Stepan (SCL) 10-K 24 Feb 16 2015 FY Annual report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Jan. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2015
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Trading Symbol	SCL
Entity Registrant Name	STEPAN CO
Entity Central Index Key	94,049
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		22,282,350
Entity Public Float			$ 1,048,660,674

Consolidated Statements of Inco

Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net Sales (Note 1)	[1]	$ 1,776,167	$ 1,927,213	$ 1,880,786
Cost of Sales		1,467,926	1,677,650	1,599,101
Gross Profit		308,241	249,563	281,685
Operating Expenses:
Selling (Note 1)		55,522	54,763	53,229
Administrative (Note 1)	[2]	76,048	66,549	61,958
Research, development and technical services (Note 1)		50,243	45,451	46,809
Deferred compensation expense (income) (Note 1)	[2]	6,500	(11,903)	9,496
Total Operating expenses		188,313	154,860	171,492
Gain on sale of product line		2,862
Business restructuring and asset impairments (Note 22)			(4,009)	(1,040)
Operating Income		122,790	90,694	109,153
Other Income (Expense):
Interest, net (Note 6)		(14,533)	(11,441)	(10,358)
Loss from equity in joint ventures (Notes 1 and 25)		(6,985)	(5,008)	(5,336)
Other, net (Note 8)		1,584	1,290	2,171
Nonoperating Income (Expense), Total		(19,934)	(15,159)	(13,523)
Income Before Provision for Income Taxes		102,856	75,535	95,630
Provision for Income Taxes (Note 9)		26,819	18,454	23,293
Net Income		76,037	57,081	72,337
Net (Income) Loss Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests (Note 1)		(69)	20	491
Net Income Attributable to Stepan Company		$ 75,968	$ 57,101	$ 72,828
Net Income Per Common Share Attributable to Stepan Company (Note 18):
Basic		$ 3.34	$ 2.51	$ 3.22
Diluted		$ 3.32	$ 2.49	$ 3.18
Shares Used to Compute Net Income Per Common Share Attributable to Stepan Company (Note 18):
Basic		22,730	22,758	22,621
Diluted		22,858	22,917	22,924
[1]	Net sales are attributed to countries based on selling location.
[2]	In 2014 and 2013, deferred compensation expense (income) was included in administrative expenses. The 2014 and 2013 amounts have been changed to conform to the current year presentation.

Consolidated Statements of Comp

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Statement Of Income And Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net Income	$ 76,037	$ 57,081	$ 72,337
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments (Note 19)	(45,490)	(31,980)	(8,034)
Defined benefit pension plans:
Net actuarial gain (loss) arising in period (net of taxes of $568, $14,227 and $7,783 for 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively)	1,311	(24,186)	13,417
Amortization of prior service cost included in pension expense (net of taxes of $6, $6 and $6 for 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively)	11	14	13
Amortization of actuarial loss included in pension expense (net of taxes of $1,755, $1,032 and $2,015 for 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively)	3,002	1,695	3,395
Amortization of transition obligation included in pension expense (net of taxes of $0, $0 and $1 for 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively)			1
Net defined benefit pension plan activity (Note 19)	4,324	(22,477)	16,826
Cash flow hedges:
Gains (losses) arising in period (net of taxes of $26, $0, $0 in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively)	(49)		(32)
Reclassifications to income in period (net of taxes of $8, $7 and $14 in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively)	5	3	13
Net cash flow hedge activity (Note 19)	(44)	3	(19)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(41,210)	(54,454)	8,773
Comprehensive Income	34,827	2,627	81,110
Comprehensive (Income) Loss Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	(2)	57	440
Comprehensive Income Attributable to Stepan Company	$ 34,825	$ 2,684	$ 81,550

Consolidated Statements of Com4

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Statement Of Income And Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net actuarial loss arising in period, tax	$ 568	$ (14,227)	$ 7,783
Amortization of prior service cost included in pension expense, tax	6	6	6
Amortization of actuarial loss included in pension expense, tax	1,755	1,032	2,015
Amortization of transition obligation included in pension expense, tax	0	0	1
Gains (losses) arising in period, tax	(26)	0	0
Reclassifications to income in period, tax	$ 8	$ 7	$ 14

