Koppers Ceasing Phthalic Anhydride Operations at Stickney Facility

Rhea-AI Summary

Koppers Inc. (NYSE: KOP) announced plans to discontinue phthalic anhydride production at its Stickney, Illinois facility in 2025, affecting approximately 25 employees. The decision was driven by significant capital spending requirements that couldn't be justified by market projections. The closure will reduce certain regulated air contaminants by 50-70%.

The company expects pre-tax charges of $51-55 million through 2026, including $28 million in non-cash charges (2024-2025) and $23-27 million in cash expenditures for plant cleaning, waste disposal, and demolition. The shutdown won't affect Stickney's coal tar distillation operations. The closure aligns with Koppers' 2025 goals of $300 million adjusted EBITDA and $65-75 million capital expenditures.

Positive

• Expected 50-70% reduction in regulated air contaminants emissions
• Operational and capital expenditure savings contributing to 2025 goals
• Coal tar distillation operations at Stickney facility remain unaffected

Negative

• Pre-tax charges of $51-55 million through 2026
• Cash expenditures of $23-27 million for cleanup and demolition
• Workforce reduction of approximately 25 employees
• Declining profitability due to higher-cost third-party feedstock requirements

Insights

Financial Analyst

Koppers' strategic decision to cease phthalic anhydride operations represents a significant financial restructuring. The $51-55 million in pre-tax charges through 2026 is substantial, but the move aligns with optimizing capital allocation. With $28 million in non-cash charges and $23-27 million in cash expenditures, the company is taking a calculated hit to improve long-term profitability. The maintenance of 2025 adjusted EBITDA targets at $300 million and capital expenditure goals of $65-75 million suggests management expects the benefits to offset the restructuring costs. The declining coal tar availability and increased reliance on costly third-party feedstock made this operation increasingly unsustainable, making this a prudent financial decision despite the short-term costs.

Environmental Analyst

The closure presents a significant environmental upside, with projected reductions of 50-70% in regulated air contaminants at the Stickney facility. This substantial decrease in emissions aligns with growing environmental regulations and ESG expectations from investors. The decision to discontinue phthalic anhydride production, which requires chemical feedstocks and generates significant emissions, while maintaining core coal tar distillation operations, demonstrates a balanced approach to environmental stewardship and business operations. This environmental improvement could enhance Koppers' ESG profile and potentially reduce regulatory compliance costs in the long term.

Consistent with Strategy to Optimize Business Portfolio and Enhance Free Cash Flow

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Koppers Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KOP), today announced that the company will discontinue phthalic anhydride production at its facility in Stickney, Illinois, in 2025.

The decision, affecting approximately 25 employees, was driven by significant near-term capital spending requirements that could not be economically justified by end-market projections. An ancillary benefit is an improvement in the site's environmental footprint as annual emissions of certain regulated air contaminants are expected to be reduced by 50 to 70 percent.

Koppers has targeted mid-2025 for the shutdown and expects to ramp down production of phthalic anhydride over the next six months as the company builds inventory to supply existing contracts through 2025, as necessary. The closure of the phthalic anhydride plant will not impact Stickney's coal tar distillation operations, which manufacture products including creosote, carbon pitch and pavement sealer base.

The phthalic anhydride plant at Stickney was constructed to consume naphthalene, a byproduct of the coal tar distillation process, as a feedstock to produce the chemical intermediate used to manufacture plasticizers, polyester resins, and alkyd paints. As availability of coal tar has declined, phthalic anhydride has become less profitable as lower naphthalene production resulted in a need to supplement production with a greater proportion of higher-cost third-party feedstock.

This action is expected to result in pre-tax charges to earnings of $51 million to $55 million through the end of 2026. Approximately $28 million constitutes non-cash charges anticipated to be recorded in 2024 and 2025 with approximately $23 million to $27 million over the next two years going toward cash expenditures, primarily for plant cleaning, waste disposal, and demolition costs. Ongoing operational and capital expenditure savings have been incorporated into the company's current 2025 goals of $300 million of adjusted EBITDA and $65 million to $75 million of capital expenditures.

