High school sports, favorite bands and more!

Get to know Luke Rushing as he connects with CEO Leroy Ball.

Spotlight

CEO Leroy Ball Interviews Kennedy Logistics Coordinator Luke Rushing

CEO Leroy Ball Interviews Luke Rushing

In this update Leroy’s two big topics are:

 - an update and a peek at what’s to come

, tune in for a piece of good news from the team in Nyborg, Denmark!

CEO Leroy Ball's Latest 412 Video Update

New Zealand native Terry Smith went from being a wood preservation novice to a Technical Sales Manager in his time with Koppers.

Learn more about his role, plus his hobbies and interests outside of work! 🐶🏍

CEO Leroy Ball Interviews Auckland Technical Sales Manager Terry Smith

Our Performance Chemicals (PC) headquarters in Griffin, Georgia, banded together to help their local community when tragedy struck.

Pike County High School’s (PCHS) Future Farmers of America (FFA) barn suffered extensive damage due to a fire in December 2023. The fire, caused by a heating lamp, tragically led to the loss of two show pigs and the displacement of the remaining livestock. However, thanks to the quick actions of three dedicated teachers, many animals were saved. 🐷🐮

The community joined forces to help raise funds to rebuild what was lost. Our team at Griffin rolled up their sleeves to help with these efforts. A special shoutout goes to 

Vice President Customer Sales and Services

, for spearheading the fundraising efforts, 

! Rebuilding the barn was especially meaningful to Jay, as two of his children are members of the Livestock Team.

Due to the generosity of Koppers and members of the community, the barn was successfully rebuilt! Shannon Bartlett, an animal science teacher at PCHS, emphasized the collective effort:

“We received substantial assistance with wood supplies donated by Koppers … which significantly reduced the project’s financial burden. With this support, we enclosed the entire barn, installed new plumbing and electrical systems, and added a water heater.”

As a thank you for the overwhelming support, the FFA team organized a Thank You Banquet. 

, represented Koppers at this heartfelt event.

The impact of a new barn goes beyond the physical building – the community rallied together in a time of need, and the FFA grew as an organization.

Thank you, Griffin for sowing the seeds of kindness in your community!

Donations

It Takes a Village to Raise a Barn

🎵 Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive. 🎵

Fifteen employees at our Railroad Products and Services (RPS) plant in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, recently took part in a first aid and CPR certification class.

 The class was run by Lancaster Safety Consulting and focused on the life-saving practices of CPR and administering first aid. ❤️‍🩹

Thank you to the team in Susquehanna for putting Zero Harm at the forefront!

Fifteen employees at our Railroad Products and Services (RPS) plant in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, recently took part in a first aid and CPR certification class. 

Susquehanna is Keeping the Beat with CPR Training

Stephanie recently stepped into the role of Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer and Secretary

 and is hitting the ground running. Together, she and Leroy discuss:

Stephanie’s education and sports fandom 🏈

Taking on more with support from Team Koppers 👏

Stephanie recently stepped into the role of Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer and Secretary and is hitting the ground running.

CEO Leroy Ball Interviews Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer Stephanie Apostolou

 to keep Team Koppers informed on the latest company happenings! New this year, Leroy covers One Good Thing, in addition to his Two Big Topics. All in about Four Minutes.

To kick off 2025, he gives some well-deserved recognition and an update on the organizational assessment currently underway.

Announcements

CEO Leroy Ball's First 412 Video Update of 2025

Our Carbon Materials and Chemical plant in Mayfield, Australia, is making waves! 💧

Water treatment contractor Veolia awarded Koppers Mayfield a 

 for a conducting a project that that improves industrial operational performance, meets customers’ strategic business goals and results in proof – not promises.

At Mayfield, chemical storage was upgraded to enable chemical deliveries to be directly pumped into storage tanks. This eliminated the need for manual handling and use of pails of chemicals in the cooling tower and boiler chemical treatment areas.

This upgrade is a shining example of Zero Harm at work, reducing the potential for risk both to employees and the environment. Congrats to everyone at Mayfield for this incredible award.

Awards

Our Carbon Materials and Chemical plant in Mayfield, Australia, is making waves! 

H2Outstanding Award

Koppers Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in Pittsburgh 

 joined forces to host a Holiday Donation Drive. 🥫✨

the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

, an organization working to ensure that anyone who needs a healthy meal can get one. The donation drive ran for three weeks and was a major success with about six bins worth of various items donated!

Some items collected were cans of food, household items, hygiene products, baby items, peanut butter, can openers and so much more.

Thank you Koppers, for your generosity and compassion this holiday season!

Koppers Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in Pittsburgh LINKability, LINKparents, LINKup and LINKwomen joined forces to host a Holiday Donation Drive.