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 176,143	$ 85,215
Receivables, less allowances of $8,046 in 2015 and $10,011 in 2014	249,602	270,436
Inventories (Note 5)	170,424	183,233
Deferred income taxes (Note 9)		15,364
Other current assets	23,404	21,308
Total current assets	619,573	575,556
Property, Plant and Equipment:
Land	15,132	12,446
Buildings and improvements	173,964	171,559
Machinery and equipment	1,161,051	1,119,400
Construction in progress	95,951	82,446
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	1,446,098	1,385,851
Less: accumulated depreciation	(890,635)	(861,656)
Property, plant and equipment, net	555,463	524,195
Goodwill, net (Note 4)	11,265	11,502
Other intangible assets, net (Note 4)	17,957	20,803
Long-term investments (Note 2)	20,910	20,217
Other non-current assets	14,493	9,741
Total Assets	1,239,661	1,162,014
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 6)	18,806	27,034
Accounts payable	128,605	156,983
Accrued liabilities (Note 14)	95,833	65,496
Total current liabilities	243,244	249,513
Deferred income taxes (Note 9)	9,455	15,804
Long-term debt, less current maturities (Note 6)	313,817	246,897
Other non-current liabilities (Note 15)	$ 114,761	$ 112,856
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 16)
Equity (Note 10):
Common stock, $1 par value; authorized 60,000,000 shares; issued 25,709,391 shares in 2015 and 25,640,090 shares in 2014	$ 25,709	$ 25,640
Additional paid-in capital	144,601	139,573
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (Note 19)	(125,088)	(83,945)
Retained earnings	580,208	520,540
Less: Common treasury stock, at cost, 3,428,541 shares in 2015 and 3,384,443 shares in 2014	(68,446)	(66,262)
Total Stepan Company stockholders’ equity	556,984	535,546
Noncontrolling interests	1,400	1,398
Total equity	558,384	536,944
Total Liabilities and Equity	$ 1,239,661	$ 1,162,014

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Statement Of Financial Position [Abstract]
Allowances	$ 8,046	$ 10,011
Common stock, par value	$ 1	$ 1
Common stock, shares authorized	60,000,000	60,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	25,709,391	25,640,090
Treasury stock, shares	3,428,541	3,384,443

Consolidated Statements of Cash

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net Income	$ 76,037	$ 57,081	$ 72,337
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	66,985	63,804	56,400
Deferred compensation	6,500	(11,903)	9,496
Realized and unrealized gain on long-term investments	(21)	(241)	(2,611)
Stock-based compensation	4,374	(68)	2,783
Deferred income taxes	3,001	5,306	259
Other non-cash items	3,830	8,260	7,253
Changes in assets and liabilities, excluding effects of acquisitions:
Receivables, net	4,160	(21,229)	(12,749)
Inventories	2,851	(18,521)	(3,794)
Other current assets	(3,410)	1,430	(5,950)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	21,219	(4,376)	26,256
Pension liabilities	932	(2,709)	1,997
Environmental and legal liabilities	(1,398)	6,493	(353)
Deferred revenues	(1,345)	(732)	2,428
Excess tax benefit from stock options and awards	(442)	(640)	(3,438)
Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities	183,273	81,955	150,314
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Expenditures for property, plant and equipment	(119,349)	(101,819)	(92,865)
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired (Note 20)	(5,133)		(68,212)
Proceeds from sale of product line (Note 21)	3,262
Sale of mutual funds	901	908	698
Other, net	(5,651)	(8,310)	(7,179)
Net Cash Used In Investing Activities	(125,970)	(109,221)	(167,558)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Revolving debt and bank overdrafts, net	(26,217)	14,219	4,820
Other debt borrowings	100,000	4,923	100,000
Other debt repayments	(13,098)	(12,656)	(17,618)
Dividends paid	(16,300)	(15,387)	(14,474)
Company stock repurchased	(2,000)	(7,924)	(2,275)
Stock option exercises	777	1,754	3,977
Excess tax benefit from stock options and awards	442	640	3,438
Other, net	(673)	(421)	(1,615)
Net Cash Provided By (Used In) Financing Activities	42,931	(14,852)	76,253
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash	(9,306)	(6,014)	(2,537)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	90,928	(48,132)	56,472
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	85,215	133,347	76,875
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year	176,143	85,215	133,347
Supplemental Cash Flow Information
Cash payments of income taxes, net of refunds	21,784	23,142	22,691
Cash payments of interest	$ 11,943	$ 12,447	$ 11,281

