.
Aftermath
The company continued operating as an independent producer focused on carbon materials, chemicals, treated wood, railroad products, and utility products.
1988
Beazer completes hostile takeoverM&ABackground
Koppers Company was targeted by British conglomerate Beazer during a period of aggressive corporate takeovers.
Action taken
Beazer completed the acquisition of Koppers Company on June 17, 1988, in a transaction valued at approximately $1.81 billion.
Aftermath
The business was streamlined, and local management later bought back the smaller Koppers Industries unit, which became the basis for a renewed independent company.
Transaction value. $1.81 billion (1988)
Recent events
- 2023
Koppers announces planned Louisiana manufacturing investment[1]
Other
Koppers announced a planned investment of approximately $17 million to establish a new manufacturing facility in Louisiana.
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