A. Schulman (SLMNP) 10-Q 28 Jun 16 2016 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	Jun. 24, 2016
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	SCHULMAN A INC
Entity Central Index Key	87,565
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	May 31, 2016
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--08-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		29,429,382

Consolidated Statements of Oper

Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015
Net sales	$ 650,439	$ 560,858	$ 1,891,419	$ 1,718,206
Cost of sales	540,965	470,101	1,587,192	1,462,531
Selling, general and administrative expenses	73,641	64,842	222,482	195,482
Restructuring expense	4,245	2,649	8,005	10,530
Operating income	31,588	23,266	73,740	49,663
Interest expense	13,557	2,618	40,965	7,288
Bridge financing fees	0	18,750	0	18,750
Foreign currency transaction (gains) losses	392	857	2,071	3,097
Other (income) expense, net	(229)	(335)	(246)	(900)
Gain on early extinguishment of debt	0	0	0	(1,290)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes	17,868	1,376	30,950	22,718
Provision (benefit) for U.S. and foreign income taxes	312	10,344	4,076	18,801
Income (loss) from continuing operations	17,556	(8,968)	26,874	3,917
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	82	(18)	283	(86)
Net income (loss)	17,638	(8,986)	27,157	3,831
Noncontrolling interests	(241)	(343)	(1,075)	(890)
Net income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc.	17,397	(9,329)	26,082	2,941
Convertible special stock dividends	1,875	563	5,625	563
Net income (loss) available to A. Schulman, Inc. common stockholders	$ 15,522	$ (9,892)	$ 20,457	$ 2,378
Weighted-average number of shares outstanding:
Basic	29,339	29,219	29,284	29,125
Diluted	29,474	29,219	29,459	29,547
Basic earnings per share available to A. Schulman, Inc. common stockholders
Income (loss) from continuing operations	$ 0.53	$ (0.34)	$ 0.69	$ 0.08
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0.01	0
Net income (loss) available to A. Schulman, Inc. common stockholders	0.53	(0.34)	0.70	0.08
Diluted earnings per share available to A. Schulman, Inc. common stockholders
Income (loss) from continuing operations	0.53	(0.34)	0.68	0.08
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0.01	0
Net income (loss) available to A. Schulman, Inc. common stockholders	0.53	(0.34)	0.69	0.08
Cash dividends per common share	0.205	0.205	0.615	0.615
Cash dividends per share of convertible special stock	$ 15	$ 0	$ 45	$ 0

Consolidated Statements Of Comp

Consolidated Statements Of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015
Net income (loss)		$ 17,638	$ (8,986)	$ 27,157	$ 3,831
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation gains (losses)		8,155	(7,786)	(11,864)	(65,892)
Defined benefit retirement plans, net of tax		421	429	1,586	1,364
Other comprehensive income (loss)	[1]	8,576	(7,357)	(10,278)	(64,528)
Comprehensive income (loss)		26,214	(16,343)	16,879	(60,697)
Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		370	282	481	768
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc.		$ 25,844	$ (16,625)	$ 16,398	$ (61,465)
[1]	(1) All amounts presented are net of tax. All tax amounts are related to pension and other retiree benefits.

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Un

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		May 31, 2016	Aug. 31, 2015
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 47,019	$ 96,872
Restricted cash		2,407	0
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $11,367 at May 31, 2016 and $10,777 at August 31, 2015		405,118	413,943
Inventories		289,656	317,328
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		72,767	60,205
Total current assets		816,967	888,348
Property, plant and equipment, at cost:
Land and improvements		33,160	31,674
Buildings and leasehold improvements		177,748	164,759
Machinery and equipment		440,631	427,183
Furniture and fixtures		34,537	34,393
Construction in progress		24,032	23,866
Gross property, plant and equipment		710,108	681,875
Accumulated depreciation		394,605	367,381
Net property, plant and equipment		315,503	314,494
Other assets:
Deferred charges and other noncurrent assets		89,652	90,749
Goodwill		620,649	623,583
Intangible assets, net		405,539	434,537
Total assets		2,248,310	2,351,711
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		296,308	305,385
U.S. and foreign income taxes payable		0	4,205
Accrued payroll, taxes and related benefits		47,017	56,192
Other accrued liabilities		81,636	70,824
Short-term debt		24,515	20,710
Total current liabilities		449,476	457,316
Long-term debt		961,569	1,045,349
Pension plans		118,034	117,889
Deferred income taxes		109,428	115,537
Other long-term liabilities		22,525	22,885
Total liabilities		$ 1,661,032	$ 1,758,976
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Convertible special stock, no par value		$ 120,289	$ 120,289
Common stock, $1 par value, authorized - 75,000 shares, issued - 48,506 shares at May 31, 2016 and 48,369 shares at August 31, 2015		48,506	48,369
Additional paid-in capital		275,361	274,319
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	[1]	(93,144)	(83,460)
Retained earnings		610,135	607,690
Treasury stock, at cost, 19,071 shares at May 31, 2016 and 19,077 shares at August 31, 2015		(382,999)	(383,121)
Total A. Schulman, Inc.’s stockholders’ equity		578,148	584,086
Noncontrolling interests		9,130	8,649
Total equity		587,278	592,735
Total liabilities and equity		$ 2,248,310	$ 2,351,711
[1]	(1) All amounts presented are net of tax. All tax amounts are related to pension and other retiree benefits.

Consolidated Balance Sheets (U5

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	May 31, 2016	Aug. 31, 2015
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Nonrecurring	$ 0
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 11,367	$ 10,777
Common stock, par value	$ 1	$ 1
Common stock, shares authorized	75,000	75,000
Common stock, shares issued	48,506	48,369
Treasury stock, shares	19,071	19,077

Consolidated Statements of Cash

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015
Operating from continuing and discontinued operations:
Net income	$ 27,157	$ 3,831
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided from (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation	37,347	26,481
Amortization	30,163	11,899
Bridge financing fees	0	18,750
Deferred tax provision (benefit)	(2,395)	(1,143)
Pension, postretirement benefits and other compensation	3,161	8,318
Restricted stock compensation - CEO transition costs, net of cash	0	4,789
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:
Accounts receivable	2,574	(13,610)
Inventories	19,900	(13,309)
Accounts payable	(8,145)	9,599
Income taxes	(9,955)	2,598
Accrued payroll and other accrued liabilities	2,583	4,776
Other assets and long-term liabilities	(6,718)	(6,698)
Net cash provided from (used in) operating activities	95,672	56,281
Investing from continuing and discontinued operations:
Expenditures for property, plant and equipment	(34,618)	(32,662)
Investment in equity investees	0	(12,456)
Proceeds from the sale of assets	1,184	1,411
Restricted cash	(2,407)	(3,509)
Business acquisitions, net of cash	0	(6,698)
Net cash provided from (used in) investing activities	(35,841)	(53,914)
Financing from continuing and discontinued operations:
Cash dividends paid to special stockholders	(5,625)	0
Cash dividends paid to common stockholders	(18,012)	(18,058)
Increase (decrease) in short-term debt	2,780	(12,995)
Borrowings on long-term debt	124,671	255,196
Repayments on long-term debt including current portion	(210,448)	(353,647)
Noncontrolling interests' contributions (distributions)	0	(1,750)
Issuances of convertible special stock, net	0	120,296
Issuances of stock, common and treasury	213	231
Redemptions of common stock	1,077	4,999
Purchases of treasury stock	0	3,335
Net cash provided from (used in) financing activities	(107,498)	(19,061)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(2,186)	(11,756)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(49,853)	(28,450)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	96,872	135,493
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	47,019	107,043
Senior notes funding held in restricted cash	0	375,000
Unpaid Debt Issuance Costs	$ 0	$ 11,116

General

General	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
General [Abstract]
GENERAL	GENERAL The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements included for A. Schulman, Inc. (the “Company”) reflect all adjustments, which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of the results of the interim periods presented. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The fiscal year-end consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The unaudited consolidated financial information should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto incorporated in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 . The results of operations for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2016 . The accounting policies for the periods presented are the same as described in Note 1 – Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the consolidated financial statements contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 . Restricted Cash At May 31, 2016, restricted cash represents proceeds from tax return refunds for certain Citadel acquisition entities for periods prior to the Company's ownership. These proceeds are payable to the seller per the terms of the stock purchase agreement, and the liability is reflected on the consolidated balance sheet within other accrued liabilities as of May 31, 2016. Certain items previously reported in specific financial statement captions have been reclassified to conform to the fiscal 2016 presentation.

