In 1927, Fred Koch developed a thermal cracking process he believed could greatly boost gasoline production and decrease costs for independent oil refiners.
While that was the genesis of Koch, Inc. Inc., there was still a hurdle.
“Before he could sell his new process, he had to prove it worked,” his son and company CEO, Charles Koch, wrote in the company newsletter earlier this year.
Fred Koch convinced a refiner to try the process and did prove that it worked, creating the launching pad for what is today the largest privately held company in the country.
