What is now Koch Industries, Inc. began as Wood River Oil and Refining Co. in 1940. Today, the company is based in Wichita, Kan., and is one of the largest private companies in America.

In 2012, Koch companies in the U.S. supported nearly 200,000 jobs and $11 billion in compensation and benefits. Click here for more detail or read the news release here.

Koch companies have a presence in nearly 60 countries and employ about 60,000 people. They have invested about $50 billion in acquisitions and other capital expenditures since 2003 to make life better around the world by efficiently converting resources into products and services that people depend on every day.

Koch companies are involved in refining, chemicals and biofuels; forest and consumer products; fertilizers; polymers and fibers; process and pollution control equipment and technologies; commodity trading and services; minerals; ranching; and investments.

As a privately held company, Koch Industries, Inc. does not release its financial statements or other financial data to the public. However, certain subsidiaries of Koch Industries provide information to the two leading credit rating agencies in the United States, Moody’s Investor Service and Standard and Poor’s. Koch Resources, LLC maintains long-term credit ratings of AA- from S&P and Aa3 from Moody’s. Koch companies such as Flint Hills Resources, LLC (S&P: A+ and Moody’s: A1); Georgia-Pacific, LLC (S&P: A and Moody’s: Baa3) and INVISTA B.V. (S&P: BBB- and Moody’s: Baa3) have their own credit rating apart from Koch Resources, LLC. Maintaining strong financial health has always been a priority of Koch companies, which cultivate a disciplined style of managing their businesses and investments.

Since 1960, the value of the Standard & Poor's 500 grew 100-fold (assuming the reinvestment of dividends). During that same period, the value of Koch Industries grew nearly 3,500-fold (using the same assumptions). The growth of Koch companies has been achieved both through acquisitions and through expansion and broadening of existing businesses. Contributing to the company’s continued growth is the shareholders’ long-time policy of reinvesting 90 percent of earnings.