Business Acquisitions

Business Acquisitions	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Business Combination Disclosure [Text Block]	BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS Citadel On June 1, 2015, the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of privately held Citadel, a portfolio company of certain private equity firms, for $801.6 million . Citadel is a plastics materials science business that produces engineered composites and engineered plastics for specialty product applications spanning multiple industries including transportation, industrial & construction, consumer, electrical, energy and healthcare & safety. The acquisition expands the Company's presence, especially in the North America engineered plastics markets as well as balances the global geographic footprint and gives A. Schulman a second growth platform with its added-value specialty engineered composites business. The business enhances the Company's existing portfolio and presents expansion opportunities in other sectors such as aerospace, medical, LED lighting and oil & gas. Through this acquisition the Company's portfolio becomes more specialized, which enables the Company to better serve its global customer base with comprehensive solutions to address their needs such as light-weighting, material replacement, and high temperature strength. The information included herein has been prepared based on the allocation of the purchase price using estimates of the fair value and useful lives of assets acquired and liabilities assumed which were determined with the assistance of independent valuations using discounted cash flow and comparative market multiple approaches, quoted market prices and estimates made by management. The following table presents the estimated fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed from the Citadel acquisition at the date of acquisition: As of June 1, 2015 (In thousands) Accounts receivable $ 71,767 Inventories 40,942 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 14,556 Property, plant and equipment 78,112 Intangible assets 325,000 Other long-term assets 3,606 Total assets acquired $ 533,983 Accounts payable 28,854 Accrued liabilities 19,853 Deferred income taxes, long-term 111,507 Other long-term liabilities 3,121 Total liabilities assumed $ 163,335 Identifiable net assets acquired $ 370,648 Goodwill 430,912 Net assets acquired $ 801,560 The Company recorded acquired intangible assets of $325.0 million , with an estimated weighted-average useful life of 14.1 years. These intangible assets include customer related intangibles of $230.5 million , developed technology of $75.3 million , and trademarks and trade names of $19.2 million , with estimated weighted-average useful lives of 14.0 years, 16.3 years and 8.1 years, respectively. In addition, the estimated fair value of accounts receivable acquired was $71.8 million with the gross contractual amount being $72.1 million . Goodwill is calculated as the excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed in the acquisition, and represents the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired that could not be individually identified and separately recognized. The amount allocated to goodwill associated with the Citadel acquisition is primarily the result of anticipated synergies resulting from the consolidation and centralization of manufacturing and global purchasing activities, insurance savings, elimination of duplicate corporate administrative costs and the previously discussed market expansion. The Company allocated the goodwill to its USCAN engineered plastics and global engineered composites reporting units. Except for certain pre-acquisition tax-deductible goodwill, none of the goodwill associated with this transaction is deductible for income tax purposes. A. Schulman's fiscal year ends on August 31 while Citadel's fiscal year ended on December 31. The pro forma information in the table below for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2015 includes (1) A. Schulman’s three and nine months ended May 31, 2015 and (2) Citadel’s three and nine months ended June 30, 2015. The following pro forma information represents the consolidated results of the Company as if the Citadel acquisition occurred on September 1, 2013: Three months ended May 31, 2015 Nine months ended May 31, 2015 (In thousands, except per share data) Net sales $ 688,823 $ 2,095,541 Net income (loss) available to A. Schulman, Inc. common stockholders $ 6,393 $ 2,504 Net income (loss) per share of common stock available to A. Schulman, Inc. - diluted $ 0.22 $ 0.08 The unaudited pro forma information has been adjusted with respect to certain aspects of the acquisition to reflect the following: • Citadel acquired The Composites Group (“TCG”) in November of 2014. For purposes of the pro forma information disclosed above, the TCG acquisition was included as if the acquisition date was on September 1, 2013. • Additional depreciation and amortization expenses that would have been recognized assuming fair value adjustments to the existing Citadel assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including intangible assets, fixed assets and expense associated with the fair value step-up of inventory acquired. • Increased interest expense due to additional borrowings to fund the acquisition. • Adjustment of valuation allowances associated with US deferred tax assets. • Acquisition-related costs of $14.1 million , which were incurred during fiscal 2015, are reflected as if incurred during the three months ended November 30, 2013. • Costs associated with acquisition bridge financing of $18.8 million , which were incurred during fiscal 2015, are reflected as if incurred during the three months ended November 30, 2013. The pro forma results do not include any anticipated cost synergies or other effects of the planned integration of the acquired business. Accordingly, such pro forma amounts are not necessarily indicative of the results that actually would have occurred had the acquisition been completed on September 1, 2013, nor are they indicative of the future operating results of the Company. The following table summarizes the Company's other business acquisitions for the periods presented: Transaction Description Date of Transaction Purchase Consideration (In millions) Segment Compco Pty. Ltd. September 2, 2014 $ 6.7 APAC Total acquisition and integration related costs were $1.5 million and $7.6 million during the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 , respectively, and $3.6 million and $8.0 million during the three and nine months ended May 31, 2015 , respectively. Acquisition and integration related costs are primarily included in selling, general and administrative expenses.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Text Block]	GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS The changes in the Company's carrying value of goodwill are as follows: EMEA USCAN LATAM APAC EC Total (In thousands) Balance as of August 31, 2015 $ 75,714 $ 285,791 $ 11,695 $ 901 $ 249,482 $ 623,583 Acquisitions (1) — (2,633 ) — — 2,154 (479 ) Translation (1,695 ) — 14 17 (791 ) (2,455 ) Balance as of May 31, 2016 $ 74,019 $ 283,158 $ 11,709 $ 918 $ 250,845 $ 620,649 (1) Activity relates to adjustments to preliminary purchase price allocation made in fiscal 2016, primarily due to inventory and deferred tax adjustments. The following table summarizes intangible assets with finite useful lives by major category: May 31, 2016 August 31, 2015 Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Amount Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Amount (In thousands) Customer related $ 360,008 $ (60,632 ) $ 299,376 $ 360,193 $ (40,447 ) $ 319,746 Developed technology 95,114 (14,982 ) 80,132 93,518 (9,398 ) 84,120 Registered trademarks and tradenames 34,963 (8,932 ) 26,031 37,964 (7,293 ) 30,671 Total finite-lived intangible assets $ 490,085 $ (84,546 ) $ 405,539 $ 491,675 $ (57,138 ) $ 434,537 Amortization expense of intangible assets was $9.3 million and $27.9 million for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 , respectively, and $3.3 million and $10.0 million for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2015 , respectively.

Long-Term Debt and Credit Arran

Long-Term Debt and Credit Arrangements (Notes)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Disclosure [Text Block]	LONG-TERM DEBT AND CREDIT ARRANGEMENTS The following table summarizes short-term and long-term debt: May 31, 2016 August 31, 2015 (In thousands) Notes payable and other, due within one year $ 9,398 $ 5,584 Current portion of long-term debt 15,117 15,126 Short-term debt $ 24,515 $ 20,710 Revolving credit facility, LIBOR plus applicable spread, due June 2020 $ 12,400 $ — Term Loan A, LIBOR plus applicable spread, due June 2020 180,000 187,500 U.S. Term Loan B, LIBOR plus applicable spread, due June 2022 342,250 344,781 Euro Term Loan B, LIBOR plus applicable spread, due June 2022 47,987 137,818 Senior notes, 6.875%, due June 2023 375,000 375,000 Capital leases and other long-term debt 3,932 250 Long-term debt $ 961,569 $ 1,045,349 For a detailed discussion of the Company's long-term debt and credit arrangements, refer to Note 5 in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 . The Company is in compliance with its debt covenants as of May 31, 2016 . The Company made prepayments of €79.0 million on its Euro Term Loan B debt during the nine months ended May 31, 2016 , in addition to normal required payments of $11.3 million on all term debt.

Fair Value Measurement

Fair Value Measurement	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT The following table presents information about the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value: May 31, 2016 August 31, 2015 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 (In thousands) Assets recorded at fair value: Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 952 $ — $ 952 $ — $ 1,818 $ — $ 1,818 $ — Liabilities recorded at fair value: Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 1,779 $ — $ 1,779 $ — $ 1,576 $ — $ 1,576 $ — Liabilities not recorded at fair value: Long-term fixed-rate debt $ 375,236 $ — $ 375,236 $ — $ 374,299 $ — $ 374,299 $ — Cash and cash equivalents are recorded at cost, which approximates fair value. Additionally, the carrying value of the Company's variable-rate debt approximates fair value. The Company measures the fair value of its foreign exchange forward contracts using an internal model. The model maximizes the use of Level 2 market observable inputs including interest rate curves, currency forward and spot prices, and credit spreads. The total contract value of foreign exchange forward contracts outstanding was $112.6 million and $161.5 million as of May 31, 2016 and August 31, 2015 , respectively. The amount of foreign exchange forward contracts outstanding as of the end of the period is indicative of the exposure of current balances and the forecasted change in exposures for the following quarter. Any gains or losses associated with these contracts as well as the offsetting gains or losses from the underlying assets or liabilities are included in the foreign currency transaction (gains) losses line in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The fair value of the Company’s foreign exchange forward contracts is recognized in other current assets or other accrued liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets based on the net settlement value. The foreign exchange forward contracts are entered into with creditworthy financial institutions, generally have a term of three months or less, and the Company does not hold or issue foreign exchange forward contracts for trading purposes. There were no foreign exchange forward contracts designated as hedging instruments as of May 31, 2016 and August 31, 2015 . Long-term fixed-rate debt as of May 31, 2016 and August 31, 2015 represents the Senior Notes, due 2023, recorded at cost and presented at fair value for disclosure purposes. The Level 2 fair value of the Company's fixed-rate debt was estimated using prevailing market interest rates on debt with similar creditworthiness, terms and maturities. As of May 31, 2016 and August 31, 2015 , the carrying value of the Company's long-term fixed-rate debt recorded on the consolidated balance sheets was $375.0 million . For a discussion of the Company’s fair value measurement policies under the fair value hierarchy, refer to Note 1 in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 . The Company has not changed its valuation techniques for measuring the fair value of any financial assets or liabilities during fiscal 2016 , and transfers between levels within the fair value hierarchy, if any, are recognized at the end of each quarter. There were no transfers between levels during the period presented. Additionally, the Company remeasures certain assets to fair value, using Level 3 measurements, as a result of the occurrence of triggering events. There were no significant assets or liabilities that were remeasured at fair value on a non-recurring basis during the period presented.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]	INCOME TAXES The effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 was 1.7% and 13.1% , respectively, and 751.5% and 82.8% for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2015 , respectively. The decrease in the effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 as compared with the same periods last year was driven primarily by prior year losses with no tax benefit due to valuation allowances and current year tax benefits related to the extension of certain expired tax provisions by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (“PATH”) Act of 2015. We record quarterly taxes based on overall estimated annual effective tax rates. The difference between our effective tax rate and the U.S. statutory federal income tax rate in the current year is primarily attributable to our overall foreign rate being less than the U.S. statutory federal income tax rate and the extension of certain expired tax provisions by the PATH Act of 2015, partially offset by current year foreign losses with no benefit. As of May 31, 2016 , the Company's gross unrecognized tax benefits totaled $2.6 million . If recognized, $1.6 million of the total unrecognized tax benefits would favorably affect the Company's effective tax rate. The Company reports interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. As of May 31, 2016 , the Company had $1.1 million of accrued interest and penalties on unrecognized tax benefits. The Company’s statute of limitations is open in various jurisdictions as follows: Germany - from 2005 onward, France - from 2010 onward, U.S. - from 2012 onward, Belgium - from 2013 onward, other foreign jurisdictions - from 2006 onward. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits is expected to change in the next 12 months; however, the change is not expected to have a significant impact on the financial position of the Company.

