UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 5, 2018

CALGON CARBON CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (412) 787-6700

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

As previously disclosed, on September 21, 2017, Calgon Carbon Corporation (the “Company”), Kuraray Co., Ltd., a company organized under the laws of Japan (“Kuraray”), Kuraray Holdings U.S.A., Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”) and KJ Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “merger agreement”), pursuant to which Merger Sub will be merged with and into the Company, with the Company surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray (the “merger”). On November 22, 2017, the Company and Kuraray filed a joint voluntary notice with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”). On March 5, 2018, the Company and Kuraray received written notice from CFIUS that it had concluded its review of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement and determined that there are no unresolved national security concerns with respect to the merger.

Receipt of the CFIUS clearance was one of the final conditions to the merger. In accordance with the terms of the merger agreement, and subject to the remaining customary closing conditions, the parties are required to consummate the merger on March 9, 2018, or on such other date as is mutually agreed to in writing.

Forward Looking Statements

This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements made in this report other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified from use of the words “may,” “should,” “could,” “potential,” “continue,” “plan,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “intent,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “target, ” “is likely,” “will,” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. However, these forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from the Company’s expectations of future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In addition, there are various risks and uncertainties associated with the merger, including but not limited to, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could delay the closing of the merger; the possibility of non-consummation of the merger and termination of the merger agreement; the risk that the Company could be required to pay a termination fee of $33.2 million to Kuraray under certain circumstances pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement; the failure to satisfy any of the conditions to the merger agreement; the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the merger may affect the timing or occurrence of the merger or result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability; the significant transaction costs which have been and may continue to be incurred by the Company related to the merger; and other potential risks to the Company associated with any failure to close the merger, including the potential distraction of employee and management attention during the pendency of the merger, uncertainty about the effect of the merger on the Company’s relationships with employees, potential and existing customers and suppliers and other parties, and the impact that the failure of the merger to close could have on the trading price of shares of Company common stock and the Company’s operating results. You should not place undue reliance on any forward- looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this report. Except as otherwise required by applicable laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking or other statements included in this report, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or any other reason.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.