Koppers Well-Positioned to Effectively Manage Penta Supply Change

Koppers Holdings Inc., an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals and carbon compounds, announced its response to a recent announcement from Cabot Microelectronics Corporation to exit pentachlorophenol (“penta”) production, primarily serving the treated wood utility pole market, when it plans to cease operations at its facility in Mexico in 2021.

President and CEO Leroy Ball said, “Cabot’s recent announcement was not a surprise as penta has been at risk as a long-term viable preservative since it was named as a Persistent Organic Pollutant (“POP”) by the Stockholm Convention’s POP Review Committee in 2015 and targeted for elimination or restriction by the Convention’s 183 member countries.  With several better, more sustainable alternatives readily available and already in wide use in the treated wood utility pole market, we view the recent announcement as a positive development for our industry.”

Mr. Ball continued, “As the global market leader in the development and production of wood preservatives we remain committed to continuing to improve upon and add to our suite of products that serve such an important role in building our global infrastructure.  As such, we believe we are uniquely qualified to assist our customers and the industry to transition to the best preservative for any given application.”

About Koppers

Koppers, with corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals and carbon compounds.  Our products and services are used in a variety of niche applications in a diverse range of end-markets, including the railroad, specialty chemical, utility, residential lumber, agriculture, aluminum, steel, rubber, and construction industries.  Including our joint ventures, we serve our customers through a comprehensive global manufacturing and distribution network, with facilities located in North America, South America, Australasia, China and Europe.  The stock of Koppers Holdings Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “KOP.”

Contact:

Michael J. Zugay – Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer – ZugayMJ@koppers.com – (412) 227-2231

Source: Koppers Holdings, Inc.