What GrafTech International does

GrafTech International Holdings Inc. (NYSE: EAF) is a global manufacturer of graphite electrodes and petroleum needle coke, founded in 1886 and headquartered in Brooklyn Heights (Parma), Ohio. The company produces UCAR-branded graphite electrodes in multiple grades (AGX for high-power/ultra-high-power EAFs, LFX for ladle furnace and low-power applications, and ALX for next-generation pin-less operations) up to 750mm in diameter, which are essential consumables for electric arc furnace steelmaking. GrafTech operates four manufacturing facilities across the United States (St. Marys, Pennsylvania), Mexico (Monterrey), France (Calais), and Spain (Pamplona), with sales and service subsidiaries in 14 countries serving 2,000+ EAFs in more than 50 countries. Vertical integration is provided by the wholly-owned Seadrift Coke L.P. in Port Lavaca, Texas, one of the world's only standalone petroleum needle coke operations, securing the primary raw material for electrode production.

The business model is industrial B2B hardware sales: the company manufactures and sells graphite electrodes and petroleum needle coke on a quoted, per-metric-ton basis, with FY2025 net sales of $504.1 million (down 6% YoY) and Q1 2026 sales of $125 million (up 12% YoY) on 28,000 metric tons. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with Q1 2026 weighted-average realized price of $3,900/ton. Revenue is augmented by Customer Technical Services (CTS) — on-site furnace analysis, diagnostics, benchmarking, and the proprietary ArchiTech Furnace Productivity System and GrafTrack electrode monitoring platforms — which bundle technical expertise into electrode sales. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales with engineering support, targeting EAF steel operators globally. The company has 135+ patents and a leadership team led by CEO Timothy K. Flanagan (appointed March 2024) and CFO Rory O'Donnell (appointed September 2024).

GrafTech faces material near-term headwinds: FY2025 net loss widened to $219.8 million from $131.2 million in 2024, total debt stands at approximately $1.1 billion against $329 million in liquidity, and Chinese/Indian import pressure has compressed prices. The company is pursuing countervailing duty and antidumping actions in the US (decisions expected July and September 2026) and Brazil, and announced a $600–$1,200/ton price increase effective March 2026. Cost-out efforts reduced cash cost of goods sold per metric ton by 11% in 2025 and a further 4% sequentially in Q1 2026, with a target of $3,600–$3,700/ton. Two securities fraud investigations (Pomerantz, Schall) and ongoing regulatory actions introduce additional uncertainty.

Name

GrafTech International

Legal name

GrafTech International Holdings Inc.

Website

https://ir.graftech.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

GrafTech International (NYSE: EAF) is a global graphite electrode and petroleum needle coke manufacturer, founded in 1886 and headquartered in Ohio. The company serves electric arc furnace steel operators across 50+ countries from four manufacturing facilities on four continents, leveraging vertically integrated needle coke supply.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graphite Electrodes and Petroleum Needle Coke for Steelmaking

NAICS

Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing (335991)

SIC

Abrasive, Asbestos & Misc Nonmetallic Mineral Prods (3290)

akta.pro primary industry

Synthetic Graphite Feedstocks (Petroleum Needle Coke & Pitch) (IMAKAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Steelmaking (Incl. DRI/HBI-Based) (IMAKABAB)

Keywords

• Graphite electrodes
• Petroleum needle coke
• Electric arc furnace steelmaking
• Carbon products manufacturing
• Steel industry consumables

Headquarters

HQ city

Parma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Graphite Electrode Sales: Primary revenue stream from sale of UCAR graphite electrodes to EAF steel operators globally. Revenue declined 6% in 2025 to $504.1 million due to pricing pressure from Chinese and Indian imports. Q1 2026 sales of $125 million up 12% YoY driven by 14% volume growth.
2. Petroleum Needle Coke (Seadrift): Sale of petroleum needle coke produced at Seadrift facility in Texas. Vertical integration provides supply security and cost advantages for electrode manufacturing.
3. Customer Technical Services: Technical services including furnace analysis, diagnostics, benchmarking, and optimization services provided to customers alongside product sales

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GrafTech International manufactures and sells premium UCAR graphite electrodes (available in AGX, ALX, and LFX grades with diameters up to 750mm) used as consumables in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking. The company is vertically integrated through its Seadrift Coke L.P. subsidiary, which produces petroleum needle coke, the key raw material for electrode production. GrafTech also offers complementary ArchiTech and GrafTrack software-based systems for EAF productivity monitoring, tracking, and inventory management, supported by a global Customer Technical Service team.

