The Challenge of Success
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Discovery january 2012 THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF KOCH COMPANIES The challenge of success For many Koch companies – and for Georgia-Pacic’s gypsum and wood And then there is the age-old problem of Koch Industries overall – 2011 was a products businesses – both of which rely overcoming success. record year. on new building construction – suered Charles Koch, KII’s chairman and CEO, Flint Hills Resources led the way, helped as the construction slump in the United has repeatedly warned about complacency by record results from Pine Bend and a States continued. or smugness aer achieving record results. signicant increase in South Texas crude Similarly, INVISTA’s residential oor- He did so in his 2007 book, e Science oil production that beneted its Corpus ing business struggled. With new home of Success, and in his very rst Founder’s Christi reneries. construction in the U.S. at historic lows, Day video, recorded eight years ago. demand for carpet ber is depressed. FHR’s lubricants business also had a record “It is all too easy,” Koch said recently, “to year, and results for the asphalt and chemi- Prolonged drought in the Midwest and assume that things will keep going your cals businesses improved signicantly. wildres in Texas were serious issues for way, or that markets will remain strong Koch Pipeline was busy expanding its e Matador Cale Company. and your competitive advantages will system, especially in South Texas, where And results for Koch Supply & Trading never erode. the Eagle Ford Shale play is boosting and Koch Minerals were nowhere near “Even worse is becoming arrogant or domestic production and bringing new the record highs seen a few years ago. thinking you’re smarter than you really are. crude supplies to Corpus Christi. It’s important to note that all of Koch’s “We must never abandon our principle of High grain prices and low natural gas pric- primary companies were protable, even humility. To think we can ever know it all es led to strong demand and margins, and if some subsidiaries weren’t. But it would or aord to ignore change is delusional. a record year for Koch Fertilizer. (Natural be a mistake to say that 2011 was a year It is also dangerous.” gas is oen the feedstock for fertilizer.) of uniformly smooth sailing. As Charles Koch emphasizes in his edito- INVISTA enjoyed its best year ever as Warning signs rial on page 12, the best antidote to this a Koch company. is was true despite problem is a commitment to our MBM® soening demand which became apparent As more and more economies slip back Guiding Principles – beginning with during the laer part of the year. into recession – especially in the European Union, the world’s largest market – 2012 integrity and compliance. Koch Chemical Technology Group had is likely to be much more challenging. Given last year’s record results, he also its second-best year ever (on an oper- emphasizes the need for humility. ating basis), with Optimized Process Some of Koch’s biggest businesses have Designs turning in a record performance. already reported a slowdown in demand “Our goals are unachievable if we let from international customers. any success we achieve go to our head.” Exceptions In the U.S., the outcome of the Novem- Charles Koch’s great-great-grandfather, ere were, however, several Koch busi- ber election could have a profound eect William Ingraham Kip, was the rst nesses that struggled in 2011. on all Koch companies. Episcopal bishop of California. As FHR’s North Pole renery was unprot- Whether that eect will be for beer or Bishop Kip liked to stress: “Pride goeth able for much of the year, hampered by worse depends on if lawmakers implement before destruction, and a haughty spirit high energy prices and other constraints. policies promoting economic freedom. before a fall.” this issue… International growth pg 3 2011 Year in Review pg 5 Unequal playing fields pg 9 Perspective: Charles Koch pg 12 Postal Pipeline I am writing this for a friend of mine, Please accept my thanks Mr. Edward Manzano Sr., a Korean War and appreciation for the veteran who served in the U.S. Army. contribution made by Although Mr. Manzano was unable to Flint Hills Resources aend the dedication ceremony of the on behalf of the Coastal Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery Bend State Veterans on Dec. 7, 2011, he did visit a few days Cemetery. later to witness rsthand the great work Providing veterans with done thus far. a nal resting place is Aer a couple of pictures and a stroll more than a need. It is through the Memorial Walk, we stopped an obligation. I am glad for awhile to watch some maintenance FHR took the lead on Corpus Christi – More than 1,000 people gathered for the dedication of the new workers