Ever get so mad at a person or company that you want to boycott their products? Have you ever thought about how hard it is to boycott a billionaire?

You should. Look at the article below, and see if you feel like it’s time to consider extending anti-trust laws to financially over-represented moneyed interests.

The article below is courtesy of inspirationgreen.com. Visit there for the most recent changes. (This post has been heavily revised on Jan. 27, 2019.)

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Koch Brothers’ Products — We’re Surrounded.

If you have been following news about the Koch brothers, you might be curious as to which products they manufacture.

It turns out, the Koch Brothers, with a net worth of over $40 billion each, own stakes in a ton of industries like paper and wood products, chemicals, textiles, plastics, etc.

Here are a list of companies and industries in which the Koch brothers own a stake:

• Paper Products: Angelsoft, Brawny, Dixie, Mardi Gras, Quilted Northern, Soft n Gentle, Sparkle, Vanity Fair
• Wood: Georgia-Pacific (largest plywood manufacturer in US – also owns most of the paper companies above).
• Textiles & Plastics: Polarguard, Stainmaster, Dacron, Lycra, CoolMax/SolarMax, Thermolite, and more.
• Chemicals, Coal, & Oil: Crude oil processing, Flint Hills Resources, lots of other commodities handled.
• Nitrogen: One more reason to make your own fertilizer – Koch Industries produces many synthetic fertilizers.

Those are just the best known brands – there’s many more on the list below. =(

Koch Brothers Products: Paper Products

 

Georgia-Pacific also distributes paper towels, napkins and soap dispensing systems used in commercial settings. Some GP commercial toilet paper brands: Envision, Coronet®, SCA, Tork and Fort James. GP produces Pacific Garden liquid soaps…

  Georgia-Pacific produces ink and office paper under the GP label and the Spectrum® family of office paper products.

Wood Products:

Georgia-Pacific is the largest manufacturer of plywood in the U.S..

Including Plytanium Plywood®, DryPly® plywood, Ply-Bead®.

Georgia-Pacific is one of the country’s largest suppliers of corrugated boxes and containers.

Various, numerous wood products, dimensional lumber and building materials.

ToughRock®, Fireguard®, DensArmor and DensShield® gypsum board.

Textiles and Plastics
via Invista Products:

• Stainmaster
• Dacron
• Lycra
• CoolMax
• SolarMax
• Polarguard
• Thermolite
• Antron
  Comforel fiberfill
• DBE® dibasic esters
  Tactel
  Tactesse Carpet Fibers
• Terathane
• ADI-Pure®
• Polyshield®
• Polyclear®
• Oxyclear™
• Performa®
  Cordura fabric
  Supplex® Fabric
  Somerelle® Bedding

Invista produces a large selection of products under this business, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymers for carbonated soft drink, water, beer, juice, food and custom container applications. Production also includes polyester intermediate feedstocks, film products, fibers, and specialty polymers for a variety of applications, including PBT-based engineering polymer.

https://youtu.be/2N8y2SVerW8 The full-length documentary starts with the background of the Koch brothers—their father started the empire with oil money earned in the Soviet Union. This is an updated edition of the documentary, showing the latest political contributions made by the Koch Brothers. It goes on to discuss their plans for eduction, their opposition to the minimum wage, their work to increase barriers to voting, their opposition to unions, and the environmental impact of their businesses.

Chemicals, Coal & Oil:

Through its subsidiaries Koch operates refineries in Alaska, Minnesota and Texas, with a combined crude oil processing capacity of more than 800,000 barrels per day. Koch Industries owns or operates about 4,000 miles of pipelines that transport crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas liquids and chemicals. Koch Minerals and its affiliates are among the world’s largest dry-bulk commodity handlers, marketing and trading more than 40 million tons of coal, coke, cement and other related products annually. Flint Hills Resources produces about 9 billion pounds of building-block chemicals per year. Koch is a leading producer of paving and roofing asphalt. www.kochind.com

Koch Industries Produces:

* Gasoline
* Diesel
* Jet fuel
* Naphtha
* Asphalt
* Benzene
* Toluene
* Metaxylene
* Paraxylene
* Orthoxylene
* Cumene
* Cycohexane
* Heavy reformate
* Pseudocumene
* Sure Sol ® 100
* Sure Sol ® 150
* Purified Isophthalic Acid
* Maleic Anhydride
* Trimellitic Anhydride
* Ethylene
* Chemical Grade Propylene
* Polypropylene
* Polyethylene

“In Flint Hills Resources manufacturing plants, various hydrocarbon products are the basic feedstocks. At the refineries, the main feedstock is crude oil. The refineries produce a wide range of transportation fuels for motorists, truckers and the airline industry. In the olefins plants, the company processes natural gas liquids into ethylene and propylene. In the polymers plants, those two products are processed into various forms of olypropylene, which are key ingredients in products such as consumer and healthcare products, packaging and other plastic products. In the aromatics plant, products produced during the crude oil refining process become xylenes, cumenes and other light products. Those products are the building blocks for many other chemicals and plastics.”* www.fhrstage.fhr.com

Koch Carbon LLC and its affiliates globally trade and transport petroleum coke, coal, cement, pulp and paper, sulfur and other related commodities through a network of bulk import/export terminals in the United States and Europe. The C. Reiss Coal Company is a leading supplier of coal and related products typically used in industrial applications or to generate electricity.

Koch Exploration Company LLC and its affiliates acquire, develop and trade petroleum and natural gas properties in the United States, Canada and Brazil.

Koch Oil Sands Operating LLC has leases for 1.1 million acres of Alberta oil fields. The Koch’s are developing a bitumen recovery project known as the Dunkirk In Situ Project which is roughly 60 km West of the Fort McKay native community. Source: =The Globe & Mail.

Frac-Chem: is an oilfield chemical manufacturer & wholesale chemical supplier with an emphasis on hydraulic fracturing, stimulation and coil tubing chemistries.

In this 17-minute speech from 2014, Senator Sanders discusses the Koch Brothers and their influence on politics, which has only increased since the Citizens United decision eliminated limits on campaign spending. Sanders goes over the Koch brothers’ positions. Asks Sanders: “What do they want? Why are they spending so much money on politics? What do they stand for?” He focuses on the Koch Brothers’ desire to repeal security net programs like Social Security.

Pipelines:

Koch Pipeline  L.P. and its affiliates own or operate about 4,000 miles of pipelines that transport crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas liquids and chemicals.

Koch Alaska Pipeline Company, LLC owns an approximate 3 percent interest in the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. Another Koch company has a 28 percent interest in Colonial Pipeline Company, owner and operator of the world’s largest-volume refined products pipeline.

Fertilizer:

Koch Fertilizer LLC and its affiliates; have the capability to manufacture, market and distribute more than 10 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer products annually. They distribute to dealers, so their product has many a label. “Fertilizer today is an intensely industrial business more akin to oil refining or chemical production.”* www.kochind.com

Equipment:

Koch-Glitsch , LP and its affiliates are global leaders in the design, manufacture and installation of mass transfer and mist elimination equipment. The company’s products are found in refineries and chemical plants worldwide.

Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. develops and manufactures membrane separation systems for a variety of applications worldwide, including membranes for microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis.

John Zink Hamworthy Combustion , LLC and its affiliates are global leaders in ultra-low emission process burners, boiler burners, duct burners, flares and thermal oxidizers. The companies are also global suppliers of flare gas/vapor recovery and vapor combustor systems.

Molex makes electronic connectors, sensors and other electronic gear.

By Mo Schulman, author of Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America’s Most Powerful and Private Dynasty, discusses the family’s history. In researching his book only Frederick Koch agreed to speak to him—Frederick isn’t involved in the family company and instead spends his time restoring homes. He also describes the 20-year series of lawsuits within the family—”one of the most brutal family feuds we’ve ever seen.”