Koppers CEO Leroy Ball said, "The decision to close the phthalic anhydride plant demonstrates our ongoing willingness to critically assess our portfolio and pivot from underperforming businesses when it is clear that improvement is not on the horizon. By focusing on our core strengths, we can continue to enhance our competitive position in healthier markets to drive better long-term returns. Ceasing operations at any plant is never easy, however, this will improve the performance, efficiency, and emissions profile at Stickney. I want to thank our dedicated employees who have worked hard over the years to serve our customers with quality products.  I am mindful of the impact this decision has on them and am committed to ensuring that they are supported through this transition."

About Koppers

Koppers (NYSE: KOP) is an integrated global provider of essential treated wood products, wood preservation technologies and carbon compounds. Our team of 2,200 employees create, protect and preserve key elements of our global infrastructure – including railroad crossties, utility poles, outdoor wooden structures, and production feedstocks for steel, aluminum and construction materials, among others – applying decades of industry-leading expertise while constantly innovating to anticipate the needs of tomorrow. Together we are providing safe and sustainable solutions to enable rail transportation, keep power flowing, and create spaces of enjoyment for people everywhere. Protecting What Matters, Preserving The Future. Learn more at Koppers.com.

Inquiries from the media should be directed to Ms. Jessica Franklin Black at BlackJF@koppers.com or 412-227-2025. Inquiries from the investment community should be directed to Ms. Quynh McGuire at McGuireQT@koppers.com or 412-227-2049.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and may include, but are not limited to, statements about sales levels, acquisitions, restructuring, declines in the value of Koppers assets and the effect of any resulting impairment charges, profitability and anticipated expenses and cash outflows. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties.

All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking, and words such as "outlook," "guidance," "forecast," "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "may," "will," "should," "continue," "plan," "potential," "intend," "likely," or other similar words or phrases are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement contained herein, in other press releases, written statements or other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or in Koppers communications and discussions with investors and analysts in the normal course of business through meetings, phone calls and conference calls, regarding future dividends, expectations with respect to sales, earnings, cash flows, operating efficiencies, restructurings, cost reduction efforts, the amount and timing of the charge to earnings Koppers expects to record, including the estimates of the total costs expected for each major type of cost and the expected cash outlays, the benefits of acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures or other matters as well as financings and debt reduction, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and contingencies.

Many of these risks, uncertainties and contingencies are beyond our control, and may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance or achievements. Factors that might affect such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the impact of changes in commodity prices, such as oil and copper, on product margins; general economic and business conditions; potential difficulties in protecting our intellectual property; the ratings on our debt and our ability to repay or refinance our outstanding indebtedness as it matures; our ability to operate within the limitations of our debt covenants; unexpected business disruptions; potential delays in timing or changes to expected benefits from cost reduction efforts; finalization of employee retention and severance arrangements; finalization of the accounting impact of the closure; higher than expected demolition, site clearing, environmental remediation or asset retirement costs; potential impairment of our goodwill and/or long-lived assets; demand for Koppers goods and services; competitive conditions; capital market conditions, including interest rates, borrowing costs and foreign currency rate fluctuations; availability and fluctuations in the prices of key raw materials; disruptions and inefficiencies in the supply chain; economic, political and environmental conditions in international markets; changes in laws; the impact of environmental laws and regulations; unfavorable resolution of claims against us, as well as those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Koppers, particularly our latest annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings by Koppers with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after that date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

For Information:	Quynh McGuire, Vice President, Investor Relations
	412 227 2049
	McGuireQT@koppers.com

 

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SOURCE KOPPERS HOLDINGS INC.

FAQ

When will Koppers (KOP) cease phthalic anhydride operations at Stickney?

Koppers plans to cease phthalic anhydride operations at its Stickney facility by mid-2025.

How much will the Stickney facility closure cost Koppers (KOP)?

The closure will result in pre-tax charges of $51-55 million through 2026, including $28 million in non-cash charges and $23-27 million in cash expenditures.

How many employees will be affected by Koppers (KOP) Stickney facility closure?

Approximately 25 employees will be affected by the closure of the phthalic anhydride operations at the Stickney facility.

What environmental impact will the Stickney facility closure have for Koppers (KOP)?

The closure is expected to reduce annual emissions of certain regulated air contaminants by 50 to 70 percent.