Product overview

GrafTech International is a global graphite electrode manufacturer operating a vertically integrated business model. The core product portfolio centers on UCAR® Graphite Electrodes (available in AGX™, LFX™, and ALX™ grades) for electric arc furnace steelmaking, complemented by proprietary monitoring and productivity systems including ArchiTech® Furnace Productivity System and GrafTrack® System. Vertical integration is achieved through Seadrift Coke L.P., one of the world's only standalone petroleum needle coke manufacturing facilities, which supplies the essential raw material for electrode production. The company also provides extensive Customer Technical Services (CTS) including on-site support, training, benchmarking analysis, and consulting services. Manufacturing facilities are located in North America (St. Marys, Pennsylvania; Monterrey, Mexico), Europe (Calais, France; Pamplona, Spain), with global sales and service operations spanning over 50 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UCAR: UCAR graphite electrodes - premium graphite electrodes for electric arc furnaces, available in multiple grades including AGX, LFX, and ALX
• ArchiTech
• Seadrift
• UCAR ConneX
• GrafTrack

Products and services

• UCAR Graphite Electrodes (AGX, LFX, and ALX Grades)
• ArchiTech Furnace Productivity System 24/7/365 advanced high-speed electric arc furnace diagnostic, analysis, and reporting system that is self-contained, scalable, and easy to install. Helps customers reduce costs, increase productivity, and maintain uninterrupted production flow. Sold to EAF steel operators as a complementary productivity tool alongside graphite electrodes.
• GrafTrack Electrode Monitoring System Patented electrode tracking and reporting system with inventory management assistance capabilities for EAF operators. Sold alongside UCAR electrodes to help customers monitor electrode usage, inventory, and consumption.
• Seadrift Petroleum Needle Coke Premium petroleum needle coke produced at the Seadrift facility in Port Lavaca, Texas. Primarily consumed internally as the essential raw material for graphite electrode manufacturing, with limited external sales to other electrode manufacturers. Provides vertical integration and supply security for GrafTech.
• Customer Technical Service (CTS) Comprehensive technical service offering for electric arc furnace operators, including on-demand furnace analysis, expert diagnostics, benchmarking analysis, equipment consultations, seminars, and training. The largest CTS team in the industry, supporting 2,000+ EAFs globally, bundled with product sales to help customers reduce cost and increase productivity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 48% full-year sales volume growth in U.S. market (2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ACCIONA EnergíaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026ACCIONA installed a 1.56 MWp on-site photovoltaic system at GrafTech's Navarra facility in Ororbia, Spain. The system became operational mid-February 2026 and generates approximately 2 GWh of renewable electricity per year. Operates under a 15-year on-site power purchase agreement in an 'energy-as-a-service' model requiring no upfront investment from GrafTech.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HEG Limited: One of India's largest graphite electrode manufacturers and a direct competitor in the global EAF electrode market. HEG also holds an 8.23% equity stake in GrafTech, providing direct insight into peer economics and intensifying the competitive overlap.
• Graphite India Limited: Largest graphite electrode producer globally by capacity and a primary competitor in the markets (US, India, Europe) where GrafTech is fighting anti-dumping petitions. Named alongside Chinese producers in the LDGE Fair Trade Coalition filings.
• Resonac Holdings (formerly Showa Denko): Japanese chemical and specialty materials company with a major graphite electrode business serving global EAF steelmakers. Competes directly with GrafTech in premium large-diameter electrodes for high-power and DC arc furnaces.
• Tokai Carbon: Major Japanese producer of carbon and graphite products including graphite electrodes, fine carbon, and smelting products. Overlaps directly with GrafTech's UCAR electrode portfolio and competes in global EAF and ladle furnace markets.
• SGL Carbon: Germany-based global leader in carbon and graphite specialties including graphite electrodes, cathodes, and specialty graphites. Direct competitor in European and global premium graphite electrode markets served by GrafTech.
• Mersen: French global specialty materials company with a graphite specialties segment serving EAF steelmakers, chemicals, and electronics. Competes directly with GrafTech in graphite electrodes and related carbon products.
• Energoprom Group: Russian vertically integrated graphite electrode and needle coke producer that competes in global markets. Comparable business model to GrafTech given its integrated electrode-coke operations.
• Fangda Carbon New Material: China's largest graphite electrode producer and a key source of low-cost imports cited by GrafTech as the cause of US pricing pressure. Direct global competitor and named in US anti-dumping petitions.
• Nippon Carbon: Japanese manufacturer of carbon and graphite products including graphite electrodes for steelmaking and specialty applications. Overlaps with GrafTech's premium electrode and ladle furnace offerings.
• SEC Carbon: Japanese producer of graphite electrodes primarily serving Asian EAF steelmakers. Direct competitor in regional markets where GrafTech's Japanese and Hong Kong sales subsidiaries operate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/graftech-international

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GrafTech International