Pension and Postretirement Bene

Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plans	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]	PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS The components of the Company’s net periodic benefit cost for defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans are shown below: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) Defined benefit pension plans: Service cost $ 1,306 $ 1,093 $ 3,875 $ 3,516 Interest cost 1,056 1,036 3,160 3,299 Expected return on plan assets (484 ) (435 ) (1,473 ) (1,354 ) Amortization of actuarial loss (gain) 726 692 2,162 2,213 Net periodic pension benefit cost $ 2,604 $ 2,386 $ 7,724 $ 7,674 Other postretirement benefit plan: Service cost $ 1 $ 1 $ 3 $ 3 Interest cost 97 110 291 330 Prior service cost (credit) (149 ) (135 ) (447 ) (406 ) Net periodic postretirement benefit cost (credit) $ (51 ) $ (24 ) $ (153 ) $ (73 )

Consolidated Statement of Stock

Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY	CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY A summary of the changes in stockholders’ equity is as follows: Convertible Special Stock Common Stock ($1 par value) Additional Paid-In Capital Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Retained Earnings Treasury Stock Non-controlling Interests Total Equity (In thousands, except per share data) Balance as of August 31, 2015 $ 120,289 $ 48,369 $ 274,319 $ (83,460 ) $ 607,690 $ (383,121 ) $ 8,649 $ 592,735 Comprehensive income (loss) (9,684 ) 26,082 481 16,879 Cash dividends paid on common stock, $0.615 per share (18,012 ) (18,012 ) Cash dividends paid on convertible special stock, $45.00 per share (5,625 ) (5,625 ) Issuance of treasury stock 59 122 181 Stock options exercised 2 30 32 Restricted stock issued, net of forfeitures 183 (183 ) — Redemption of common stock to cover tax withholdings (48 ) (1,029 ) (1,077 ) Tax windfall (shortfall) related to share-based incentive compensation (301 ) (301 ) Amortization of restricted stock 2,466 2,466 Balance as of May 31, 2016 $ 120,289 $ 48,506 $ 275,361 $ (93,144 ) $ 610,135 $ (382,999 ) $ 9,130 $ 587,278

Convertible Special Stock

Convertible Special Stock	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Convertible Special Stock [Abstract]
Preferred Stock [Text Block]	CONVERTIBLE SPECIAL STOCK On May 4, 2015, the Company filed with the Delaware Secretary of State a Certificate of Designation, Preferences, Rights and Limitations (the "Certificate of Designation") for the purpose of amending its Restated Certificate of Incorporation to fix the designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights of 125,000 shares of the Company’s 6.00% Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Special Stock, without par value (the “Convertible Special Stock”). On May 4, 2015, the Company received gross cash proceeds of $125.0 million from the sale of 125,000 shares of Convertible Special Stock. As of May 31, 2016 and August 31, 2015 , the $120.3 million amount recorded in the Convertible Special Stock line in the balance sheet is net of issuance costs of $4.7 million . Since August 31, 2015 , there have been no changes to the Convertible Special Stock in regards to the: • ranking upon payment of dividends and distributions upon the Company’s liquidation, winding up or dissolution; • cumulative 6.00% per annum dividend entitlements; • voting rights; • redemption rights; • conversion rate, of which there have been no conversions as of May 31, 2016 and August 31, 2015 ; and • optional conversion by the Company on or after May 1, 2020. The Company paid $1.9 million and $5.6 million of convertible special stock dividends during the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 , respectively, and currently intends to pay future dividends in cash. If the Company undergoes a fundamental change, as defined in the Certificate of Designation, and a holder subsequently converts its shares of Convertible Special Stock, the holder will receive, for each share of Convertible Special Stock surrendered for conversion, a number of shares of common stock of the Company as set forth in the Certificate of Designations. There have been no fundamental changes as of May 31, 2016 or August 31, 2015 .

Accumulated Other Comprehensive

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Disclosure of Reclassification Amount [Text Block]	ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) The components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) are as follows (1) : Foreign Currency Translation Gain (Loss) Pension and Other Retiree Benefits Total Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (In thousands) Balance as of February 29, 2016 $ (68,858 ) $ (32,733 ) $ (101,591 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications 8,155 — 8,155 Amounts reclassified to earnings — 421 (2) 421 Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) 8,155 421 8,576 Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to 129 — 129 Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc. 8,026 421 8,447 Balance as of May 31, 2016 $ (60,832 ) $ (32,312 ) $ (93,144 ) Foreign Currency Translation Gain (Loss) Pension and Other Retiree Benefits Total Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (In thousands) Balance as of August 31, 2015 $ (49,562 ) $ (33,898 ) $ (83,460 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (11,864 ) — (11,864 ) Amounts reclassified to earnings — 1,586 (2) 1,586 Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) (11,864 ) 1,586 (10,278 ) Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to (594 ) — (594 ) Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc. (11,270 ) 1,586 (9,684 ) Balance as of May 31, 2016 $ (60,832 ) $ (32,312 ) $ (93,144 ) Foreign Currency Translation Gain (Loss) Pension and Other Retiree Benefits Total Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (In thousands) Balance as of February 28, 2015 $ (35,259 ) $ (38,542 ) $ (73,801 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (7,786 ) — (7,786 ) Amounts reclassified to earnings — 429 (2) 429 Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) (7,786 ) 429 (7,357 ) Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to (61 ) — (61 ) Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc. (7,725 ) 429 (7,296 ) Balance as of May 31, 2015 $ (42,984 ) $ (38,113 ) $ (81,097 ) Foreign Currency Translation Gain (Loss) Pension and Other Retiree Benefits Total Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (In thousands) Balance as of August 31, 2014 $ 22,786 $ (39,477 ) $ (16,691 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (65,892 ) — (65,892 ) Amounts reclassified to earnings — 1,364 (2) 1,364 Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) (65,892 ) 1,364 (64,528 ) Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to (122 ) — (122 ) Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc. (65,770 ) 1,364 (64,406 ) Balance as of May 31, 2015 $ (42,984 ) $ (38,113 ) $ (81,097 ) (1) All amounts presented are net of tax. All tax amounts are related to pension and other retiree benefits. (2) Amounts represent amortization of net actuarial loss and prior service costs and are reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into cost of sales and selling, general & administrative expenses on the consolidated statements of operations. These components are included in the computation of net periodic pension cost. Refer to Note 7 of this Form 10-Q for further details.

Share-Based Incentive Compensat

Share-Based Incentive Compensation Plans	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]	SHARE-BASED INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLANS During the second quarter of fiscal 2016 , the Company granted 55,820 and 334,920 shares of time-based and performance-based restricted stock awards, respectively, with a weighted-average grant date fair value of $22.91 per share. Vesting of the ultimate number of shares underlying a portion of these performance-based awards, if any, will be dependent upon the Company's return on invested capital ("ROIC") while vesting for the remaining performance-based awards, if any, will be dependent upon the Company's cumulative earnings per share ("Cumulative EPS"), both over a three-year performance period. All other terms and conditions of the awards granted during the current year are consistent with the awards granted in the prior year. Additionally, the Company granted non-employee directors a total of 24,624 shares of unrestricted common stock. The following table summarizes the impact to the Company’s consolidated statements of operations from share-based incentive compensation plans, which is primarily included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) Time-based and performance-based restricted stock awards (1) $ (151 ) $ 1,590 $ 1,116 $ 5,266 Board of Directors unrestricted awards — — 564 630 CEO transition costs (2) — — — 6,167 Total share-based incentive compensation $ (151 ) $ 1,590 $ 1,680 $ 12,063 (1) The expense related to the performance-based restricted stock awards for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 reflects reduced attainment percentages. (2) CEO transition costs represent a charge for the modification and accelerated vesting upon retirement of the outstanding equity compensation awards granted to Joseph M. Gingo in 2013 and 2014. Total unrecognized compensation cost, including a provision for estimated forfeitures, related to non-vested stock-based compensation arrangements as of May 31, 2016 was $3.0 million . This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.8 years. As of May 31, 2016 , there were 917,395 shares of common stock available for grant pursuant to the Company’s 2006 Incentive Plan, 396,946 shares of common stock available for grant pursuant to the Company's 2010 Rewards Plan and 1,482,656 shares of common stock available for grant pursuant to the Company's 2014 Equity Incentive Plan. For further discussion of the Company's share-based incentive compensation plans, refer to Note 11 in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 .

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share [Text Block]	EARNINGS PER SHARE Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing income available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if common stock equivalents are exercised as well as the impact of restricted stock awards expected to vest, which combined would then share in the earnings of the Company. Dividends on convertible special stock that an issuer has paid or intends to pay are deducted from net income or added to the amount of a net loss in computing income available to common stockholders. The difference between basic and diluted weighted-average shares results from the assumed exercise of outstanding stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards, calculated using the treasury stock method, and the inclusion of the convertible special stock dividends, calculated using the if-converted method. The Company computes income available to common stockholders by deducting dividends accumulated on the convertible special stock from income (loss) from continuing operations and net income (loss). The convertible special stock does not impact the denominator of basic EPS. The dilutive effect of convertible special stock is reflected in diluted EPS by application of the if-converted method. In applying the if-converted method, conversion shall not be assumed for purposes of computing diluted EPS if the effect would be anti-dilutive. The convertible special stock is anti-dilutive whenever the amount of the dividend declared in or accumulated for the current period per share on conversion exceeds basic EPS. For the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 , the accumulated dividend per share on conversion exceeded basic EPS, therefore the 2,388,913 shares related to the convertible special stock were considered anti-dilutive. The following table presents the number of incremental weighted-average shares used in computing diluted per share amounts: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) Weighted-average shares outstanding: Basic 29,339 29,219 29,284 29,125 Incremental shares from equity awards 135 — 175 422 Incremental shares from convertible special stock — — — — Diluted 29,474 29,219 29,459 29,547 Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 excludes approximately 1,000 and 5,000 shares respectively, related to equity awards, as their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive. For the three months ended May 31, 2015 approximately 300,000 shares related to equity awards were excluded, as their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.

