Koch Industries

The Koch industrial enterprise had been established in Wichita in 1925 by Fred C. Koch and L.E. Winkler. The firm achieved world distinction for its design and construction of petroleum refineries. While in his twenties, company founder Fred C. Koch developed a version of the widely used thermal cracking process for refineries, which increased gasoline yield. In 1940, Koch founded Wood River Oil & Refining Co., and opened a major refinery east of St. Louis. The purchase of the Rock Island Oil and Refining in 1947 led to the company's crude oil gathering business. One of the facilities it built was a major Allied target during World War II, the giant Ploesti refinery in Rumania.
Today, Koch is run by Charles, Fred's son, who joined the company in 1961. Charles renamed the company Koch Industries in honor of his father who passed away in 1967. The companies interests encompass a wide range of U. S. and foreign operations.