PolyOne Acquisition of Spartech Approved By Shareholders

CLEVELAND, March 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PolyOne Corporation (NYSE: POL), a premier provider of specialized polymer materials, services, and solutions, today announced that Spartech shareholders have approved the merger agreement pursuant to which PolyOne will acquire Spartech Corporation (NYSE: SEH), a leading producer of custom plastic sheet and rollstock and packaging solutions.  PolyOne announced the agreement to acquire Spartech Corporation on October 24, 2012.  The transaction will be officially completed on March 13, 2013.

"We are thrilled to be moving forward with this acquisition, and we welcome the Spartech associates to the PolyOne team," said Stephen D. Newlin, chairman, president and chief executive officer, PolyOne Corporation.  "This acquisition further strengthens our Specialty Platform by enabling us to better serve customers with adjacent technologies in attractive end markets."

"This business looks very much like PolyOne did in the early years of our transformation.  We have the playbook and in-house expertise to accelerate Spartech's transformation from a volume-oriented company to one that focuses on specialty solutions and true value creation for customers," added Mr. Newlin.  "We are committed to the successful integration of Spartech, and look forward to delivering the projected annual synergies of $65 million by the end of the third year post-acquisition."

With the acquisition of Spartech, PolyOne will make changes to its segment structure.  PolyOne's Specialty Platform will now have three reportable segments: Global Color, Additives and Inks, Global Specialty Engineered Materials, and a newly formed segment named Designed Structures and Solutions (DSS).  DSS will be comprised of Spartech's former Custom Sheet and Rollstock and Packaging Technologies businesses.  Spartech's Color & Specialty Compounds business will be integrated into PolyOne's Global Color, Additives & Inks, Global Specialty Engineered Materials, and Performance Products & Solutions segments.  Use of the Spartech name will discontinue.

PolyOne also announced that it has appointed Julie A. McAlindon as senior vice president, president of Designed Structures and Solutions, reporting to Robert M. Patterson, executive vice president and chief operating officer.  Ms. McAlindon joined PolyOne in June 2010 as vice president, marketing after a distinguished career with The Dow Chemical Company.  Ms. McAlindon has been an integral part of the specialty transformational journey at PolyOne, leading the marketing function through process improvements in innovation, commercialization of market-driven applications and identification and analysis of megatrends that drive strategic planning.

"I am extremely pleased that Julie will be leading this important business segment within PolyOne, and that it will continue to be based in the St. Louis area.  She has the drive, experience, technical skills and leadership qualities needed to fully maximize the value we expect from this new business," Mr. Patterson said.

In addition, Vicki Holt, president and CEO of Spartech Corporation, has announced she will be leaving the company, following a 30-day transition period to help launch the commencement of integration efforts.  "I'd like to thank Vicki for her insights, leadership and professionalism throughout this process, and I wish her the very best in the next chapter of her career," Mr. Newlin said.

About PolyOne
PolyOne Corporation, with 2012 revenues of $3.0 billion, is a premier provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions. The company is dedicated to serving customers in diverse industries around the globe, by creating value through collaboration, innovation and an unwavering commitment to excellence.  Guided by its Core Values, Sustainability Promise and No Surprises Pledge^SM, PolyOne is committed to its customers, employees, communities and shareholders through ethical, sustainable and fiscally responsible principles.  For more information, visit www.polyone.com.

To access PolyOne's news library online, please visit www.polyone.com/news

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, statements in this document regarding the proposed acquisition of Spartech Corporation are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give current expectations or forecasts of future events and are not guarantees of future performance.  They are based on management's expectations that involve a number of business risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements.  They use words such as "will," "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 condition, performance and/or sales.  Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: our ability to achieve the strategic and other objectives relating to the Spartech acquisition, including any expected synergies; our ability to successfully integrate Spartech and achieve the expected results of the acquisition, including, without limitation, the acquisition being accretive; disruptions, uncertainty or volatility in the credit markets that could adversely impact the availability of credit already arranged and the availability and cost of credit in the future; the financial condition of our customers, including the ability of customers (especially those that may be highly leveraged and those with inadequate liquidity) to maintain their credit availability; the speed and extent of an economic recovery, including the recovery of the housing market; our ability to achieve new business gains; the effect on foreign operations of currency fluctuations, tariffs, and other political, economic and regulatory risks; changes in polymer consumption growth rates where we conduct business; changes in global industry capacity or in the rate at which anticipated changes in industry capacity come online; fluctuations in raw material prices, quality and supply and in energy prices and supply; production outages or material costs associated with scheduled or unscheduled maintenance programs; unanticipated developments that could occur with respect to contingencies such as litigation and environmental matters; an inability to achieve or delays in achieving or achievement of less than the anticipated financial benefit from initiatives related to working capital reductions, cost reductions, and employee productivity goals; an inability to raise or sustain prices for products or services; an inability to maintain appropriate relations with unions and employees; the inability to achieve expected results from our acquisition activities; our ability to continue to pay cash dividends; the amount and timing of repurchases of our common shares, if any; and other factors affecting our business beyond our control, including, without limitation, changes in the general economy, changes in interest rates and changes in the rate of inflation.  The above list of factors is not exhaustive.

We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.  You are advised to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our reports on Form 10-Q, 8-K and 10-K that we provide to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE PolyOne Corporation