Cattle:

Koch Ag and Energy Solutions , operates three ranches with a total of 15,000 head of cattle in Kansas, Montana, and Texas. “Matador Ranch in Texas offers a number of hunting packages that include first-class accommodations. Everything is provided to ensure an enjoyable experience.” www.kochind.com

Services:

Koch Supply & Trading companies around the world trade and provide risk management services in crude oil; refined petroleum products; natural gas and gas liquids; gas, power and emissions; industrial metals; and other commodities and financial instruments.

Optimized Process Designs LLC  provides consulting, engineering, design, procurement, fabrication and construction services for the natural gas and gas processing industries worldwide. OPD has been the general contractor on some of the largest natural gas plants built in the U.S.

Koch Knight LLC and its affiliates are leaders in acid proof solutions. The companies offer construction, engineering and services through a global network of manufacturing and outsourcing facilities. Their products, made from state-of-the-art ceramics and plastic materials, are available worldwide.

Invista provides the resources and know how to deliver world-scale technology for licensing to a growing portfolio of technologies in the polyester, polyurethane and nylon value chains.

European brands:

• Colhogar®
• Delica®
• Demak’Up®
• Inversoft®
• Kitten Soft®
• Lotus®
• Moltonel®
• Nouvelle®
• Okay
• Tenderly®
• Tutto®

Source = www.kochind.com

Logos property of Koch Industries www.worldofkoch.com

Pollution by Koch Brothers Companies

Koch Industries emits 24 million metric tons of greenhouse gases a year. Koch Industries is the nation’s 13th largest polluter/emitter according to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Political Economy Research Institute. See detailed emissions breakdowns:  peri.umass.edu

Koch Industries spent a total of $37.9 million on oil and gas lobbying during 2006 to 2009. Source:  sourcewatch.org

According to the International Forum on Globalization, Charles and David Koch are America’s single largest source of private money for attacks against environmental protections. They have spent over $643 million to block or rollback legal protections for clean air, clean energy, clean water, and other environmental issues through sketchy scientific research, lobbying lawmakers, contributing to electoral candidates’ campaigns, media manipulation, etc. Source: kochcash

Petroleum coke (a byproduct of tar sands refining) has been irritating numerous residents in both Chicago and Detroit. Koch Carbon is storing enormous quantities of petroleum coke on the banks of Chicago’s Calumet River and Michigan’s Detroit River. The ever growing piles await processing, but refineries cannot keep up with the quantity. Source: thinkprogress

A routine aerial inspection found Koch Pipeline Co. spilled 400 gallons of crude oil in Texas in late October, 2013.

Environmental Charges Against Koch

November, 2014: the city of North Pole, Alaska filed suit against refinery owner Flint Hills Alaska Resources: “During the times that the defendants owned or operated the refinery, the defendants caused or allowed numerous and/or continuous releases of hazardous substances into the groundwater located beneath the refinery, and failed to contain or remediate the hazardous substances,” the lawsuit states. “Ultimately, these hazardous substances have migrated off the refinery property and have contaminated the groundwater down gradient of the refinery and within the city, including wells owned by the city and supplying drinking water to the city’s inhabitants. The presence of sulfolane contamination in the city’s groundwater has rendered that groundwater unfit for human consumption and endangers the public health or welfare, or fish, animals, vegetation or any other part of the natural habitat in which it is found,” the lawsuit states. Source: newsminer.com

December 2006: Flint Hill Resources fined nearly $16,000 by the EPA for 10 separate violations of the Clean Air Act at its Alaska oil refinery facilities, and required to spend another $60,000 on safety equipment needed to help prevent future violations. yosemite.epa.gov

May 2001: Koch Industries paid $25 million to the federal government to settle the federal lawsuit that found the company had improperly taken more oil than it had paid for from federal and Indian land. A federal jury found that Koch Industries had stolen oil from government and American Indian lands and had lied about its purchases more than 24,000 times. Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Koch_Industries

September 2000: A federal grand jury in Corpus Christi, Texas returned a 97-count indictment against Koch Industries Inc., Koch Petroleum Group for violating federal clean air and hazardous waste laws, due to the release of at least 91 metric tons of uncontrolled, untreated carcinogenic benzene. In April 2001, the company reached a $20 million settlement in exchange for admitting to covering up environmental violations at its refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas. Source: justice.gov