Segment Information

Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block]	SEGMENT INFORMATION The Company considers its operating structure and the types of information subject to regular review by its President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), who is the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”), to identify reportable segments. The CODM makes decisions, assesses performance and allocates resources by the following current reportable segments: Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”), United States & Canada (“USCAN”), Latin America (“LATAM”), Asia Pacific (“APAC”), and Engineered Composites ("EC"). The CODM uses net sales to unaffiliated customers, segment gross profit and segment operating income in order to make decisions, assess performance and allocate resources to each segment. Segment operating income does not include items such as restructuring and related costs including accelerated depreciation, asset impairments, or costs and inventory step-up charges related to business acquisitions and integration. Corporate expenses include the compensation of certain personnel, certain audit expenses, Board of Directors related costs, certain insurance costs, costs associated with being a publicly traded entity and other miscellaneous legal and professional fees. The following table summarizes net sales to unaffiliated customers by segment: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) EMEA $ 322,368 $ 326,255 $ 940,794 $ 1,012,592 USCAN 183,338 137,080 532,437 415,221 LATAM 43,377 44,821 126,738 132,135 APAC 46,880 52,702 137,635 158,258 EC 54,476 — 153,815 — Total net sales to unaffiliated customers $ 650,439 $ 560,858 $ 1,891,419 $ 1,718,206 Below the Company presents gross profit by segment: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) EMEA $ 49,852 $ 51,695 $ 136,489 $ 145,908 USCAN 32,560 22,104 90,095 66,478 LATAM 9,055 9,324 27,226 22,075 APAC 8,080 7,771 24,153 22,403 EC 13,746 — 37,941 — Total segment gross profit 113,293 90,894 315,904 256,864 Inventory step-up — — — (341 ) Accelerated depreciation and restructuring related costs (2,930 ) (78 ) (7,311 ) (674 ) Costs related to acquisitions and integrations (423 ) (59 ) (2,522 ) (174 ) Lucent costs (1) (466 ) — (1,844 ) — Total gross profit $ 109,474 $ 90,757 $ 304,227 $ 255,675 Below is a reconciliation of segment operating income to operating income and income from continuing operations before taxes: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) EMEA $ 23,382 $ 24,716 $ 59,147 $ 61,032 USCAN 15,576 7,982 38,166 25,299 LATAM 4,748 4,654 14,581 7,531 APAC 4,540 3,972 13,517 10,903 EC 5,031 — 10,583 — Total segment operating income 53,277 41,324 135,994 104,765 Corporate (7,489 ) (8,502 ) (23,661 ) (24,992 ) Costs related to acquisitions and integrations (1,443 ) (3,590 ) (7,570 ) (7,972 ) Restructuring and related costs (9,520 ) (5,937 ) (19,959 ) (15,303 ) Accelerated depreciation (1,286 ) (29 ) (4,796 ) (327 ) Lucent costs (1) (1,951 ) — (6,268 ) — Inventory step-up — — — (341 ) CEO transition costs — — — (6,167 ) Operating income 31,588 23,266 73,740 49,663 Interest expense (13,557 ) (2,618 ) (40,965 ) (7,288 ) Bridge financing fees — (18,750 ) — (18,750 ) Foreign currency transaction gains (losses) (392 ) (857 ) (2,071 ) (3,097 ) Other income (expense), net 229 335 246 900 Gain on early extinguishment of debt — — — 1,290 Income from continuing operations before taxes $ 17,868 $ 1,376 $ 30,950 $ 22,718 (1) Refer to Note 15 for additional discussion on this matter. Lucent costs in costs of sales include additional product and manufacturing operational costs for reworking inventory. Additional Lucent costs in selling, general and administrative expenses include legal and investigative costs and dedicated internal personnel costs that would have otherwise been focused on normal operations. Globally, the Company operates in six product families: (1) custom performance colors, (2) engineered composites, (3) masterbatch solutions, (4) engineered plastics, (5) specialty powders and (6) distribution services. The three and nine months ended May 31, 2015 include a reclassification of revenue between product families to better reflect the way the businesses are managed. The consolidated net sales for these product families are as follows: Three months ended May 31, 2016 2015 (In thousands, except for %'s) Custom Performance Colors $ 48,573 8 % $ 48,630 9 % Engineered Composites 54,476 8 — — Masterbatch Solutions 184,157 29 184,409 33 Engineered Plastics 228,945 35 181,918 32 Specialty Powders 67,661 10 71,133 13 Distribution Services 66,627 10 74,768 13 Total consolidated net sales $ 650,439 100 % $ 560,858 100 % Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 (In thousands, except for %'s) Custom Performance Colors $ 138,935 7 % $ 145,793 8 % Engineered Composites 153,815 8 — — Masterbatch Solutions 530,670 28 558,231 33 Engineered Plastics 674,578 36 550,105 32 Specialty Powders 195,080 10 222,722 13 Distribution Services 198,341 11 241,355 14 Total consolidated net sales $ 1,891,419 100 % $ 1,718,206 100 %

Restructuring

Restructuring	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Restructuring and Related Activities Disclosure [Text Block]	RESTRUCTURING Fiscal 2016 Restructuring Plans Global Headcount Reduction Plan In the third quarter of fiscal 2016, the Company approved a plan for a global headcount reduction to drive further efficiency and cost savings in the organization primarily in the USCAN segment and Corporate location. The Company plans to reduce headcount by approximately 50 , primarily in the U.S with the majority of the reductions occurring in third quarter of fiscal 2016. The Company recorded $2.3 million of pre-tax employee-related restructuring expense during the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 , of which the total amount remains accrued as of May 31, 2016 . The Company expects additional charges of less than $1.0 million to be recognized during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. Cash payments associated with this plan are expected to occur through the end of fiscal 2016 as the plan is completed. U.S. and Canada Shared Services Plan In May 2016, the Company announced plans to create an Accounting and Shared Service Center of Excellence ("U.S. SSC") in Akron, Ohio that will be responsible for back office processes for all U.S. and Canada operations (USCAN segment and EC segment). The Company plans to reduce headcount by approximately 25 throughout the U.S. through fiscal 2017, partially offset by the addition of approximately 15 associates in U.S. SSC. The Company recorded minimal pre-tax employee-related costs during the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 . As of May 31, 2016 , the Company has a minimal balance accrued for the employee-related costs related to this plan. The Company anticipates recording approximately $1.5 million of additional pre-tax employee-related charges through the remainder of fiscal 2016 and 2017. Cash payments associated with this plan are expected to occur through fiscal 2017 as the plan is completed. USCAN Plan In October 2015, as part of the Company’s previously announced Citadel acquisition integration strategy and a careful evaluation of capacity utilization and manufacturing capabilities, the Company approved plans to close three manufacturing facilities in Evansville, Indiana and consolidate production into other existing facilities in the area. Overall, the Company expects to reduce headcount by approximately 25 as a result of these actions through natural attrition. The Company recorded minimal and $0.3 million pretax employee-related costs, and $1.1 million and $4.2 million of accelerated depreciation costs during the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 , respectively. The Company anticipates recognizing $1.0 million of additional pretax machinery and equipment accelerated depreciation through fiscal 2017. As of May 31, 2016 , the Company has a minimal balance accrued for this plan. EC Plan In the second quarter of fiscal 2016, the Company approved plans to optimize the Engineered Composites segment administrative functions and reduced headcount by approximately 10 in fiscal 2016. The Company recorded $0.3 million and $1.2 million of pre-tax employee-related restructuring expense during the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 , respectively. As of May 31, 2016 , the Company has a balance of $0.2 million accrued for the employee-related costs related to this plan. The Company does not expect any additional charges related to this plan to be recognized during the remainder of fiscal 2016. Cash payments associated with this plan are expected to occur through fiscal 2016 as the plan is completed. Fiscal 2015 Restructuring Plans EMEA Plans In August 2015, the Company approved plans to integrate the existing Paris, Montereau, and Beaucaire, France facilities into one new facility in St. Germain-Laval, France. As a result of this consolidation, the Company reduced headcount in France by approximately 20 in fiscal 2016, partially offset by the addition of approximately 15 associates at the Company's new facility. The Company has recognized pre-tax employee-related costs and other charges of $0.4 million and $1.4 million , as well as minimal and $0.6 million of accelerated depreciation costs during the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 , respectively. The Company expects to incur minimal pretax employee-related costs and accelerated depreciation throughout the remainder of fiscal 2016. As of May 31, 2016 , the Company has a balance of $1.3 million accrued for this plan. Cash payments associated with this plan are expected to occur through fiscal 2017 as the plan is completed. In May 2015, the Company announced plans to relocate its EMEA Shared Service Center from Londerzeel, Belgium to Poznan, Poland as part of the Company’s ongoing cost control initiatives. The Company reduced headcount by approximately 40 associates in Londerzeel, Belgium during fiscal 2016 and added a similar amount of headcount in Poznan, Poland. The Company recorded $0.4 million and $0.9 million of pre-tax employee-related costs and other charges during the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 , respectively, and expects to recognize minimal additional pre-tax employee-related costs through the remainder of fiscal 2016. As of May 31, 2016 , the Company has a balance of $1.1 million accrued for this plan. Cash payments associated with this plan are expected to occur through fiscal 2017 as the plan is completed. For discussion of the Company's previous restructuring plans, refer to Note 16 in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 . The following table summarizes the activity related to the Company’s restructuring plans: Employee-related Costs Other Costs Translation Effect Total Restructuring Costs (In thousands) Accrual balance as of August 31, 2015 $ 5,786 $ 461 $ (864 ) $ 5,383 Fiscal 2016 charges 6,156 1,849 — 8,005 Fiscal 2016 payments (5,982 ) (1,834 ) — (7,816 ) Translation — — (68 ) (68 ) Accrual balance as of May 31, 2016 $ 5,960 $ 476 $ (932 ) $ 5,504 Restructuring expenses are excluded from segment operating income but are attributable to the reportable segments as follows: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) EMEA $ 1,383 $ 2,091 $ 3,353 $ 7,710 USCAN 1,699 254 2,423 1,910 LATAM 49 304 213 910 APAC 79 — 110 — EC 401 — 1,272 — Corporate 634 — 634 — Total restructuring expense $ 4,245 $ 2,649 $ 8,005 $ 10,530

