Press Release

Koppers Unveils New Identity to Reflect 14 Years of Global Growth
Allegheny County Chief Executive Jim Roddey salutes firm's approach to international business

	For Information: Randall D. Collins Vice President Safety, Health & Environmental Affairs (412) 227-2456 collinsrd@koppers.com

Feb. 24, 2003, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Koppers Inc., one of the Pittsburgh region's largest privately held companies, today unveiled a new corporate identity that reflects the company's continuing growth in international business and its commitment to sound environmental principles.

A new logo, incorporating blue and green to represent the Earth's land and seas, is the first change in corporate identity for Koppers since the formation of the carbon materials and wood treating company in 1988. Along with the new logo, the company is shortening its legal name from Koppers Industries, Inc. to Koppers Inc.

Since its creation as part of a management buy-out of operations of the former Koppers Co. from Beazer East, the company has grown its annual revenue 71 percent, has expanded operations in Australia, the United Kingdom and Denmark, and has engaged in joint ventures in the U. S., China, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa.

"As a Pittsburgh-based company with deep roots in our region's manufacturing heritage, we're proud to call western Pennsylvania home," said Walt Turner, president and chief executive officer of Koppers. "But as our company grows, we want our corporate identity to reflect our direction and focus. And that focus is our international approach to business and global commitment to sound environmental, safety and operating principles."

Allegheny County Chief Executive Jim Roddey hailed the unveiling of the new Koppers corporate identity as proof that local companies can build strong international businesses from a Pittsburgh home.

"We're grateful that as Koppers has grown, its leadership and management have remained committed to this region," he said. "We're also pleased with this new identity, which shows that a growing, global company can have great success from a base in Pittsburgh."

According to the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, in 2001 large Pittsburgh-based companies generated $20 billion in overseas sales, or 29 percent of their total revenue. Of the region’s 44 non-banking publicly held companies, 25 percent say overseas sales account for one-third or more of operations.

As with many of its peer companies in the region, about one-third of Koppers sales come from overseas markets. The company’s sales for 2002 were $730.3 million, compared to sales of $707.6 million in 2001.

The new Koppers identity was unveiled during the firm’s annual Global Business Forum, held February 23 to 25. More than 200 of the company’s top managers from Europe, Australia and the United States gathered in Pittsburgh for a meeting to set the company's course for the future.

In Pennsylvania, Koppers employs about 500 people, operating a coal tar distillation plant in Clairton, coke batteries in Monessen, a research center in Harmarville and wood treating and co-generation plants in Muncy. About 110 employees work in the company’s corporate offices in the 1929 Art Deco-style Koppers Building in downtown Pittsburgh.