March 2000: Koch petroleum which operates a refinery in Rosemount, Minn., was sentenced to pay a $6 million criminal fine and pay an additional $2 million in remediation costs. This is the largest federal environmental fine ever paid in Minnesota. Koch admitted that it negligently discharged 200,000 – 600,000 gallons of aviation fuel into a wetland and an adjoining waterway. In addition, their way of recovering the fuel (a year and a half later) destroyed a portion of the surrounding ecosystem and wildlife habitat. In a separate offense, Koch dumped a million gallons of wastewater with high ammonia content on the ground between November 1996 and March 1997 and also increased its flow of wastewater into the Mississippi River on weekends when no one monitored discharges. These actions allowed Koch to circumvent the weekly monitoring and reporting requirements of its wastewater discharge permit. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and was prosecuted by the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. Source: www.ehso.com

January 2000: Koch Pipeline agreed to a $35 million settlement with the U.S. Justice Department and the State of Texas as fines for the firm’s three hundred oil spills (300 million gallons) in Texas and five other states going back to 1990. Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Koch_Industries

August 1996: Koch’s Sterling butane pipeline had a leak in Lively, Texas, on August 24, 1996. Two teenagers on the way to report the leak drove into the unseen butane cloud, and were killed when the gas exploded and burned. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that severe external pipeline corrosion was the cause of the failure. Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Koch_Industries

Koch Brothers: Climate Change Denial

A March 2010 Greenpeace report shows that Koch Industry foundations have contributed (2005-2008) nearly $25 million to organizations that oppose clean energy and climate policy. That does not include oil and gas lobbying of $37.9 million. For more info on Koch Industries’ funding of Climate Denial Groups — Source: GreenPeace’s report “Koch Industries Funding the Climate Denial Machine” pdf at greenpeace.org

In the August, 2010 New York Magazine article ‘Covert Operations,‘ oil tycoon David Koch was quoted as saying, global warming will be a good thing for the planet and will help “support enormously more people because a far greater land area will be available to produce food.” Source: newyorker.com

Koch Brothers: Revenue

• Koch Industries brings in $115 billion in revenue annually.
• Charles Koch has a net worth of over $42 billion.
• David Koch also has a net worth of $42 billion. The Koch brothers’ combined net worth is $84 billion.
• Charles Koch has called the recent push to raise the minimum wage ‘an obstacle to prosperity’. forbes

Koch Brothers: Voting Rights

Since the Citizen’s United decision, corporations can now attempt to influence their employees’ votes. The Koch Brothers jumped on that band wagon right away and mailed out lists of Koch supported candidates to their 50,000 employees during the last election. See info and a copy of a recommended election packet at thenation.com

Koch Brothers: University Affairs

They give as long as they can pick the teachers. See “Billionaire’s role in hiring decisions at Florida State University raises questions” at tampabay.com

Not Just Florida State…Utah, West Virginia, etc… Source: insidehighered.com

The Mercatus Center is a conservative Think Tank at George Mason University’s Arlington campus. It is a university-based research center that makes its research findings available to the media and public policy makers. According to GreenPeace the Mercatus Center has received over 10 million dollars worth of funding from the Koch Brothers. Mercatus also fights environmental regulation, opposes clean energy legislation and lobbys to prevent curbs on industrial pollution. Sources: greenpeace.org,  mercatus.org

List of Koch Organizations

• Koch Family Foundations
• Koch Network
• Freedom Partners
• Americans for Prosperity
• American Encore
• 60 Plus
• Generation Opportunity
• Knowledge and Progress Fund
• DonorsTrust
• Donors Capital
• TC4 Trust

Koch Brothers Oppose Electric Cars

This report from the show The Young Turks explains that the Koch Brothers are backing a new organization trying to stop the rising tide of electric vehicle adoption. This would hurt petroleum producers like the Koch Brothers. The group is likely to run ads attacking the subsidies given to electric cars.