Texas Facts

Based in Wichita, Kan., Koch Industries, Inc. is one of the largest private companies in America. It owns a diverse group of companies 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. Since 2003, Koch companies have invested about $50 billion in acquisitions and other capital expenditures.

With a presence in nearly 60 countries, Koch companies employ about 60,000 people worldwide, including 6,000 in Texas. In 2012, Koch companies directly employed more than 47,000 people in the United States, and supported more than 200,000 jobs and about $11 billion in compensation and benefits.

Companies in Texas

Flint Hills Resources, LLC, through its subsidiaries, is a leading refining, chemicals and biofuels company. Its subsidiaries market gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, ethanol, biodiesel, olefins, polymers and intermediate chemicals, as well as base oils and asphalt. In Corpus Christi, a subsidiary owns two refineries that can process about 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day and a facility that produces aromatics chemicals. At plants in Longview and Port Arthur, a subsidiary produces polymers and olefins that are key ingredients in products used every day such as plastic bottles, DVDs, tires, packaging and building materials. Other subsidiaries have offices in Houston and The Woodlands, as well as terminals in Austin, San Antonio, Bastrop, Mustang Ridge, Waco and Euless.

Koch Pipeline Company, L.P. owns and operates crude oil lines, including within the Eagle Ford shale play, that serve refineries in Corpus Christi and Coastal Bend docks. Koch Pipeline also operates a refined-products pipeline system that transports gasoline, jet and diesel fuels from Corpus Christi to Flint Hills Resources’ terminals in San Antonio, Austin, Bastrop, Mustang Ridge, Waco and Fort Worth. In addition, Koch Pipeline operates chemical lines that serve Flint Hills Resources’ chemical plant in Port Arthur and INVISTA's manufacturing facilities in La Porte, Orange and Victoria.

With leading brands including LYCRA^®, COOLMAX^®, CORDURA^® , STAINMASTER^®  and ANTRON^®, INVISTA is one of the world’s largest integrated producers of chemical intermediates, polymers and fibers. The company's advantaged technologies for nylon, spandex and polyester are used to produce clothing, carpet, car parts and countless other everyday products. INVISTA operates in 20 countries and has chemical manufacturing facilities in La Porte, Orange and Victoria, as well as administrative offices in the Houston area.   

Koch Supply & Trading, LP is based in Houston and trades a wide range of commodities including crude oil; refined petroleum products; gas liquids; natural gas, liquefied natural gas and emission allowances; industrial metals; and other commodities.

Koch Minerals, LLC companies trade coal, pulp, paper, recycled paper products and lumber products from Houston. Subsidiaries of Koch Minerals operate a sulfur terminal and a petroleum coke terminal in Corpus Christi, as well as terminal in Odessa to receive and transload proppants used for oil and gas exploration.

Matador Ranch, owned and operated by a Koch Agriculture Company division, covers about 130,000 acres in the Texas Rolling Plains and Caprock areas. The ranch, which has earned environmental stewardship recognition at the local, state and regional level, is home to Quarter horses, commercial cattle and a herd of Akaushi cattle, prized for their marbling and taste. Matador Ranch also provides world-class accommodations to hunt whitetail, mule deer, turkey, quail and hogs on the main ranch, as well as in Panther Canyon where trophy whitetails regularly score 200-plus. Matador Ranch also is actively engaged in deer breeding for superior genetics to supply this growing industry. The historic ranch was acquired in 1952 by Fred Koch, the co-founder of what is now Koch Industries.

Koch Chemical Technology Group, LLC and its subsidiaries design, manufacture, install and service process and pollution control equipment, and provide engineering services for industries and municipalities worldwide. Subsidiaries include: Optimized Process Designs, Inc. (Katy); Koch Heat Transfer Company, LP (Houston); Koch-Glitsch, LP (Dallas and Houston); and Koch Specialty Plant Services (Houston).

Koch Nitrogen Company, LLC owns a fertilizer terminal in the Texas Panhandle.

Safety and Environmental Commitment

Koch companies are committed to operating businesses in a manner that protects the health and safety of employees and the public, as well as the environment by reducing waste and increasing efficiency. Koch companies’ performance is among the best in their industries. Here are some examples:

• Flint Hills Resources employees in Corpus Christi surpassed 12 consecutive years (4,382 days) without a lost-time incident in December 2012.

• Matador Ranch’s outstanding environmental stewardship has been recognized with three prestigious honors. In 2011, it received a regional environmental stewardship award from the National Cattleman’s Beef Association for outstanding water, wildlife, vegetation and soil management. In 2010, the ranch earned the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Lone Star Land Steward award in the corporate category for natural resource stewardship, and was a Texas Section Society for Range Management and the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association’s Outstanding Rangeland Steward honoree.

• Koch companies with Texas sites that have earned STAR certification in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Programs include Flint Hills Resources, Georgia-Pacific, INVISTA, Koch Carbon, Koch-Glitsch, Koch Specialty Plant Services, Optimized Process Designs, Inc., and Koch Pipeline Company. Several of the sites have also earned the Star of Excellence award under the program.

• In 2007, Victoria was INVISTA's first site to achieve OSHA VPP STAR certification. The site was recertified in 2011, and has also been recognized as a Star of Stars under the program.