preparing for a funeral service. this worthy project. Coastal Bend Veterans Cemetery, built on 55 acres of land donated by FHR. Mr. Manzano is in his early 80s and It also makes me proud as ever to be a former Koch Materials still is a very strong person. I have only My dad, Gary Woodman, recently retired Company employee. seen him with tears in his eyes a couple aer 31 years at Koch – almost as long as I of times. His recent trip to the new Gary Noller have been alive. He has talked about Koch veterans cemetery was one of them. Kerrville, Texas Industries for as long as I can remember. He wanted me to tell you he is especially I don’t know if any of the 70,000 people proud of Flint Hills Resources for mak- I wanted to take a moment to say how you employ have said thank you, but ing the land available for this cemetery. much I enjoyed Steve Feilmeier’s speech I would like to take this opportunity Like Mr. Manzano, I am proud to have at the Wichita Economic Conference. to do so – especially as we arrive upon served in the military, and also proud to anksgiving time. In our industry, we, too, are experiencing work for the company responsible for crippling regulations that have so many Dad’s salary met all our needs for a family making this veterans cemetery possible. harmful unintended consequences for of six, and a Fred C. and Mary R. Koch My wife and I have already submied the the consumer. scholarship helped me to pay my way paperwork to be laid to rest here. through college. (I graduated from ank you for puing so much into ank you, Flint Hills Resources, for Wichita State University with a degree this presentation. making this happen. in dental hygiene.) James Rivera Mary K. Wehner, CFO ank you for supplying my dad with the Central Star Credit Union Flint Hills Resources earnings to make my life a truly wonder- Wichita, Kan. Corpus Christi, Texas ful one, full of very happy memories, Steve Feilmeier, CFO of Koch Industries, has written health, education and a humbled heart. This donation by FHR, valued at $1.2 million, was the two recent editorials in Discovery (October 2011 and May you have many more prosperous largest in its history. There are an estimated 29,430 April 2010). To read them, visit www.kochind.com/ years at the company I’ve grown up loving. veterans in Nueces County, including more than 100 newsroom/discovery.aspx who are employees of Flint Hills Resources. Beth Du Wichita, Kan. I want to thank you for the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation scholarship. It Letters and other submissions become the property of Koch means so much to me to have someone Industries, Inc., and may be reproduced in whole or in part, believe in my future. including your name, for any purpose and in any manner. Letters may be edited for length or clarity. I am aending the University of Wis- consin-Stevens Point for a bachelors in Discovery January 2012 | Volume 18 | Number 1 computer information systems. Editorial board Questions? Comments? Philip Ellender Contact: Rod Learned With this scholarship, I can think less Rich Fink 316.828.6136 Jeff Gentry [email protected] about nances and more about my studies. Dale Gibbens Publication design Greg Guest Amber Vogts Again, thank you. Charles Koch Koch Creative Group Natalie Jansen Jim Mahoney Dave Robertson www.kochind.com Edward Manzano, U.S. Army veteran. Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. ©2012, Koch Industries, Inc. Koch is an EOE. M/F/D/V 2 2011 global expansions, · John Zink, a Koch Chemical Technology Group company, acquired Hamworthy Combustion. Hamworthy equipment acquisitions, investments, has been installed in more than 100 countries. · A Koch Fertilizer subsidiary acquired J&H Bunn Ltd., one of donations and awards Britain’s largest (and oldest) independent fertilizer distributors. · INVISTA launched its global engineering polymers brand in Germany. · Koch Fertilizer donated $10,000 to upgrade the Brandon, Manitoba, airport landing system. · Koch Minerals’ terminal in Lyon, · The mayor of Kingston, Ontario, France, set a new record for recognized the INVISTA Centre for tonnage transferred. achieving the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification. · Construction is underway on a new spandex plant in Paulínia, Brazil, to be completed by the end of 2012. · Koch Fertilizer opened a new regional headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay. 3 International News · Following an expansion and several capital investments, · Koch Industries donated a total of $1 million to the American KS&T’s Rotterdam refinery in the Netherlands achieved a Red Cross and Salvation Army in support of disaster relief in record year for productivity, despite a challenging market Japan following a massive earthquake and tsunami in March for European refineries in general.