A. Schulman is a global plastics supplier, headquartered in Fairlawn, Ohio. The company supplies plastic compounds and resins, which are used as raw materials in a variety of markets. Its principal product lines consist of proprietary and custom-formulated engineered plastic compounds, color concentrates and additives that are designed to improve the appearance and performance of plastics in a number of specialized applications. Rather than being considered a plastics manufacturer per se, the Company is in the plastic compounding business.

In April 2010, the Company completed acquisition of ICO, Inc. as part of its overall globalization and diversification strategy. ICO (NASDAQ: ICOC), which was incorporated in 1978, was a public company dealing globally in production of specialty polymer resins. Also in 2010, the Company acquired McCann Color, Inc. in order to "advance the profitable growth of our North American color operations." Also in 2010, A. Schulman acquired Mash Compostos Plasticos in Brazil.

The globalization strategy which led to the 2010 ICO acquisition was led by the incumbent CEO as of August 2010, Joseph Gingo, in collaboration with Charles River Associates.

In 1929, within a year of its founding, the Company had built its first production plant in Akron, Ohio.

1935-Opened the East St. Louis Plant supplying custom-fabricated precision rubber parts for the automotive industry

1955-Opened the Bellevue Plant in Bellevue, Ohio for mixing and processing PVC, ABS resins, PP, PE, and PS

1959 Opened the Orange Dispersions Plant in Orange, Texas for processing polyethylenes

1963-Opened Bornem Plant in Belgium

1973-Opened the Kerpen Plant in Germany and the Crumlin Plant in the United Kingdom

1990-Opened the Givet Plant in France

1994-Acquired Comalloy International in Nashville, Tennessee

1995-Opened San Luis Potosí Plant in Mexico

1996-Opened the Indonesia Plant

1996-Acquired Specialty Compounding Division in Sharon Center, Ohio

2000-Acquired Gorla Plant in Italy

2007-Acquired Delta Plast in Sweden

2008-The Company closed its facility in St. Thomas, Ontario.

2009-Opened Akron Polybatch Plant

2010-The Company closed its facility in Sharon Center, Ohio, a consequence of the acquisition of McCann Color.

2011-Acquired Surplast in Argentina.

2012-Acquired Elian in Francc.

2012-Acquired ECM in Worcester, Mass.

2014-Acquired Ferro Specialty Plastics which comprises four plants in the U.S.A. and one in Spain.

2015-Acquired Citadel Plastics headquartered in West Chicago, Illinois.

The Company produces and distributes materials used by other companies to fashion finished products. The automobile industry is the second largest of the Company's markets. A historical reliance on the auto market in the United States led in part to lack of profitability in the US division in the 2000s, in contrast to profitability in the Company's European and Mexican divisions.

As a company which creates workable manufacturing materials from raw materials, changes in the cost of raw material can significantly impact the Company's profitability.

A 1997 directory of thermoplastics manufacturers, compounders and distributors provided information on what types of plastics the Company produces and some of the trade names underwhich they were distributed.