Consolidated Statements of Equi

Consolidated Statements of Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Convertible Preferred Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests' Equity [Member]
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	$ 480,880	$ 1,548	$ 25,142	$ 125,003	$ (54,930)	$ (38,250)	$ 420,472	$ 1,895
Issuance of common stock under stock option plan	4,069		227	3,842
Purchase of common stock	(3,425)				(3,425)
Redemption of preferred stock	(21)	(21)
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock		$ (1,527)	140	1,387
Stock-based and deferred compensation	2,162		55	2,021	86
Net Income	72,337						72,828	(491)
Other comprehensive income	8,773					8,722		51
Cash dividends paid:
Preferred stock	(43)						(43)
Common stock	(14,431)						(14,431)
Non-qualified stock option and stock award income tax benefit	3,440			3,440
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	553,741		25,564	135,693	(58,269)	(29,528)	478,826	1,455
Issuance of common stock under stock option plan	1,754		67	1,687
Purchase of common stock	(7,924)				(7,924)
Stock-based and deferred compensation	1,493		9	1,553	(69)
Net Income	57,081						57,101	(20)
Other comprehensive income	(54,454)					(54,417)		(37)
Cash dividends paid:
Common stock	(15,387)						(15,387)
Non-qualified stock option and stock award income tax benefit	640			640
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	536,944		25,640	139,573	(66,262)	(83,945)	520,540	1,398
Issuance of common stock under stock option plan	777		45	732
Purchase of common stock	(2,000)				(2,000)
Stock-based and deferred compensation	3,694		24	3,854	(184)
Net Income	76,037						75,968	69
Other comprehensive income	(41,210)					(41,143)		(67)
Cash dividends paid:
Common stock	(16,300)						(16,300)
Non-qualified stock option and stock award income tax benefit	442			442
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 558,384		$ 25,709	$ 144,601	$ (68,446)	$ (125,088)	$ 580,208	$ 1,400

Consolidated Statements of Equ9

Consolidated Statements of Equity (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Number of shares of common stock issued under stock option plan	45,289	67,029	227,410
Number of common stock shares purchased	41,915	154,633	60,595
Preferred stock			$ 1.375
Common stock	$ 0.73	$ 0.69	$ 0.65
Common Stock [Member]
Number of shares of common stock issued under stock option plan	45,289	67,029	227,410
Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]
Number of shares of common stock issued under stock option plan	45,289	67,029	227,410
Treasury Stock [Member]
Number of common stock shares purchased	41,915	154,633	60,595