Spreading Holiday Cheer with a Donation Drive

Employees at our Performance Chemicals (PC) headquarters collected toys for the annual Griffin-Fire Rescue toy drive! The toy drive benefits various organizations working throughout the community: the Spalding County Youth in Foster Care, Department of Family and Children Services and the Salvation Army. 🚂 🎀

Millington, Tennessee, another PC facility, teamed up with Koppers vendor A-Z Office Resource to collect toys for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis.

Due to the kindness of employees, there were enough donations to fill a box to the brim with toys, in addition to contributing two bikes! 🧸🚲

The Railroad Products and Services (RPS) department in Pittsburgh volunteered to help the United States Marine Corps Reserve this Christmas season by donating toys for their annual “Marine Toys for Tots” Program.

The “Toys for Tots” is a charitable initiative run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, whose mission is to collect new, unwrapped toys to distribute to families in need. RPS collected 26 toys, bringing joy and hope to families this holiday season! 🎅

The team at Susquehanna, a part of our RPS operations, helped out as Santa’s elves by donating an incredible 133 toys for their community’s “Toys for Tots” program!

Shana Sisson, Office Clerk in for our RPS team in Roanoke, recently volunteered for Operation Homefront.

Responsibilities included: picking up donations at local stores, sorting all donations, creating a magical toy shop, creating a photo area for Santa’s visit, decorating the Armory with holiday trees, wreaths, centerpieces, and lights, serving food to soldiers, setting up tables and chairs, creating arts and craft area, making holiday ornament tokens for soldiers, stuffing holiday treat bags for tables, and more!!

Event culminated on Sunday, December 15 for 125 soldiers plus families.

The team in Ashcroft was very gracious with donations this holiday season!

The Food Bank received 351 lbs. of food along with a cash donation of $1,450.

Community organization The Equality Group received $200 in clothing donations and $700 in monetary donations. Additionally, Ashcroft put aside $650 towards Christmas gifts for sponsored children through the Equality Group.

Jackson House, a long-term care home, received $1,300 in monetary donations

Koppers team members are spreading the holiday cheer in their communities! Check out the stories below to see the Holiday Helpers at work! 

'Tis the Season for Giving

Team members from our Performance Chemical (PC) plant in Rock Hill, South Carolina attended a Middle School Career Fair to help answer the age-old question: 

, all attended the Middle School Career Fair hosted by Sullivan Middle School. 

There were five middle schools in attendance, with more than 1,300 students!

 Students got to visit different tables to learn about a variety of careers. 

Our Koppers team shared insights into “a day in the life” with a Koppers career!

A huge thank you to Danny, Te’Lasha and Diamund for inspiring these future A+ employees!

Volunteerism

Team members from our Performance Chemical (PC) plant in Rock Hill, South Carolina attended a Middle School Career Fair to help answer the age-old question: What do you want to be when you grow up?

When I Grow Up, I Want to Be A…

A member of our Carbon Materials and Chemicals (CMC) plant in Mayfield, Australia, is growing it forward by sharing sustainability knowledge with students!

Sustainability 🤝 Future Generations

Leroy and Javier caught up virtually to discuss a number of exciting topics, including:

🧪 The growing South American Performance Chemicals business

Leroy and Javier caught up virtually to discuss a number of exciting topics!

CEO Leroy Ball Interviews Performance Chemicals Managing Director for South and Central America, Javier Romero

The Koppers Mayfield team kicked off the holiday season by donating items for Christmas Care Packages for seafarers (sailors or ship crewmembers). 

The Christmas Care Packages included toiletries, clothing and more, and were donated to Mission to Seafarers.

Mission to Seafarers is an organization that supports the men and women working at sea keeping economies afloat.

‘Tis the Season to be Caring!

At Koppers, protecting each other and our communities is one way we live out our values. One employee in Nyborg, Denmark, is doing just that! 💓

Jesper Jensen is not only a Fitter-Welder, he is also a community first responder called a HeartRunner! In 2020, Denmark became the first European country to develop a nationwide program called TrygFonden HeartRunner. 

A HeartRunner is someone who receives training in first aid, CPR and AED operations to be able to act as a community first responder.

When a call is made to 112 (Denmark's emergency number), if deemed necessary, registered HeartRunners within a 3-mile radius of the medical emergency receive an alert asking them to respond. If accepted, the HeartRunner arrives at the site of the emergency to support until further medical assistance arrives.

Jesper recently received an alert that an individual was in need of medical assistance. Jesper grabbed one of the registered AEDs at the Nyborg plant and went to the scene of the medical emergency. Thankfully, fellow HeartRunners had arrived at the scene followed by paramedics to assist the individual.

