Koch Industries

Koch Minerals, LLC is a major dry-bulk commodity trader handling over 40 million tons of products annually. It plays a significant role in global commodity trading.

In 1927, Fred C. Koch developed an innovative refining process.

In 1929, Fred Koch convinced Josef Stalin's authoritarian government in the Soviet Union to pay him $5 million to construct oil refineries. This marked the beginning of his ventures in the oil industry.

Charles G. Koch, born in 1935, is the CEO and Chairman of Koch Industries.

Fred C. Koch founded Koch Industries in 1940 after developing an innovative crude oil refining process.

In 1942, Koch Industries was incorporated as Rock Island Oil & Refining Company. The company had 8,000 employees and sales of $16.00 billion.

In 1943, Koch Industries acquired Spring Creek Ranch in Kansas Flint Hills.

In 1947, Fred Koch purchased the Rock Island refinery in Oklahoma, adding to his growing portfolio in the oil sector and enhancing his business operations.

In 1951, Koch Industries added a ranch in Montana.

In 1952, Fred Koch won a $1.5 million settlement after a series of lawsuits against him by major oil companies. This marked a significant legal victory for Koch.

In 1953, Koch Industries added a ranch in Texas.

In 1958, Fred Koch helped found the ultraconservative John Birch Society, reflecting his aversion to Soviet communism. The society became known for its warnings about the threat of communists to the United States.

Between 1960 and now, the value of the S&P 500 grew about 100-fold, while the value of Koch Industries grew more than 1,600-fold, showcasing Koch's financial strength and success.

Charles Koch, son of Fred C. Koch, joined Koch Industries in 1961. Under his leadership, the company grew to become the second-largest privately held company in North America.

Charles Koch transformed the obscure Wichita oil company, Koch Industries, into a $110 billion colossus over the span of 50 years.

In 1971, David H. Koch joined Koch Industries, becoming a significant figure within the company.

In 1981, Koch Industries acquired a refinery located in Corpus Christi from Sun Oil, enhancing its presence in the oil industry.

In June 1983, after a legal and boardroom battle, Frederick R. Koch and William 'Bill' Koch were bought out, and Charles Koch and David Koch became majority owners of Koch Industries.

In 1988, Koch Industries began constructing the Texas Pipeline, a refined product line connecting Corpus Christi to the San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas-Ft. Worth areas. The project was completed in May 1990.

In 1989, Koch Industries purchased the assets of John Zink Company of Tulsa, a leading manufacturer of pollution control equipment for the petroleum and petrochemical industries.

Koch Industries bought the Corpus Christi marine terminal, pipelines, and gathering systems of Scurlock Permian in 1991, enhancing its presence in the energy sector.

In 1992, Koch Industries acquired United Gas Pipe Line, which was later renamed Koch Gateway Pipeline. This purchase extended the company's pipeline system from Texas to Florida.

In October 1994, a pipeline broke and discharged over 90,000 gallons of crude oil into Gum Hollow Creek in Refugio County, Texas, leading to contamination of Nueces River and Corpus Christi Bays.

In 1996, an 8-inch-diameter steel LPG pipeline operated by Koch Pipeline Company ruptured near Lively, Texas, resulting in a gas leak that caused a fatal explosion when ignited by a vapor cloud.

Since 1997, the Koch Brothers have reportedly funneled over $100 million to various groups denying climate change science, contributing significantly to the climate change denial movement.

In 1998, Koch Industries purchased Purina Mills, the leading producer of animal feed in the United States. However, due to sluggish energy and livestock prices, Koch had to downsize its operations in the following years.

In 1999, a Texas jury found Koch Pipeline Company negligent in a pipeline rupture incident and awarded the victims' families $296 million in compensation.

In September 2000, Koch Industries and employees faced a 97-count indictment for alleged Clean Air Act violations and benzene emissions from a plant in Corpus Christi, Texas.

In December 2000, Koch Petroleum settled with the Justice Department and EPA by agreeing to invest $80 million in pollution-control equipment at refineries in Texas and Minnesota.

In 2002, Koch Industries formed Entergy-Koch LP in collaboration with Entergy Corp. to engage in the delivery, trade, and marketing of natural gas, power, and other energy-related commodities and risk management products.

In June 2003, Flint Hills Resources settled for improper exporting of crude petroleum from the US to Canada, facing 40 violations and a civil penalty of $200,000.

In May 2004, Koch acquired two pulp mills from Georgia-Pacific and invested $100 million in the business, now known as Koch Cellulose. The company plans to further invest up to $200 million in the mills.

In 2005, Koch Industries paid over $13 billion to acquire the Georgia-Pacific Corporation, a major manufacturer and distributor of tissue, pulp, paper, and other products.

In 2006, a Flint Hills Resources refinery in North Pole, Alaska, was fined $16,000 by the EPA for multiple violations and was required to invest $60,000 in safety equipment.

Koch Industries, a major private corporation, was revealed to be secretly funding the climate denial movement in 2010.

In 2011, Koch Industries was highlighted for its continued involvement in fueling climate denial despite public awareness.

In late 2012, Koch Industries spent $1.2 billion to acquire a 44% stake in Guardian Industries, a glass manufacturer with 18,000 employees. The connection to Koch was facilitated by Guardian board member Byron Trott of Goldman Sachs.

In 2013, Koch Energy Solutions purchased Odessa Power, a 1,055 megawatt combined cycle gas power plant located in Texas.

Koch Docs, a new online archive, provides primary source documents related to Charles Koch, Koch Industries, and their political agenda.

The book 'Kochland' by Christopher Leonard was released, detailing the history of Koch Industries and the influence of the Koch brothers in American politics and business.

Documents from the KochDocs archive reveal key facts about Charles Koch's relationship with ALEC.