• Flint Hills Resources' terminals in Texas have received the 2012 Safety Excellence Award from the International Liquid Terminals Association. The company's terminals group has also received ILTA's Platinum Safety Award, its highest honor. The two awards recognize member companies that have a strong commitment to continuous safety improvement. In 2007, the terminals in Austin, San Antonio, Waco and Fort Worth were the first in their industry to earn OSHA VPP STAR status. 

• Safety performance at INVISTA’s Victoria site and Koch Pipeline's Texas operations have earned recognition from the Contractor Safety Council of the Coastal Bend.

• Flint Hills Resources’ Corpus Christi complex and INVISTA’s sites in Victoria and Orange have earned numerous safety awards from American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers for their continued safety performance.

• Koch Specialty Plant Services in Houston received the Silver award for safety from the Houston Business Roundtable and the Safety Excellence award for contractors from Exxon Mobil. Optimized Process Designs in Katy earned the Excellence in Safety Award from the Gas Processors Suppliers Association for their 2007 safety record. Both companies are subsidiaries of Koch Chemical Technology Group.

• Koch Pipeline Company received the Distinguished Award for Outstanding Safety and Environmental Performance from the American Petroleum Institute in 2011 and 2012. The award is the organization’s highest award. It also received API’s Environmental Performance Award in 2012 and 2013. Employees reached 8 million work hours without a lost-time incident (days away from work and restricted work injuries) in December 2012.

• Flint Hills Resources has emphasized flaring reduction at its crude oil refineries. The company’s success at reducing flaring earned the company a Clean Air Award from Environmental Protection Agency in 2004. Since 1997, the Corpus Christi refinery operations have reduced emissions of commonly regulated substances by 61 percent, on a per-barrel of refining capacity basis for information obtained in 2012. 

• Flint Hills Resources’ Wildlife Learning Preserve in Corpus Christi received Corporate Lands for Learning™ certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council.

• INVISTA’s Victoria site has been certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council for its stewardship efforts, and its wetlands education program has received Corporate Lands for Learning™ certification.

Community Commitment

Together with employees, Koch companies provide financial and in-kind support, time and talent to add value in our communities. Here are a few examples:

• Flint Hills Resources, Koch Pipeline Company, Optimized Process Designs, Inc., and Matador Ranch have donated more than $130,000 to Texas volunteer fire departments and emergency response organizations in the last two years. These contributions salute the critical services these organizations provide in many of the areas where these companies do business.

• In 2011, Georgia-Pacific's Bucket Brigade™ program awarded $2,500 grants to both Indian Springs Volunteer Fire Department in Livingston and Onalaska Volunteer Fire Department. A previous grant was awarded to the Sweetwater Fire Department. Launched in 2006, the program has contributed more than $1 million to rural and small town fire units across the U.S. to meet critical needs, as well as provide educational materials to schools.

• INVISTA’s Victoria site received the Employer Award of Excellence from the Texas Workforce Commission for making a positive impact on employers, workers and the community.

• Matador Ranch contributed $2,500 to document Motley County history launched by the Friends of Historic Motley County Jail.

• Koch Pipeline Company’s Southern Operations Group received the Big Champion Award from Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas for its employees’ participation in the annual Bowl-a-thon fundraiser.

• Optimized Process Designs has contributed to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Education Fund since 1991. The annual event supports education, advances best agricultural practices and benefits youth through scholarships and other programs.

• With the Victoria Independent School District, INVISTA has sponsored the Wetland Environmental Science Education Encounter (WE SEE) program for more than 14 years. WE SEE provides environmental education in an outdoor classroom located on a 55-acre constructed wetland; more than 55,000 students have participated since 1998. The wetland also helps return fresh water to the Guadalupe River. The school district received the Environmental Excellence Award from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for the environmental studies curriculum. INVISTA received the “You Make A Difference" award in December 2012 from the school district, recognizing the long term wetland education partnership.

• Flint Hills Resources’ support of the Texas State Aquarium’s Aquavision program, through a three-year $250,000-plus grant, will allow the delivery of free math, science and other teaching programs to Austin, Corpus Christi and San Antonio schools. The company also supports organizations that work to enhance the lives of children such as Junior Achievement, South Texas Institute for the Arts and the YMCA of Corpus Christi.

• Through the Georgia-Pacific Foundation, the company partners with many local and statewide organizations to improve the quality of life in communities where GP employees live and work. The GP Foundation focuses support in four key areas: education, enrichment of community, environment, and entrepreneurship.

• Flint Hills Resources received the Education Excellence Gold Level Award from the State Board of Education for its long-standing commitment to area mentoring programs. Employees volunteer with Junior Achievement and Texas Big Brothers Big Sisters, which named Flint Hills Resources Corporate Partner of the Year. A grant from Flint Hills Resources helped start a successful Big Brothers Big Sisters pilot program to match students from local schools with an adult mentor.

• Through 21 years of sponsorship, Flint Hills Resources and Fiesta de los Ninos, the fundraiser for Driscoll Children’s Hospital, have raised more than $6 million targeted at improving health services for area children. The company has also served as the title sponsor of the annual Flights of Angels Golf Tournament benefiting HALO-Flight, South Texas’ only non-profit air ambulance service which serves a 26-county area.

Last Updated: 05/2013