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES In the normal course of business, the Company is at times subject to pending and threatened legal actions, some for which the relief or damages sought may be substantial. Although the Company is not able to predict the outcome of such legal actions, after reviewing all pending and threatened legal actions with counsel and based on information currently available, management believes that the outcome of such actions, individually or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, financial position or cash flow of the Company. However, it is possible, that the ultimate resolution of such matters, if unfavorable, may be material to the results of operations in a particular future period as the time and amount of any resolution of such legal actions and its relationship to the future results of operations are not currently known. Reserves are established for legal claims only when losses associated with the claims are judged to be probable, and the loss can be reasonably estimated. In many lawsuits and arbitrations, it is not considered probable that a liability has been incurred or it is not possible to estimate the ultimate or minimum amount of that liability until the case is close to resolution, in which case no reserve would be recognized until that time. There were no material changes to the Company’s future contractual obligations as previously reported in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 . Lucent Matter As previously reported by the Company in its filings with the SEC, on June 1, 2015, the Company completed the acquisition of Citadel and its subsidiaries from certain private equity firms for $801.6 million . In August 2015, the Company identified quality reporting issues affecting certain product lines at two manufacturing facilities located on Lynch Road in Evansville, Indiana. Both facilities are a part of Lucent Polymers, Inc. (“Lucent”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Citadel which was acquired as part of the Citadel acquisition. Specifically, the Company discovered discrepancies between laboratory data and certifications provided by Lucent to customers with respect to certain products. The Company also discovered inaccuracies in materials and information provided by Lucent employees to Underwriter Laboratories with respect to such products. The Company took immediate decisive actions following its initial discoveries, including implementing protocols designed so that future shipments of products meet customer specifications and customer certification requirements, entering into discussions and exploring different certification standards with customers and other third parties. The Company has notified and is working with affected customers to deliver accurate certifications with respect to products going forward. In addition, the Company has notified and is cooperating with Underwriter Laboratories to institute necessary corrective action. The Company also commenced an internal investigation into these matters to determine the scope of products, customers, and other parties affected. The Company’s internal investigation has revealed that the discrepancies and inaccuracies initially identified were due to practices at Lucent under its prior ownership pursuant to which Lucent falsified test results on documents provided to customers and other parties pertaining to the physical properties of certain Lucent products. To date, no customers, or other parties have initiated recalls, or have made material claims against or sought to terminate their relationships with the Company or its subsidiaries. The Company incurred the following costs related to the Lucent matter that negatively impacted the Company’s operating results in the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 : Three months ended Nine months ended May 31, 2016 (In thousands) Inventory rework, remediation actions, and investigative costs $ 717 $ 5,034 Recurring additional costs to produce product to customer specifications 1,113 3,772 Total Lucent remediation costs $ 1,830 $ 8,806 Litigation related costs 1,234 1,234 Total Lucent Matter costs $ 3,064 $ 10,040 As no customer or other parties have initiated recalls, or have made material claims against or sought to terminate their relationships with the Company or its subsidiaries from the date we identified this issue in August 2015 through the date of filing, we are currently unable to conclude that losses related to these matters are probable or to estimate the potential range of losses. The Company is currently unable to determine whether such issues will have any future material adverse effect on our financial position, liquidity, or results of operations. In addition, the Company previously provided a written claim notice to the sellers and to the escrow agent with respect to the indemnity escrow established in connection with the stock purchase agreement pursuant to which the Company acquired Citadel and its subsidiaries. As of May 31, 2016 , approximately $31.0 million remained in such indemnity escrow. As Lucent was effectively acquired by Citadel in December of 2013, the Company also submitted written claim notices pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated December 6, 2013, among The Matrixx Group, Incorporated, LPI Merger Sub, Inc., LPI Holding Company, River Associates Investments, LLC and certain stockholders of LPI Holding Company, pursuant to which Citadel initially acquired Lucent, and pursuant to the representations and warranties insurance policy issued in connection with that acquisition. In June 2016, the Company filed a complaint in the Delaware Chancery Court against Citadel Plastics, as well as certain funds affiliated with the sellers and other former executives of Citadel and Lucent (the “defendants”). The complaint alleges breach of contract, indemnification, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, fraudulent inducement, unjust enrichment and violations of blue sky laws in Illinois, Ohio, California and Indiana. All defendants are accused of civil conspiracy. The Company is seeking rescission, damages, rescissory damages, disgorgement or any other remedy deemed proper for the alleged violations as well as seeking the costs and attorneys' fees for bringing suit.

Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Pronouncements	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS	ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“the FASB”) issued new guidance which is intended to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification on the statement of cash flows, and accounting for forfeitures. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods. Early application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effects this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements together with evaluating the adoption date. In February 2016, the FASB issued new accounting guidance which requires companies to recognize a lease liability and right-of-use asset on the balance sheet for operating leases with a term greater than one year. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Early application is permitted. The Company regularly enters into operating leases which previously did not require recognition on the balance sheet. The Company is currently evaluating the effects this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements together with evaluating the adoption date. In November 2015, the FASB issued new accounting guidance that requires deferred tax assets and liabilities to be classified as noncurrent in the balance sheet. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods. Early application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effects this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements together with evaluating the adoption date. In May 2014, and as subsequently updated, the FASB issued new accounting guidance that creates a single revenue recognition model, while clarifying the principles for recognizing revenue. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods. The Company will adopt the new guidance on September 1, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the effects, if any, that the adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued new accounting guidance that required entities to present debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability as a deduction from the carrying amounts of that debt liability. Current guidance classifies debt issuance costs as an asset. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company will adopt the new guidance on September 1, 2016. No other new accounting pronouncements issued or with effective dates during fiscal 2016 had or are expected to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

General (Policies)

General (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
General [Abstract]
Basis of Accounting	The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements included for A. Schulman, Inc. (the “Company”) reflect all adjustments, which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of the results of the interim periods presented. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The fiscal year-end consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The unaudited consolidated financial information should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto incorporated in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 . The results of operations for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2016 . The accounting policies for the periods presented are the same as described in Note 1 – Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the consolidated financial statements contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015 . Restricted Cash At May 31, 2016, restricted cash represents proceeds from tax return refunds for certain Citadel acquisition entities for periods prior to the Company's ownership. These proceeds are payable to the seller per the terms of the stock purchase agreement, and the liability is reflected on the consolidated balance sheet within other accrued liabilities as of May 31, 2016.

Business Acquisitions (Tables)

Business Acquisitions (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Business Acquisitions [Line Items]
Schedule of Business Acquisitions, by Acquisition [Table Text Block]	The following table summarizes the Company's other business acquisitions for the periods presented: Transaction Description Date of Transaction Purchase Consideration (In millions) Segment Compco Pty. Ltd. September 2, 2014 $ 6.7 APAC
Citadel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisitions [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information [Table Text Block]	A. Schulman's fiscal year ends on August 31 while Citadel's fiscal year ended on December 31. The pro forma information in the table below for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2015 includes (1) A. Schulman’s three and nine months ended May 31, 2015 and (2) Citadel’s three and nine months ended June 30, 2015. The following pro forma information represents the consolidated results of the Company as if the Citadel acquisition occurred on September 1, 2013: Three months ended May 31, 2015 Nine months ended May 31, 2015 (In thousands, except per share data) Net sales $ 688,823 $ 2,095,541 Net income (loss) available to A. Schulman, Inc. common stockholders $ 6,393 $ 2,504 Net income (loss) per share of common stock available to A. Schulman, Inc. - diluted $ 0.22 $ 0.08
Schedule of Recognized Identified Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed [Table Text Block]	The following table presents the estimated fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed from the Citadel acquisition at the date of acquisition: As of June 1, 2015 (In thousands) Accounts receivable $ 71,767 Inventories 40,942 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 14,556 Property, plant and equipment 78,112 Intangible assets 325,000 Other long-term assets 3,606 Total assets acquired $ 533,983 Accounts payable 28,854 Accrued liabilities 19,853 Deferred income taxes, long-term 111,507 Other long-term liabilities 3,121 Total liabilities assumed $ 163,335 Identifiable net assets acquired $ 370,648 Goodwill 430,912 Net assets acquired $ 801,560

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Goodwill [Table Text Block]	The changes in the Company's carrying value of goodwill are as follows: EMEA USCAN LATAM APAC EC Total (In thousands) Balance as of August 31, 2015 $ 75,714 $ 285,791 $ 11,695 $ 901 $ 249,482 $ 623,583 Acquisitions (1) — (2,633 ) — — 2,154 (479 ) Translation (1,695 ) — 14 17 (791 ) (2,455 ) Balance as of May 31, 2016 $ 74,019 $ 283,158 $ 11,709 $ 918 $ 250,845 $ 620,649	[1]
Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Table Text Block]	The following table summarizes intangible assets with finite useful lives by major category: May 31, 2016 August 31, 2015 Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Amount Gross Carrying Amount Accumulated Amortization Net Carrying Amount (In thousands) Customer related $ 360,008 $ (60,632 ) $ 299,376 $ 360,193 $ (40,447 ) $ 319,746 Developed technology 95,114 (14,982 ) 80,132 93,518 (9,398 ) 84,120 Registered trademarks and tradenames 34,963 (8,932 ) 26,031 37,964 (7,293 ) 30,671 Total finite-lived intangible assets $ 490,085 $ (84,546 ) $ 405,539 $ 491,675 $ (57,138 ) $ 434,537
[1]	(1) Activity relates to adjustments to preliminary purchase price allocation made in fiscal 2016, primarily due to inventory and deferred tax adjustments.

Long-Term Debt and Credit Arr26

Long-Term Debt and Credit Arrangements Schedule of Debt (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Schedule of Debt [Table Text Block]	The following table summarizes short-term and long-term debt: May 31, 2016 August 31, 2015 (In thousands) Notes payable and other, due within one year $ 9,398 $ 5,584 Current portion of long-term debt 15,117 15,126 Short-term debt $ 24,515 $ 20,710 Revolving credit facility, LIBOR plus applicable spread, due June 2020 $ 12,400 $ — Term Loan A, LIBOR plus applicable spread, due June 2020 180,000 187,500 U.S. Term Loan B, LIBOR plus applicable spread, due June 2022 342,250 344,781 Euro Term Loan B, LIBOR plus applicable spread, due June 2022 47,987 137,818 Senior notes, 6.875%, due June 2023 375,000 375,000 Capital leases and other long-term debt 3,932 250 Long-term debt $ 961,569 $ 1,045,349

Fair Value Measurement (Tables)

Fair Value Measurement (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block]	The following table presents information about the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value: May 31, 2016 August 31, 2015 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 (In thousands) Assets recorded at fair value: Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 952 $ — $ 952 $ — $ 1,818 $ — $ 1,818 $ — Liabilities recorded at fair value: Foreign exchange forward contracts $ 1,779 $ — $ 1,779 $ — $ 1,576 $ — $ 1,576 $ — Liabilities not recorded at fair value: Long-term fixed-rate debt $ 375,236 $ — $ 375,236 $ — $ 374,299 $ — $ 374,299 $ —

Pension and Postretirement Be28

Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plans (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block]	The components of the Company’s net periodic benefit cost for defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans are shown below: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) Defined benefit pension plans: Service cost $ 1,306 $ 1,093 $ 3,875 $ 3,516 Interest cost 1,056 1,036 3,160 3,299 Expected return on plan assets (484 ) (435 ) (1,473 ) (1,354 ) Amortization of actuarial loss (gain) 726 692 2,162 2,213 Net periodic pension benefit cost $ 2,604 $ 2,386 $ 7,724 $ 7,674 Other postretirement benefit plan: Service cost $ 1 $ 1 $ 3 $ 3 Interest cost 97 110 291 330 Prior service cost (credit) (149 ) (135 ) (447 ) (406 ) Net periodic postretirement benefit cost (credit) $ (51 ) $ (24 ) $ (153 ) $ (73 )

