A. Schulman To Establish Masterbatch Production Plant In Turkey

AKRON, Ohio, April 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A. Schulman, Inc. (Nasdaq: SHLM), a leading international supplier of high-performance plastic compounds, powders and resins, today announced plans to establish a new Masterbatch production plant in Turkey. This new facility will produce, when fully operational, approximately 40 million pounds of the Company's premium additive, white, and breathable masterbatches for food and industrial packaging customers in Turkey and other fast-growing countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Company plans to lease existing industrial facilities in the greater Istanbul area, which it will convert into a state-of-the-art production plant at a cost projected to be in the €5 million to €7 million range. This new facility is expected to be in production by the end of fiscal 2016.

"By establishing this production plant in Turkey, we simultaneously achieve several strategic priorities," said Heinrich Lingnau, vice president and general manager – Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA). "First, through this timely investment, we will be ideally positioned to participate more fully in the accelerating growth occurring throughout Turkey and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Likewise, it creates a strategic platform from which we can increase our share in this fast growing market. Furthermore, since we are currently serving our customers in Turkey from plants in Northern Europe, this new facility will allow us to improve service times and utilize capacity in Northern Europe in a more efficient manner."

"We are very excited to establish a strong, local presence in Turkey, which is fast-becoming the premier gateway for commerce between East and West," said Frank Roederer, business director masterbatch solutions, EMEA at A. Schulman. "We believe the highly skilled labor force in the Istanbul area, as well as the underlying cultural fit we find in Turkey, will provide us with a strong competitive advantage over the long term."

About A. Schulman, Inc.
A. Schulman, Inc. is a leading international supplier of high-performance plastic compounds and resins headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Since 1928, the Company has been providing innovative solutions to meet its customers' demanding requirements. The Company's customers span a wide range of markets such as packaging, mobility, building & construction, electronics & electrical, agriculture, personal care & hygiene, sports, leisure & home, custom services and others. The Company employs approximately 3,900 people and has 42 manufacturing facilities globally. A. Schulman reported net sales of approximately $2.5 billion for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2014. Additional information about A. Schulman can be found at www.aschulman.com.

Cautionary Statements
A number of the matters discussed in this document that are not historical or current facts deal with potential future circumstances and developments and may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historic or current facts and relate to future events and expectations. Forward-looking statements contain such words as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and include known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which management is unable to predict or control, that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements, and that could adversely affect the Company's future financial performance, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• worldwide and regional economic, business and political conditions, including continuing economic uncertainties in some or all of the Company's major product markets or countries where the Company has operations;
• the effectiveness of the Company's efforts to improve operating margins through sales growth, price increases, productivity gains, and improved purchasing techniques;
• competitive factors, including intense price competition;
• fluctuations in the value of currencies in areas where the Company operates;
• volatility of prices and availability of the supply of energy and raw materials that are critical to the manufacture of the Company's products, particularly plastic resins derived from oil and natural gas;
• changes in customer demand and requirements;
• effectiveness of the Company to achieve the level of cost savings, productivity improvements, growth and other benefits anticipated from acquisitions and the integration thereof, joint ventures and restructuring initiatives;
• escalation in the cost of providing employee health care;
• uncertainties regarding the resolution of pending and future litigation and other claims;
• the performance of the global automotive market as well as other markets served;
• further adverse changes in economic or industry conditions, including global supply and demand conditions and prices for products;
• operating problems with our information systems as a result of system security failures such as viruses, cyber-attacks or other causes;
• our ability to consummate the Citadel acquisition and the timing of the closing thereof for any reason, whether or not the fault of the Company;
• the failure to obtain the necessary financing in connection with the Citadel acquisition for any reason, whether or not the fault of the Company;
• the impact of the indebtedness incurred to finance the Citadel acquisition;
• integration of the business of Citadel with our existing business, including the risk that the integration will be more costly or more time consuming and complex or simply less effective than anticipated;
• our ability to achieve the anticipated synergies, cost savings and other benefits from the Citadel acquisition;
• transaction and acquisition-related costs incurred in connection with the Citadel acquisition and related transactions; and
• substantial time devoted by management to the integration after the closing of the Citadel acquisition.

The risks and uncertainties identified above are not the only risks the Company faces. Additional risk factors that could affect the Company's performance are set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2014. In addition, risks and uncertainties not presently known to the Company or that it believes to be immaterial also may adversely affect the Company. Should any known or unknown risks or uncertainties develop into actual events, or underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, these developments could have material adverse effects on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

SHLM_ALL

SOURCE A. Schulman, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.aschulman.com