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The Koppers world wide group, including KI, KAP, together with KI's other subsidiaries TarcoNord of Denmark and Bitmac of the UK, is the largest supplier of carbon pitch to the aluminium smelting industry world wide.
KAP's early history is that the company was incorporated on February 28, 1967 as a 50/50 joint venture between Koppers Company, Inc. (KCI) of Pittsburgh, PA and the Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (BHP) of Australia.
The company was formed to build and operate a coal tar distillation plant at Newcastle, NSW in order to process all BHP's by-product coke oven tars produced at its steelworks in Australia. KCI at this time was the largest distiller of coke oven tars in the US and provided the technology and management for the new enterprise to become established.
The Newcastle plant came on stream in April 1968. Since 1968 key dates in KAP's development have been as follows:-
1973
KAP acquired the timber preservation assets in Australia and PNG previously owned by Hickson International Plc of the UK. This gave KAP timber preservation plants around Australia and a timber chemical manufacturing business producing CCA timber preservatives.
1984
KAP acquired 51% of Continental Carbon Australia Pty. Ltd, a carbon black producer located at Kurnell, a suburb of Sydney.
1989
KAP formed a joint venture with Hickson International Plc to manufacture and supply timber preservation chemicals in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, PNG and Pacific Rim countries.
1989
KAP became a 33 1/3% shareholder in Koppers Industries, Inc. (KII), the company formed to acquire the coal tar, timber chemicals and coke assets previously owned by KCI in the US.
1995
Continental Carbon Australia Pty. Ltd. became 100% owned by KAP.
1996
Koppers-Hickson Investments acquired 50% of Coastchem, a subsidiary of Murray & Roberts in South Africa.
1997
On December 2, BHP sold its shareholding in KAP to KI so that from this date KAP has been 100% owned by KI.
1999
Joint Venture Koppers (China) Carbon & Chemical Co formed with TISCO in Tangshan.
2001
Koppers-Hickson Investments became 100% owner of Coastchem, now known as Koppers Arch Wood Protection.
2006
Joint Venture formed with Kailuan Clean Coal Company, Ltd and Tangshan Iron & Steel Group Company, Limited to construct tar distillation facility in Hebei Province near Jingtang Port.
2007
In July 2007 Koppers sold its ownership interest in the Koppers Arch joint venture to Arch Chemicals.
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Corporate Information
Sales
Total group sales in 2007 were $272 million.
Employment
The company employs approximately 355 people.
Board
The KAP Board of Directors comprises Mark McCormack and Brian McCurrie.
Management
Mark McCormack is the Vice President, Australian Operations & Managing Director.
Senior Management are:
Mike Barry
General Manager
Koppers Carbon Materials & Chemicals Pty Ltd
Justin Merrell
Operations Manager
Continental Carbon Australia Pty Ltd
Peter Wallbank
General Manager
Koppers Wood Products Pty Ltd
Neil Gleeson
Chief Financial Manager
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