Everyone at the plant and Nyborg community can feel safer and more at ease knowing that Jesper is ready to respond should a medical emergency ever occur.

Thank you to Jesper for wearing your heart on your sleeve and embodying Koppers Zero Harm commitment both at work and home!

At Koppers, protecting each other and our communities is one way we live out our values. One employee in Nyborg, Denmark, is doing just that!

Nyborg Employee Lends a Helping Heart

Last month, Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the southeastern part of the United States, leaving damage and many without power. Koppers Utility and Industrial Products (UIP) teams have been stepping up to the plate to restore power to those affected by the storm. 

Plus, our team members have jumped in to spread compassion and kindness by organizing various donation drives.

Employees at our Performance Chemicals (PC) headquarters in Griffin, Georgia, spread kindness by organizing a week-long donation drive, collecting essential items that were sent to the middle school in Augusta, Georgia, which was hit hard by the storms.

 Employees donated paper products, toiletries and cleaning supplies.

Monetary donations were made to the Columbia County Foundation for Children, an organization dedicated to helping the needs of disadvantaged children and youth in Georgia’s Columbia County.

The team at our PC plant in Rock Hill, South Carolina, donated essential supplies to those affected by Hurricane Helene. 

Supplies donated included cleaning products, paper products, batteries, food and much more.

 Due to the generosity of employees, a trunk full of donations was provided to families in need!

Employees at our UIP location in Newsoms, Virginia, conducted a 

donation drive where hygiene products and toiletries

 were collected and donated to the Black Mountain, North Carolina, community.

The UIP team in Eutawville, South Carolina, ran a 

 where donations were sent to churches in the Chimney Rock, North Carolina, area. The team collected an incredible 60 blankets to go to those in need!

The Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) of Koppers teamed up to host a 

monetary donation drive for the First Baptist Church of Vidalia

, a church working to help those affected by the hurricane in the Vidalia, Georgia, community, home to a Koppers UIP facility and one of the hardest hit areas by Hurricane Helene.

Thank you to all Koppers employees for spreading kindness and empathy during a time where help was needed most! 💝

Last month, Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the southeastern part of the United States, leaving damage and many without power.

Hurricane Relief Round Up

Craig was recognized and honored by Wood Preservation Canada with the Paul Gravel Award. Craig recently celebrated an incredible 40 years in the wood preservation industry!

 Over his impressive career, Craig has made many contributions to the industry, such as helping to develop the Use Category System and residential standards for treated wood in the Canadian Standards Association.

The award recognizes Craig’s exemplary leadership, active involvement and career contributions to advancing wood preservation in Canada.

Congrats, Craig on this well-deserved honor!

Congratulations are in order for Craig Wilson, Vice President Technical Services! 

Woodn’t You Know it: Employee Honored with Industry Award

Congratulations are in order for a well-deserved recognition! 🥳🚂

Bob Bradley, Regional Procurement Manager, was recognized by the Railway Tie Association with the 

. This award recognizes and honors an individuals’ contribution to the crosstie industry. 

Bob has been in the industry for an incredible 46 years!

Congrats Bob on this incredible accomplishment!

Congratulations are in order for a well-deserved recognition!

All Aboard to Celebrate Employee Recognition

Koppers headquarters once again showed up as enthusiastic supporters of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Light the Night (LTN) Walk!

 brought people together and spread LLS’s mission to fundamentally change lives with better blood cancer treatment, access, and care.

Director of Talent, Culture and Engagement

where employees learned about the impact LLS has on patients and their families. Attendees also got to play a game of mini golf!

, where each day had a different theme and activity for employees to show support for LLS! Activities included:

Employees played a round of B-I-N-G-O during their lunch to win Koppers swag!

Employees wrote letters of encouragement to blood cancer patients going through treatment

Walkers showed their support for LLS by wearing either 

At the end of the LTN campaign, the top Koppers fundraiser won a lunch with CEO Leroy Ball! Congrats to 

Thank you to all those who donated and walked for this incredible cause.

Pittsburgh Shines Bright like a Diamond for LLS Light the Night

🎵For it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out! 🎵 But, when a strikeout = a donation to the community, 

For every strikeout by a Pirates pitcher during the 2024 season, Koppers made a $50 donation to a local charity that helps better the lives of people in the Pittsburgh community every day.

This season, a total of 

was raised, benefiting the Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh, March of Dimes, Junior Achievement of Western PA, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Breakthrough T1D Western & Central PA

We’re proud to support the Pirates and these community All-Stars! ⚾🌟

🎵For it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out! 🎵 But, when a strikeout = a donation to the community, strikeouts are a home run!