Consolidated Statement of Sto29

Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Schedule of Stockholders Equity [Table Text Block]	A summary of the changes in stockholders’ equity is as follows: Convertible Special Stock Common Stock ($1 par value) Additional Paid-In Capital Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Retained Earnings Treasury Stock Non-controlling Interests Total Equity (In thousands, except per share data) Balance as of August 31, 2015 $ 120,289 $ 48,369 $ 274,319 $ (83,460 ) $ 607,690 $ (383,121 ) $ 8,649 $ 592,735 Comprehensive income (loss) (9,684 ) 26,082 481 16,879 Cash dividends paid on common stock, $0.615 per share (18,012 ) (18,012 ) Cash dividends paid on convertible special stock, $45.00 per share (5,625 ) (5,625 ) Issuance of treasury stock 59 122 181 Stock options exercised 2 30 32 Restricted stock issued, net of forfeitures 183 (183 ) — Redemption of common stock to cover tax withholdings (48 ) (1,029 ) (1,077 ) Tax windfall (shortfall) related to share-based incentive compensation (301 ) (301 ) Amortization of restricted stock 2,466 2,466 Balance as of May 31, 2016 $ 120,289 $ 48,506 $ 275,361 $ (93,144 ) $ 610,135 $ (382,999 ) $ 9,130 $ 587,278

Reclassification Out of Accumul

Reclassification Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Table Text Block]	The components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) are as follows (1) : Foreign Currency Translation Gain (Loss) Pension and Other Retiree Benefits Total Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (In thousands) Balance as of February 29, 2016 $ (68,858 ) $ (32,733 ) $ (101,591 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications 8,155 — 8,155 Amounts reclassified to earnings — 421 (2) 421 Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) 8,155 421 8,576 Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to 129 — 129 Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc. 8,026 421 8,447 Balance as of May 31, 2016 $ (60,832 ) $ (32,312 ) $ (93,144 ) Foreign Currency Translation Gain (Loss) Pension and Other Retiree Benefits Total Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (In thousands) Balance as of August 31, 2015 $ (49,562 ) $ (33,898 ) $ (83,460 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (11,864 ) — (11,864 ) Amounts reclassified to earnings — 1,586 (2) 1,586 Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) (11,864 ) 1,586 (10,278 ) Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to (594 ) — (594 ) Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc. (11,270 ) 1,586 (9,684 ) Balance as of May 31, 2016 $ (60,832 ) $ (32,312 ) $ (93,144 ) Foreign Currency Translation Gain (Loss) Pension and Other Retiree Benefits Total Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (In thousands) Balance as of February 28, 2015 $ (35,259 ) $ (38,542 ) $ (73,801 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (7,786 ) — (7,786 ) Amounts reclassified to earnings — 429 (2) 429 Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) (7,786 ) 429 (7,357 ) Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to (61 ) — (61 ) Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc. (7,725 ) 429 (7,296 ) Balance as of May 31, 2015 $ (42,984 ) $ (38,113 ) $ (81,097 ) Foreign Currency Translation Gain (Loss) Pension and Other Retiree Benefits Total Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (In thousands) Balance as of August 31, 2014 $ 22,786 $ (39,477 ) $ (16,691 ) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (65,892 ) — (65,892 ) Amounts reclassified to earnings — 1,364 (2) 1,364 Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) (65,892 ) 1,364 (64,528 ) Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to (122 ) — (122 ) Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc. (65,770 ) 1,364 (64,406 ) Balance as of May 31, 2015 $ (42,984 ) $ (38,113 ) $ (81,097 )

Share-Based Incentive Compens31

Share-Based Incentive Compensation Plans Share-Based Incentive Compensation Plans (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Schedule of Compensation Cost for Share-based Payment Arrangements, Allocation of Share-based Compensation Costs by Plan [Table Text Block]	The following table summarizes the impact to the Company’s consolidated statements of operations from share-based incentive compensation plans, which is primarily included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) Time-based and performance-based restricted stock awards (1) $ (151 ) $ 1,590 $ 1,116 $ 5,266 Board of Directors unrestricted awards — — 564 630 CEO transition costs (2) — — — 6,167 Total share-based incentive compensation $ (151 ) $ 1,590 $ 1,680 $ 12,063

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Weighted Average Number of Shares [Table Text Block]	The following table presents the number of incremental weighted-average shares used in computing diluted per share amounts: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) Weighted-average shares outstanding: Basic 29,339 29,219 29,284 29,125 Incremental shares from equity awards 135 — 175 422 Incremental shares from convertible special stock — — — — Diluted 29,474 29,219 29,459 29,547

Segment Information (Tables)

Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]	The following table summarizes net sales to unaffiliated customers by segment: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) EMEA $ 322,368 $ 326,255 $ 940,794 $ 1,012,592 USCAN 183,338 137,080 532,437 415,221 LATAM 43,377 44,821 126,738 132,135 APAC 46,880 52,702 137,635 158,258 EC 54,476 — 153,815 — Total net sales to unaffiliated customers $ 650,439 $ 560,858 $ 1,891,419 $ 1,718,206 Below the Company presents gross profit by segment: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) EMEA $ 49,852 $ 51,695 $ 136,489 $ 145,908 USCAN 32,560 22,104 90,095 66,478 LATAM 9,055 9,324 27,226 22,075 APAC 8,080 7,771 24,153 22,403 EC 13,746 — 37,941 — Total segment gross profit 113,293 90,894 315,904 256,864 Inventory step-up — — — (341 ) Accelerated depreciation and restructuring related costs (2,930 ) (78 ) (7,311 ) (674 ) Costs related to acquisitions and integrations (423 ) (59 ) (2,522 ) (174 ) Lucent costs (1) (466 ) — (1,844 ) — Total gross profit $ 109,474 $ 90,757 $ 304,227 $ 255,675 Below is a reconciliation of segment operating income to operating income and income from continuing operations before taxes: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) EMEA $ 23,382 $ 24,716 $ 59,147 $ 61,032 USCAN 15,576 7,982 38,166 25,299 LATAM 4,748 4,654 14,581 7,531 APAC 4,540 3,972 13,517 10,903 EC 5,031 — 10,583 — Total segment operating income 53,277 41,324 135,994 104,765 Corporate (7,489 ) (8,502 ) (23,661 ) (24,992 ) Costs related to acquisitions and integrations (1,443 ) (3,590 ) (7,570 ) (7,972 ) Restructuring and related costs (9,520 ) (5,937 ) (19,959 ) (15,303 ) Accelerated depreciation (1,286 ) (29 ) (4,796 ) (327 ) Lucent costs (1) (1,951 ) — (6,268 ) — Inventory step-up — — — (341 ) CEO transition costs — — — (6,167 ) Operating income 31,588 23,266 73,740 49,663 Interest expense (13,557 ) (2,618 ) (40,965 ) (7,288 ) Bridge financing fees — (18,750 ) — (18,750 ) Foreign currency transaction gains (losses) (392 ) (857 ) (2,071 ) (3,097 ) Other income (expense), net 229 335 246 900 Gain on early extinguishment of debt — — — 1,290 Income from continuing operations before taxes $ 17,868 $ 1,376 $ 30,950 $ 22,718
Revenue from External Customers by Products and Services [Table Text Block]	Globally, the Company operates in six product families: (1) custom performance colors, (2) engineered composites, (3) masterbatch solutions, (4) engineered plastics, (5) specialty powders and (6) distribution services. The three and nine months ended May 31, 2015 include a reclassification of revenue between product families to better reflect the way the businesses are managed. The consolidated net sales for these product families are as follows: Three months ended May 31, 2016 2015 (In thousands, except for %'s) Custom Performance Colors $ 48,573 8 % $ 48,630 9 % Engineered Composites 54,476 8 — — Masterbatch Solutions 184,157 29 184,409 33 Engineered Plastics 228,945 35 181,918 32 Specialty Powders 67,661 10 71,133 13 Distribution Services 66,627 10 74,768 13 Total consolidated net sales $ 650,439 100 % $ 560,858 100 % Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 (In thousands, except for %'s) Custom Performance Colors $ 138,935 7 % $ 145,793 8 % Engineered Composites 153,815 8 — — Masterbatch Solutions 530,670 28 558,231 33 Engineered Plastics 674,578 36 550,105 32 Specialty Powders 195,080 10 222,722 13 Distribution Services 198,341 11 241,355 14 Total consolidated net sales $ 1,891,419 100 % $ 1,718,206 100 %

Restructuring (Tables)

Restructuring (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Schedule of Restructuring and Related Costs [Table Text Block]	The following table summarizes the activity related to the Company’s restructuring plans: Employee-related Costs Other Costs Translation Effect Total Restructuring Costs (In thousands) Accrual balance as of August 31, 2015 $ 5,786 $ 461 $ (864 ) $ 5,383 Fiscal 2016 charges 6,156 1,849 — 8,005 Fiscal 2016 payments (5,982 ) (1,834 ) — (7,816 ) Translation — — (68 ) (68 ) Accrual balance as of May 31, 2016 $ 5,960 $ 476 $ (932 ) $ 5,504
Schedule of Restructuring and Related Costs by Segment [Table Text Block]	Restructuring expenses are excluded from segment operating income but are attributable to the reportable segments as follows: Three months ended May 31, Nine months ended May 31, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (In thousands) EMEA $ 1,383 $ 2,091 $ 3,353 $ 7,710 USCAN 1,699 254 2,423 1,910 LATAM 49 304 213 910 APAC 79 — 110 — EC 401 — 1,272 — Corporate 634 — 634 — Total restructuring expense $ 4,245 $ 2,649 $ 8,005 $ 10,530

Commitments and Contingencies L

Commitments and Contingencies Lucent Costs (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Schedule of Loss Contingencies by Contingency [Table Text Block]	The Company incurred the following costs related to the Lucent matter that negatively impacted the Company’s operating results in the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 : Three months ended Nine months ended May 31, 2016 (In thousands) Inventory rework, remediation actions, and investigative costs $ 717 $ 5,034 Recurring additional costs to produce product to customer specifications 1,113 3,772 Total Lucent remediation costs $ 1,830 $ 8,806 Litigation related costs 1,234 1,234 Total Lucent Matter costs $ 3,064 $ 10,040

