PITTSBURGH, Nov. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calgon Carbon Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray Co., Ltd. (TYO: 3405) and the world's largest activated carbon manufacturer, announces the launch of Operation Bedrock, a strategic program delivering tariff-free domestic coal-based activated carbon to U.S. municipalities, water utilities, industrial and food processing facilities. The combined impact of import tariffs, freight volatility, and raw material instability has eroded the traditional cost advantage once held by imported activated carbon, positioning Operation Bedrock's domestic supply as the more economical and reliable alternative.

OPERATION BEDROCK HIGHLIGHTS:

• Tariff-free domestic production: Eliminates exposure to import duties on coal and coconut-based carbon from major supplier countries, protecting budgets from escalating landed costs driven by trade policy volatility.
• Guaranteed domestic supply: Over 310 million pounds annual U.S. manufacturing capacity using domestically mined coal and reactivation, insulates customers from overseas shipping delays, port congestion, and international freight volatility.
• Predictable pricing: Long-term contract options with indexed pricing protections help customers avoid the short validity periods and price escalators that now define imported activated carbon markets.
  

Tariffs and Supply Constraints Eliminate Coconut Carbon's Cost Advantage

The economics of activated carbon have fundamentally shifted. For decades, imported coconut and coal-based carbon were viewed as low-cost options. That era has ended. New U.S. tariffs on imported activated carbon from major supplier countries have driven landed costs up by double-digit percentages, while poor coconut harvests and freight volatility compound uncertainty.

Suppliers now routinely issue quotes with 30-day validity windows or embedded price escalators, shifting financial risk directly onto municipal and industrial buyers. Budget officers managing multi-year infrastructure programs face an impossible choice: lock in inflated prices with imported carbon or accept quarterly price resets that make planning impossible.

"Calgon Carbon’s domestic manufacturing gives our customers an advantage on cost, reliability, and speed to delivery," said Steve Schott, President and CEO of Calgon Carbon Corporation. “Operation Bedrock brings together tariff-free economics, guaranteed supply, technical expertise and large-scale domestic production to establish a new economic model for activated carbon manufacturing in an ever-changing world.”

Calgon Carbon operates multiple U.S. manufacturing facilities producing over 310 million pounds of virgin and reactivated carbon, utilizing domestic coal as a feedstock. This end-to-end American supply chain operates independently of non-domestic feedstock availability, Asian manufacturing capacity, or transoceanic shipping schedules that have become unreliable pressure points for imported carbon buyers.

Built on Wartime Supply Chain Lessons

Operation Bedrock draws its name from Calgon Carbon’s founding mission. Established in 1942 to support U.S. military efforts during World War II, the company pioneered domestic activated carbon production when coconut shell imports from the Pacific were cut off by conflict. That legacy of supply chain resilience under pressure informs Operation Bedrock’s strategy today: when global markets become unreliable, domestic capacity provides the foundation critical infrastructure demands.

Beyond manufacturing scale, Calgon Carbon delivers technical expertise honed over eight decades. Application engineers, field specialists, and reactivation experts work directly with customers to optimize system performance, troubleshoot challenges, and extend carbon service life. These are all capabilities that offshore suppliers cannot match. This combination of domestic production and hands-on technical support expertise reduces total cost of ownership while eliminating the risk of supply interruption.

Domestic Manufacturing Eliminates International Supply Risk

Operation Bedrock addresses supply continuity, a growing concern as global logistics remain unpredictable. Imported activated carbons made from both coal and coconut face compounding delays, which include port congestion, container shortages, canal restrictions, and extended lead times that stretch order-to-delivery cycles far beyond domestic alternatives.

Calgon Carbon’s domestic production enables just-in-time delivery across the continental U.S., reducing the need for expensive buffer inventory or emergency expedited freight. Water treatment facilities avoid the operational risk of running low on media during peak demand periods, while industrial users maintain lean supply chains without compromising uptime.

BABA Compliance Unlocks Federal Infrastructure Investment

Operation Bedrock's domestic production helps utilities to be compliant with Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements, often prerequisites for accessing State Revolving Funds, EPA grants, and other federally funded water infrastructure programs. Municipalities no longer face procurement bottlenecks or waiver requests that can delay projects by months.

The program also supports emerging contaminant treatment requirements. Calgon Carbon’s coal-based Filtrasorb® products routinely provide superior performance for the removal of PFAS and other regulated compounds, while the company's proprietary reactivation capabilities extend carbon service life and reduce long-term treatment costs.

“Calgon Carbon’s Operation Bedrock is built for the realities facing drinking water utilities. It combines best-in-class removal performance with pricing stability and a reactivation model that lowers lifecycle emissions and extends media value, enabling compliance today and readiness for what comes next,” Jenalle Brewer, Senior Vice President, Drinking Water Solutions, Innovative Carbon Technologies and Global Strategy & Communications.

Domestic Capacity Delivers Competitive Advantage

Operation Bedrock positions Calgon Carbon customers to benefit from the current trade environment rather than absorb its costs. With 310 million pounds of domestic manufacturing capacity, transparent indexed pricing, and elimination of tariff exposure, the program delivers measurable procurement advantages that compound over multi-year contracts. For municipal utilities, industrial facilities, and infrastructure projects that cannot tolerate supply interruptions or budget overruns, Operation Bedrock provides the economic certainty that imported carbon can no longer guarantee.

Take Action Now

Water utilities and industrial buyers can enroll in Operation Bedrock by contacting Calgon Carbon directly. Visit OperationBedrock.com or call 1-800-4-CARBON to secure domestic activated carbon supply.

About Calgon Carbon Corporation

Calgon Carbon, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray Co., Ltd. (TYO: 3405), is the world's largest manufacturer of activated carbon products. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Calgon Carbon employs approximately 1,740 people and operates manufacturing, reactivation, and innovation facilities across the United States, Asia, and Europe (where the company operates as Chemviron). The company provides innovative activated carbon solutions for over 700 applications including drinking water, wastewater, pollution abatement, PFAS treatment, and industrial processes. Calgon Carbon delivers the highest quality activated carbon filtration media, equipment, and services to meet customer needs worldwide.

Contact:
Theresa Ferguson
The Marketers Group
On behalf of Calgon Carbon
theresa@themarketersgroup.com
312-585-7113

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/efe3589a-1070-4855-abb2-aed34750b7b7