PITTSBURGH — Koppers Holdings Inc., an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals and carbon compounds, has presented its annual Zero Harm President's Award to its Ashcroft, British Columbia, facility in recognition of its best-in-company performance in safety, environmental responsibility and innovation.

The Ashcroft team bested 45 facilities across the globe with a strong rate of leading activities, defined as safety observations, hazard identifications, and reporting of near-misses – all of which are key to incident prevention. Throughout 2022, the plant also recorded zero property damage or permit exceedance incidents and had the highest number of employee-generated innovation ideas implemented.

The Ashcroft plant supplies treated hardwood and softwood railroad crossties, timbers, and untreated crossing planks to Class 1 and commercial customers, supporting the safe, reliable transport of commuters and critical goods. Its products are sold and delivered to Western Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska.

"Our company operates by the belief that we have the greatest chance for success when we work together to balance our core values of people, planet and performance," said Koppers President and Chief Executive Officer Leroy Ball. "Plant Manager Patrick Sullivan and the team at Ashcroft proved this to be true in 2022, employing a true team effort to deliver impressive safety results, environmental performance, and profitable operations."

In addition to the award, the facility received $5,000 in corporate giving funds which its employees chose to donate to The South Cariboo Elizabeth Fry Society Food Bank. Every employee also will be presented with a gift of recognition at an on-site celebration with company leadership.

"Ashcroft employees exemplified our Zero Harm culture throughout 2022, and on behalf of the global Koppers team, we congratulate them for the well-deserved award," said Vice President of Zero Harm Joe Dowd. "Zero Harm represents both a moral imperative to protect people and our communities, as well as a strategic business decision that supports the long-term viability of our company."

Koppers continues to prioritize and invest significantly in advancing a Zero Harm culture throughout its global workforce by taking a proactive approach to safety that includes behavioral training, process safety improvements, occupational health best-practices, and more. In 2022, these efforts led to continual year-over-year improvements in performance, including a reduction in the company Total Recordable Rate (TRR) and Days Away Restricted or Transferred (DART) Rate.

To learn more about Koppers Zero Harm efforts, visit the company's 2021 Corporate Sustainability Report here.