Business Acquisitions (Details)

Business Acquisitions (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jul. 06, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2015	Jun. 01, 2015	Sep. 02, 2014
Business Acquisitions
Goodwill		$ 620,649		$ 620,649		$ 623,583
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs		1,500	$ 3,600	7,600	$ 8,000
Bridge financing fees		$ 0	18,750	$ 0	18,750	18,800
Citadel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisitions
Accounts receivable							$ 71,767
Inventories							40,942
Prepaid expenses and other current assets							14,556
Property, plant and equipment							78,112
Intangible assets							325,000
Other long-term assets							3,606
Total assets acquired							533,983
Accounts payable							28,854
Accrued liabilities							19,853
Deferred income taxes, long-term							111,507
Other long-term liabilities							3,121
Total liabilities assumed							163,335
Identifiable net assets acquired							370,648
Goodwill							430,912
Net assets acquired							801,560
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	14 years 1 month 6 days
Gross contractual amount of acquired receivables							72,100
Net sales			688,823		2,095,541
Net income (loss) available to A. Schulman, Inc. common stockholders			$ 6,393		$ 2,504
Net income (loss) per share of common stock available to A. Schulman, Inc. - diluted			$ 0.22		$ 0.08
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs						$ 14,100
Compco Pty. Ltd. [Member]
Business Acquisitions
Net assets acquired								$ 6,700
Customer-Related Intangible Assets [Member] | Citadel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisitions
Intangible assets							230,500
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	14 years
Developed Technology [Member] | Citadel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisitions
Intangible assets							75,300
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	16 years 3 months 16 days
Trademarks and Trade Names [Member] | Citadel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisitions
Intangible assets							$ 19,200
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	8 years 1 month 6 days

Goodwill (Details)

Goodwill (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016USD ($)
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015	$ 623,583
Acquisitions (1)	(479)	[1]
Translation	(2,455)
Balance as of May 31, 2016	620,649
EMEA [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015	75,714
Acquisitions (1)	0	[1]
Translation	(1,695)
Balance as of May 31, 2016	74,019
USCAN [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015	285,791
Acquisitions (1)	(2,633)	[1]
Translation	0
Balance as of May 31, 2016	283,158
LATAM [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015	11,695
Acquisitions (1)	0	[1]
Translation	14
Balance as of May 31, 2016	11,709
APAC [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015	901
Acquisitions (1)	0	[1]
Translation	17
Balance as of May 31, 2016	918
EC [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015	249,482
Acquisitions (1)	2,154	[1]
Translation	(791)
Balance as of May 31, 2016	$ 250,845
[1]	(1) Activity relates to adjustments to preliminary purchase price allocation made in fiscal 2016, primarily due to inventory and deferred tax adjustments.

Intangible Assets (Details)

Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2015
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 490,085		$ 490,085		$ 491,675
Accumulated Amortization	(84,546)		(84,546)		(57,138)
Net Carrying Amount	405,539		405,539		434,537
Amortization of Intangible Assets	9,300	$ 3,300	27,900	$ 10,000
Customer Related Intangibles [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Gross Carrying Amount	360,008		360,008		360,193
Accumulated Amortization	(60,632)		(60,632)		(40,447)
Net Carrying Amount	299,376		299,376		319,746
Developed Technology [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Gross Carrying Amount	95,114		95,114		93,518
Accumulated Amortization	(14,982)		(14,982)		(9,398)
Net Carrying Amount	80,132		80,132		84,120
Trademarks and Tradenames [Member]
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Gross Carrying Amount	34,963		34,963		37,964
Accumulated Amortization	(8,932)		(8,932)		(7,293)
Net Carrying Amount	$ 26,031		$ 26,031		$ 30,671

Long-Term Debt and Credit Arr39

Long-Term Debt and Credit Arrangements (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016USD ($)	May 31, 2016EUR (€)	Aug. 31, 2015USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other, due within one year	$ 9,398		$ 5,584
Current portion of long-term debt	15,117		15,126
Short-term debt	24,515		20,710
Senior notes, 6.875%, due June 2023	375,000		375,000
Capital leases and other long-term debt	3,932		250
Long-term debt	961,569		1,045,349
Repayments of Debt	11,300
2015 Revolver, due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility, LIBOR plus applicable spread, due June 2020	12,400		0
2015 Credit Facility Term Loan B Euro [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term Loans	47,987		137,818
Repayments of Debt | €		€ 79,000,000
2015 Credit Facility Term Loan A [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term Loans	180,000		187,500
2015 Credit Facility Term Loan B [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Term Loans	$ 342,250		$ 344,781

Fair Value Measurement (Details

Fair Value Measurement (Details) - USD ($)	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	Aug. 31, 2015
Assets recorded at fair value:
Foreign exchange forward contracts	$ 952,000	$ 1,818,000
Liabilities recorded at fair value:
Foreign exchange forward contracts	1,779,000	1,576,000
Liabilities not recorded at fair value:
Long-term fixed-rate debt	375,236,000	374,299,000
Contract value of foreign exchange forward contracts outstanding	112,600,000	161,500,000
Fair Value Hedges, Net	0	0
Senior notes, 6.875%, due June 2023	375,000,000	375,000,000
Fair Value, Transfers Between Levels, Amount	0
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure, Nonrecurring	0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure, Nonrecurring	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets recorded at fair value:
Foreign exchange forward contracts	0	0
Liabilities recorded at fair value:
Foreign exchange forward contracts	0	0
Liabilities not recorded at fair value:
Long-term fixed-rate debt	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets recorded at fair value:
Foreign exchange forward contracts	952,000	1,818,000
Liabilities recorded at fair value:
Foreign exchange forward contracts	1,779,000	1,576,000
Liabilities not recorded at fair value:
Long-term fixed-rate debt	375,236,000	374,299,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Assets recorded at fair value:
Foreign exchange forward contracts	0	0
Liabilities recorded at fair value:
Foreign exchange forward contracts	0	0
Liabilities not recorded at fair value:
Long-term fixed-rate debt	$ 0	$ 0

Income Taxes (Details)

Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Provision (benefit) for U.S. and foreign income taxes percentage	1.70%	751.50%	13.10%	82.80%
Unrecognized tax benefits	$ 2.6		$ 2.6
Total unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate	1.6		1.6
Accrued interest and penalties on unrecognized tax benefits	$ 1.1		$ 1.1

Pension and Postretirement Be42

Pension and Postretirement Benefit Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Pension Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	$ 1,306	$ 1,093	$ 3,875	$ 3,516
Interest cost	1,056	1,036	3,160	3,299
Expected return on plan assets	(484)	(435)	(1,473)	(1,354)
Amortization of actuarial loss (gain)	726	692	2,162	2,213
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost (credit)	2,604	2,386	7,724	7,674
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Pension Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	1	1	3	3
Interest cost	97	110	291	330
Prior service cost (credit)	(149)	(135)	(447)	(406)
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost (credit)	$ (51)	$ (24)	$ (153)	$ (73)

Consolidated Statement of Sto43

Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015			$ 592,735
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ 26,214	$ (16,343)	16,879	$ (60,697)
Cash dividends paid on common stock, $0.615 per share			(18,012)
Cash dividends paid on convertible special stock, $45.00 per share	(1,875)	$ (563)	(5,625)	$ (563)
Issuance of treasury stock			181
Stock options exercised			32
Restricted stock issued, net of forfeitures			0
Redemption of common stock to cover tax withholdings			(1,077)
Tax windfall (shortfall) related to share-based incentive compensation			(301)
Amortization of restricted stock			2,466
Balance as of May 31, 2016	587,278		587,278
Common Stock [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015			48,369
Stock options exercised			2
Restricted stock issued, net of forfeitures			183
Redemption of common stock to cover tax withholdings			(48)
Balance as of May 31, 2016	48,506		48,506
Convertible special stock, no par value [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015			120,289
Balance as of May 31, 2016	120,289		120,289
Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015			274,319
Issuance of treasury stock			59
Stock options exercised			30
Restricted stock issued, net of forfeitures			(183)
Redemption of common stock to cover tax withholdings			(1,029)
Tax windfall (shortfall) related to share-based incentive compensation			(301)
Amortization of restricted stock			2,466
Balance as of May 31, 2016	275,361		275,361
Treasury Stock [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015			(383,121)
Issuance of treasury stock			122
Balance as of May 31, 2016	(382,999)		(382,999)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015			(83,460)
Comprehensive income (loss)			(9,684)
Balance as of May 31, 2016	(93,144)		(93,144)
Retained Earnings [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015			607,690
Comprehensive income (loss)			26,082
Cash dividends paid on common stock, $0.615 per share			(18,012)
Cash dividends paid on convertible special stock, $45.00 per share			(5,625)
Balance as of May 31, 2016	610,135		610,135
Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance as of August 31, 2015			8,649
Comprehensive income (loss)			481
Balance as of May 31, 2016	$ 9,130		$ 9,130

Convertible Special Stock (Deta

Convertible Special Stock (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2015	May 04, 2015
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible special stock, shares authorized						125,000
Convertible special stock, dividend rate, percentage						6.00%
Issuances of convertible special stock, gross		$ 125,000,000
Convertible special stock, shares issued						125,000
Convertible special stock, no par value	$ 120,289,000		$ 120,289,000		$ 120,289,000
Payment of financing and stock issuance costs						$ 4,700,000
Convertible special stock, shares converted to common shares			0		0
Convertible special stock dividends	$ 1,875,000	$ 563,000	$ 5,625,000	$ 563,000

Reclassification Out of Accum45

Reclassification Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	[1]	$ (101,591)	$ (73,801)	$ (83,460)	$ (16,691)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	[1]	8,155	(7,786)	(11,864)	(65,892)
Amounts reclassified to earnings	[1]	421	429	1,586	1,364
Other comprehensive income (loss)	[1]	8,576	(7,357)	(10,278)	(64,528)
Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	[1]	129	(61)	(594)	(122)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc.	[1]	8,447	(7,296)	(9,684)	(64,406)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	[1]	(93,144)	(81,097)	(93,144)	(81,097)
Accumulated Translation Adjustment [Member]
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	[1]	(68,858)	(35,259)	(49,562)	22,786
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	[1]	8,155	(7,786)	(11,864)	(65,892)
Amounts reclassified to earnings	[1]	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	[1]	8,155	(7,786)	(11,864)	(65,892)
Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	[1]	129	(61)	(594)	(122)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc.	[1]	8,026	(7,725)	(11,270)	(65,770)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	[1]	(60,832)	(42,984)	(60,832)	(42,984)
Accumulated Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment [Member]
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	[1]	(32,733)	(38,542)	(33,898)	(39,477)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	[1]	0	0	0	0
Amounts reclassified to earnings	[1],[2]	421	429	1,586	1,364
Other comprehensive income (loss)	[1]	421	429	1,586	1,364
Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	[1]	0	0	0	0
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to A. Schulman, Inc.	[1]	421	429	1,586	1,364
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	[1]	$ (32,312)	$ (38,113)	$ (32,312)	$ (38,113)
[1]	(1) All amounts presented are net of tax. All tax amounts are related to pension and other retiree benefits.
[2]	(2) Amounts represent amortization of net actuarial loss and prior service costs and are reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into cost of sales and selling, general & administrative expenses on the consolidated statements of operations. These components are included in the computation of net periodic pension cost. Refer to Note 7 of this Form 10-Q for further details.

