Timber preservative manufacturer Koppers Performance Chemicals has announced the appointment of a new Managing Director: Dr. Steve Crimp.

The appointment follows the retirement of Thomas Scharling Christensen who leaves a 30+ year legacy with the company. New MD Steve Crimp is himself a Koppers veteran, having been with the business in Australia and New Zealand for twenty-eight years; fifteen of which were spent as General Manager of the Performance Chemicals business in New Zealand. 

Speaking about his predecessor, Crimp said: "Thomas has built a highly motivated, hard-working team and created a strong collaborative environment that celebrates and prioritises the company's core values of people, planet and performance. I look forward to building on Thomas' achievements, keeping the big picture firmly in mind".

About his appointment, Crimp added, "Koppers is entering a phase of growth with new product registrations approved, including Koppers patented MicroPro which is the industry standard for timber treatment in most parts of the globe, which will open lots of new business opportunities across Europe. I am excited by the potential that will be unlocked by the expertise within our team and the drive to provide our customers' the best possible service as a trusted partner." 

Koppers Europe has come a long way since Scharling Christensen began his journey at the company. Originally the amalgamation of multiple different manufacturers of wood preservatives, lnjecta, Protim Solignum and the wood preserving division of Rentokil, Koppers now operates as one unified organisation – successfully implementing cutting-edge technologies in timber treatment processes, elevating the quality and durability of timber structures. 

Departing MD Scharling Christensen commented: "Delivering a service structure which understood and met the needs of our customers locally and in their own language is the one accomplishment I am most proud of. Not everyone in Europe speaks English fluently and today 12 different languages are spoken across the Koppers team. He also speaks about his successor.

"Steve is an excellent choice for leading the Koppers team and our customers into the future. With more than 25 years of industry experience and extremely strong qualifications, Steve will be delivering a very qualified leadership enabling all the opportunities to be pursued by the talented Koppers team.".