KOP News & Events

Koppers Holdings announced that Eric Brenner will join the company as CFO and Treasurer, effective May 26. In this role, Brenner will lead all aspects of the company's global finance and accounting, budgeting, forecasting, tax, and investor relations functions, along with advising on key strategic initiatives. Brenner most recently served as Senior Vice President and CFO for Nova Chemicals Corporation, a manufacturer of polyolefins that is now part of Borouge International, where he oversaw the company's finance, treasury, information technology, and transformation teams.

Sees FY26 revenue $1.9B-$2.0B, consensus $1.91B. Commenting on the 2026 forecast, CEO Lery Ball said, "Today's announcement of ceasing production at our Stickney, Illinois, plant by this year-end again demonstrates our willingness to make the difficult choices necessary to chart a more sustainable path forward for all our stakeholders. That decision alone will bring tremendous benefit beginning in 2027; however, the economic fallout of higher oil prices is expected to have up to a $10M impact on our profitability this year. As a result, we have revised our adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EPS ranges for the current year's guidance. The best news is that underlying demand in our PC and RUPS markets is projecting to be in line if not slightly better than what we thought coming into the year. We also expect higher operating cash flow and free cash flow than our previous guidance, as we deliver at the higher end of our inventory reduction targets. While we welcome end market improvement, the actions we have planned and already taken put us in position for a step change in profitability in 2027 while maintaining our already healthy cash generation."

Reports Q1 revenue $455.3M, consensus $390.1M. CEO and Chair Leroy Ball said, "I'm happy to report that our consolidated first quarter results matched our expectations, while our cash generation picked up tremendous momentum. Performance Chemicals market share gains, combined with added benefits from our Catalyst transformation initiatives, partially offset a significant decline in Carbon Materials and Chemicals profitability, driven by persistent competitive pressures and higher raw material costs, including oil price spikes from the Middle East conflict. My thanks go out to our global team who is continuing to do the tough work of positioning Koppers for a major boost in performance when our end markets rebound."

Koppers Holdings announced that it has made a conditional decision to discontinue distillation and chemical manufacturing operations at its facility located in Stickney, Illinois, subject to the satisfaction of any bargaining obligations that might exist with the union that represents certain employees at that facility. The conditional decision, which is pending negotiations and consultation with the union and would impact approximately 85 employees, was driven by challenging market conditions over the past decade, including unit operating costs outpacing our ability to capture higher pricing, reduced raw material supply from North American steel manufacturers, and increased capital requirements. Koppers anticipates winding down the remaining distillation and chemical production activities by December 31, 2026, pending discussions with the union. The company is tentatively targeting fourth quarter 2026 for shifting production to its coal tar distillation facility located in Nyborg, Denmark. To ensure an effective transition for existing pitch and creosote customers, Koppers has strengthened its supply chain from Nyborg to the U.S. through expanded shipping and terminal capabilities. As part of this conditional decision, the company is continuing to evaluate potentially appropriate uses for the Stickney facility following the end of production activities. This action is anticipated to result in pre-tax charges to earnings of $227 million to $262 million through the end of 2029, which includes $170 million to $195 million of non-cash charges that are projected to be recorded in the second and third quarters of 2026. Cash closure charges of $57 million to $67 million will be expended over a three-year period beginning in the second quarter of 2026 and will be funded by the operating and capital cash benefits generated by this action. When completed, this should result in annual free cash flow improvement of $15 million to $25 million. The adjusted EBITDA improvement savings related to discontinuing activities are estimated to reach an annual run rate of approximately $15 million to $20 million in 2027 and beyond. Combined with the expected decrease in depreciation expense, the incremental benefit to adjusted EPS is estimated to be $1.00 to $1.20 per share.