Share-Based Incentive Compansat

Share-Based Incentive Compansation Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016		Feb. 29, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016		May 31, 2015
Share-based Incentive Compensation Plans by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value			$ 22.91
Share-based incentive compensation	$ (151)			$ 1,590	$ 1,680		$ 12,063
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized	3,000				$ 3,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition					1 year 10 months
Restricted Stock [Member]
Share-based Incentive Compensation Plans by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based incentive compensation	(151)	[1]		1,590	$ 1,116	[1]	5,266
Performance Based Restricted Stock Awards [Member]
Share-based Incentive Compensation Plans by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Period Increase (Decrease)			334,920
Time Based Restricted Stock Awards [Member]
Share-based Incentive Compensation Plans by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Period Increase (Decrease)			55,820
Board of Directors Unrestricted Awards [Member]
Share-based Incentive Compensation Plans by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Period Increase (Decrease)			24,624
Share-based incentive compensation	0			0	564		630
CEO Transition Awards [Member]
Share-based Incentive Compensation Plans by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based incentive compensation	$ 0			$ 0	$ 0		$ 6,167	[2]
2014 Equity Incentive Plan [Member]
Share-based Incentive Compensation Plans by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Additional Shares Authorized	1,482,656				1,482,656
2006 Incentive Plan [Member]
Share-based Incentive Compensation Plans by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Additional Shares Authorized	917,395				917,395
2010 Rewards Plan [Member]
Share-based Incentive Compensation Plans by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Additional Shares Authorized	396,946				396,946
[1]	(1) The expense related to the performance-based restricted stock awards for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2016 reflects reduced attainment percentages.
[2]	(2) CEO transition costs represent a charge for the modification and accelerated vesting upon retirement of the outstanding equity compensation awards granted to Joseph M. Gingo in 2013 and 2014.

Earnings Per Share (Details)

Earnings Per Share (Details) - shares	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015
Weighted-average shares outstanding:
Basic	29,339,000	29,219,000	29,284,000	29,125,000
Diluted	29,474,000	29,219,000	29,459,000	29,547,000
Equity Award [Member]
Earnings Per Share, Diluted, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	1,000	300,000	5,000	0
Weighted-average shares outstanding:
Incremental shares from dilutive securities	135,000	0	175,000	422,000
Convertible special stock, no par value [Member]
Earnings Per Share, Diluted, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	2,388,913		2,388,913
Weighted-average shares outstanding:
Incremental shares from dilutive securities	0	0	0	0

Segment Information (Details)

Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016		May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016		May 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	$ 650,439		$ 560,858	$ 1,891,419		$ 1,718,206
Total gross profit	109,474		90,757	304,227		255,675
Operating income	31,588		23,266	73,740		49,663
Interest expense	(13,557)		(2,618)	(40,965)		(7,288)
Bridge financing fees	0		(18,750)	0		(18,750)	$ (18,800)
Foreign currency transaction gains (losses)	(392)		(857)	(2,071)		(3,097)
Other income (expense), net	229		335	246		900
Gain on early extinguishment of debt	0		0	0		1,290
Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes	$ 17,868		$ 1,376	$ 30,950		$ 22,718
Net sales, percentage	100.00%		100.00%	100.00%		100.00%
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory step-up	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0		$ (341)
Accelerated depreciation and restructuring related costs	(2,930)		(78)	(7,311)		(674)
Costs related to acquisitions and integrations in gross profit	(423)		(59)	(2,522)		(174)
Lucent costs in gross profit	(466)	[1]	0	(1,844)	[1]	0
Costs related to acquisitions and integrations in operating income	(1,443)		(3,590)	(7,570)		(7,972)
Restructuring and related costs	(9,520)		(5,937)	(19,959)		(15,303)
Accelerated depreciation	(1,286)		(29)	(4,796)		(327)
Lucent costs in operating income	(1,951)	[1]	0	(6,268)	[1]	0
CEO transition costs	0		0	0		(6,167)
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total segment gross profit	113,293		90,894	315,904		256,864
Operating income	53,277		41,324	135,994		104,765
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Corporate	(7,489)		(8,502)	(23,661)		(24,992)
Custom Performance Colors [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	$ 48,573		$ 48,630	$ 138,935		$ 145,793
Net sales, percentage	8.00%		9.00%	7.00%		8.00%
EC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	$ 54,476		$ 0	$ 153,815		$ 0
Net sales, percentage	8.00%		0.00%	8.00%		0.00%
Masterbatch Solutions [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	$ 184,157		$ 184,409	$ 530,670		$ 558,231
Net sales, percentage	29.00%		33.00%	28.00%		33.00%
Engineered Plastics [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	$ 228,945		$ 181,918	$ 674,578		$ 550,105
Net sales, percentage	35.00%		32.00%	36.00%		32.00%
Specialty Powders [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	$ 67,661		$ 71,133	$ 195,080		$ 222,722
Net sales, percentage	10.00%		13.00%	10.00%		13.00%
Distribution Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	$ 66,627		$ 74,768	$ 198,341		$ 241,355
Net sales, percentage	10.00%		13.00%	11.00%		14.00%
EMEA Segment [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	$ 322,368		$ 326,255	$ 940,794		$ 1,012,592
Total segment gross profit	49,852		51,695	136,489		145,908
Total segment operating income	23,382		24,716	59,147		61,032
USCAN Segment [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	183,338		137,080	532,437		415,221
Total segment gross profit	32,560		22,104	90,095		66,478
Total segment operating income	15,576		7,982	38,166		25,299
LATAM Segment [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	43,377		44,821	126,738		132,135
Total segment gross profit	9,055		9,324	27,226		22,075
Total segment operating income	4,748		4,654	14,581		7,531
APAC [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	46,880		52,702	137,635		158,258
Total segment gross profit	8,080		7,771	24,153		22,403
Total segment operating income	4,540		3,972	13,517		10,903
EC [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	54,476		0	153,815		0
Total segment gross profit	13,746		0	37,941		0
Total segment operating income	$ 5,031		$ 0	$ 10,583		$ 0
[1]	(1) Refer to Note 15 for additional discussion on this matter. Lucent costs in costs of sales include additional product and manufacturing operational costs for reworking inventory. Additional Lucent costs in selling, general and administrative expenses include legal and investigative costs and dedicated internal personnel costs that would have otherwise been focused on normal operations.

Restructuring (Details)

Restructuring (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016USD ($)	May 31, 2015USD ($)	May 31, 2016USD ($)	May 31, 2015USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2015USD ($)
Restructuring
Restructuring Charges	$ 4,245	$ 2,649	$ 8,005	$ 10,530
Restructuring reserve	5,504		5,504		$ 5,383
Fiscal 2016 payments			(7,816)
Translation			(68)
EMEA [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring Charges	1,383	2,091	3,353	7,710
USCAN [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring Charges	1,699	254	2,423	1,910
LATAM [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring Charges	49	304	213	910
APAC [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring Charges	79	0	110	0
EC [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring Charges	401	0	1,272	0
Corporate Segment [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring Charges	634	$ 0	634	$ 0
Employee Related Costs [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring Charges			6,156
Restructuring reserve	5,960		5,960		5,786
Fiscal 2016 payments			(5,982)
Translation			0
Other Restructuring Related Costs [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring Charges			1,849
Restructuring reserve	476		476		461
Fiscal 2016 payments			(1,834)
Translation			0
Translation Effect on Restructuring Reserve [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring Charges			0
Restructuring reserve	$ (932)		(932)		$ (864)
Fiscal 2016 payments			0
Translation			(68)
Global Headcount Reduction Plan [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring and Related Cost, Number of Positions Eliminated	50
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost Remaining	$ 1,000		1,000
Restructuring Charges	2,300		2,300
USCAN Shared Service Center Plan [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost Remaining	1,500		$ 1,500
Restructuring and related cost, expected number of positions eliminated			25
Restructuring related cost number of additional positions			15
EP Consolidation Plan [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring and related cost, expected number of positions eliminated			25
Restructuring Charges			$ 300
Accelerated depreciation	1,100		4,200
Accelerated Depreciation, Expected Cost	1,000		$ 1,000
EC SG&A Plan [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring and Related Cost, Number of Positions Eliminated			10
Restructuring Charges	300		$ 1,200
Restructuring reserve	200		$ 200
France Asset Footprint Reduction Plan [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring and Related Cost, Number of Positions Eliminated			20
Restructuring Charges	400		$ 1,400
Accelerated depreciation			600
Restructuring reserve	1,300		$ 1,300
Restructuring related cost number of additional positions			15
FY15 EMEA Shared Service Center Plan [Member]
Restructuring
Restructuring and Related Cost, Number of Positions Eliminated			40
Restructuring Charges	400		$ 900
Restructuring reserve	$ 1,100		$ 1,100

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2016	Jun. 01, 2015
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Total Lucent Matter costs	$ 3,064	$ 10,040
Citadel Acquisition [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Business Combination, Cost of Acquistion, Purchase Price			$ 801,560
Escrow Deposit	31,000	31,000
Lucent Matter [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Inventory rework, remediation actions, and investigative costs	717	5,034
Recurring additional costs to produce product to customer specifications	1,113	3,772
Total Lucent remediation costs	1,830	8,806
Litigation related costs	$ 1,234	$ 1,234