A Grand Slam of a Donation 

Communities in the southeastern U.S. are still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

 Koppers Utility and Industrial Products (UIP) team members have stepped up in a big way to help. 💓

At the end of September, Hurricane Helene tore through six states, largely affecting North Carolina and Florida. Hurricane Helene was a category 4 hurricane (the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale ranges from 1 – 5), becoming the deadliest mainland hurricane in the U.S. since Hurricane Katrina. (source: 

US south-east reels from ‘unspeakable tragedy’ of Helene as new storm looms | Hurricane Helene | The Guardian

Helene brought with it damage and destruction, affecting various areas throughout the southeast, including communities where our employees live and work. 

Despite dealing with personal impact in many cases, UIP team members have worked around the clock to ship out nearly 40,000 utility poles to 46 customers across eight states.

🙏The following UIP teams have stepped up in a big way:

While the storm has affected daily life for millions, humanity and kindness shines through the clouds. 

First Baptist Church Lyons made Thank You Bags to hand out to Koppers team members in Vidalia, Georgia, as a token of their gratitude for serving their community.

 As a special treat, local kids helped to deliver that bags that included snacks, drinks and toiletries. 

Our sincere thanks go out to the utilities working tirelessly

 and under extreme conditions to restore power, and to our hardworking team members for their dedication and sacrifice during these challenging times

As we anticipate the ongoing impact of Hurricane Milton, our teams will be working harder than ever.

Communities in the southeastern U.S. are still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. 

A Vast Magnitude of Gratitude for UIP Team's Storm Response

LINKup recently hosted a “Dress for Your Day”

 clothing drive to benefit local community organizations. 👔👗 Having the right clothes for work not only makes you look professional, but helps instill confidence and a readiness to take on the day! 

LINKup launched this service project to coincide with Koppers dress code, Dress for Your Day, which was launched in 2019. The dress code allows employees the flexibility to select appropriate dress for the business of their day. Accepted donation items included: blazers, suits, dress shirts, dresses, dress pants, jeans, work pants and more!

A total of five locations participated in the event, all donating their items to local charities:

 of clothing to Dress for Success River Cities

 of clothing to a charity to be determined

 of clothing to Christian Women’s Center

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania collected 12 tote bags

 worth of donations for Dress for Success and Light of Life

As a thank you, Huntington, Madison, Griffin and Domino are receiving a lunch to celebrate their generosity. A special thank you goes out to 

 for coordinating and organizing a successful clothing drive! 

Koppers employee resource group (ERG) LINKup recently hosted a “Dress for Your Day” clothing drive to benefit local community organizations. 

LINKup Dresses (and Donates) to Impress

 for our Railroad Products and Services (RPS), to learn more about work-life balance, a not-so-straight-forward career path, the RPS business and more! 

Leroy got the chance to catch up with Drew Enochs, Director of Operations for our Railroad Products and Services (RPS), to learn more about work-life balance, a not-so-straight-forward career path, the RPS business and more! 

CEO Leroy Ball Interviews RPS Director of Operations Drew Enochs

A pro on and off the race track…a MicroPro that is! Timber Specialties Canada, a division of Koppers Performance Chemicals, recently hosted the annual MicroPro Sienna Pro Challenge VIP Race Night at Flamboro Speedway. 🚗🏁

Timber Specialties sponsored two drivers from Koppers customer Doman Treated Wood. Tim Norris from Doman Treated Wood drove the MicroPro Sienna #88 car and came in 

first place, clinching the win for the Pro Challenge series!

The event was a roaring success with more than 130 people watching the race and cheering on the drivers. 

The Timber Specialties team even sported their stylish pit crew shirts!

Thank you to all the volunteers who made the event a success!

A pro on and off the race track…a MicroPro that is! Timber Specialties Canada, a division of Koppers Performance Chemicals, recently hosted the annual MicroPro Sienna Pro Challenge VIP Race Night at Flamboro Speedway.

Racing into First Place

Earlier this month, a group of Koppers female employees attended the 

Women in Chemicals is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the chemical industry and creating a community to collaborate, connect and continue blasting through the glass ceiling. 🌟

The conference included networking opportunities, sessions around various topics like work-life balance, industry insights and so much more!

Koppers had a special representation at the conference with a special session from 

Program Manager, Inclusion & Diversity (I&D)

“Why and How of I&D: How to fight for I&D at your company and what can you do as an individual.”

 In her session, Camille spoke about the importance of I&D in employee experiences and the challenges faced by many.

, was honored as one of four finalists for the organization’s 

 for her incredible contributions in the field of chemicals!

Koppers is lucky to have such talented women in the chemical industry, making a positive difference every day!

Earlier this month, a group of Koppers female employees attended the Women in Chemicals Conference in Houston, Texas.

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