Summary of Significant Accounti

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Nature of Operations Stepan Company (the Company) operations consist predominantly of the production and sale of specialty and intermediate chemicals, which are sold to other manufacturers for use in a variety of end products. Principal markets for all products are manufacturers of cleaning and washing compounds (including detergents, shampoos, fabric softeners, toothpastes and household cleaners), paints, cosmetics, food, beverages, nutritional supplements, agricultural products, plastics, furniture, automotive equipment, insulation and refrigeration. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) requires Company management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Principles of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries in which the Company exercises controlling influence. The equity method is used to account for investments in which the Company exercises significant but noncontrolling influence. Intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. The Company is a partner in two joint ventures: Nanjing Stepan Jinling Chemical Limited Liability Company (Stepan China) in Nanjing, China, and TIORCO, LLC (TIORCO) in Denver, Colorado. The Company has an 80 percent ownership interest in the Stepan China joint venture and exercises controlling influence. Therefore, Stepan China’s accounts are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. The joint venture partner’s interest in Stepan China’s net income is reported in the net income attributable to noncontrolling interests line of the consolidated statements of income. The joint venture partner’s interest in the net assets of Stepan China is reported in the noncontrolling interests line (a component of equity separate from Company equity) of the consolidated balance sheets. TIORCO is equally owned and controlled by the Company and Nalco Company (a subsidiary of Ecolab Inc.). The Company’s investment in TIORCO is accounted for using the equity method and is included in the other non-current assets line on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company’s share of TIORCO’s net earnings is included in the loss from equity in joint ventures line of the consolidated statements of income. In October 2015, the Company and Nalco Company made the decision to dissolve TIORCO. See Note 25 for information regarding the dissolution of the joint venture. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments with purchased maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. At December 31, 2015, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $176.1 million including $68.8 million in two separate money market funds, each of which was rated AAA by Standard and Poor’s and Aaa by Moody’s. Cash in U.S. demand deposit accounts totaled $20.2 million and cash of the Company’s non-U.S. subsidiaries held outside the U.S. totaled $87.1 million as of December 31, 2015. Receivables and Credit Risk Receivables are stated net of allowances for doubtful accounts and other allowances and primarily include trade receivables from customers, as well as nontrade receivables from suppliers, governmental tax agencies and others. The Company is exposed to credit risk on accounts receivable balances. This risk is mitigated by the Company’s large, diverse customer base, which is dispersed over various geographic regions and industrial sectors. No single customer comprised more than 10 percent of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2015, 2014 or 2013. The Company maintains allowances for potential credit losses. Specific customer allowances are recorded when a review of customer creditworthiness and current economic conditions indicate that collection is doubtful. In addition, the Company maintains a general allowance as a percentage of total trade receivables. The general allowance percentage is periodically reviewed and adjusted based on historical bad debt losses of the Company. The Company also maintains other customer allowances that occur in the normal course of business. Such allowances are based on historical averages and trade receivable levels. The following is an analysis of the allowance for doubtful accounts and other accounts receivable allowances for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Balance at January 1 $ 10,011 $ 5,945 $ 5,533 Provision charged to income 1,106 4,625 719 Accounts written off, net of recoveries (3,071 ) (559 ) (307 ) Balance at December 31 $ 8,046 $ 10,011 $ 5,945 The 2014 provision charged to income included a $2,388,000 bad debt allowance for a major Polymer customer that filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in September 2014. Also included in the 2014 provision charged to income were additional allowances for certain high risk accounts and for general reserves. The accounts written off for 2015 included the write-off of the Polymer customer’s uncollectible receivable balance. Inventories Inventories are valued at cost, which is not in excess of market value, and include material, labor and plant overhead costs. The last-in, first-out (LIFO) method is used to determine the cost of the Company’s U.S. inventories. The first-in, first-out (FIFO) method is used for all other inventories. Inventories priced at LIFO as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, accounted for 72 and 67 percent of total inventories, respectively. Property, Plant and Equipment Depreciation of property, plant and equipment is provided on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Lives used for calculating depreciation are generally 30 years for buildings and 15 years for building improvements. For assets classified as machinery and equipment, lives generally used for calculating depreciation expense range from 10 to 15 years for manufacturing equipment, five to 10 years for furniture and fixtures, three to five years for vehicles and three to 10 years for computer equipment and software. Manufacturing of chemicals is capital intensive with a large majority of the assets included in machinery and equipment representing manufacturing equipment. Major renewals and betterments are capitalized in the property accounts, while maintenance and repairs ($52,549,000, $55,923,000, and $48,683,000 in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively), which do not renew or extend the life of the respective assets, are charged to operations as incurred. Land is not depreciated. The cost of property retired or sold and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in income. Included in the computer equipment and software component of machinery and equipment are costs related to the acquisition and development of internal-use software. Capitalized costs for internal-use software include external direct costs of materials and services consumed in obtaining and developing the software. For development projects where major internal resources are committed, payroll and payroll-related costs incurred during the application development phase of the project are also capitalized. The capitalized costs are amortized over the useful lives of the software, which are generally three to 10 years. Costs incurred in the preliminary project phase are expensed. Interest charges on borrowings applicable to major construction projects are capitalized. Property, plant and equipment assets are tested for impairment when events indicate that impairment may have occurred. Fair Value Measurements GAAP defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Furthermore, GAAP establishes a framework, in the form of a three-level hierarchy, for measuring fair value that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The following describes the hierarchy levels: Level 1 - quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities. Level 2 - inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data. Level 3 - unobservable inputs which reflect the entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants use in pricing the assets and liabilities. The Company applies the fair value measurement provisions of GAAP to any of its financial assets and liabilities that are carried at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets (see Note 2), its outstanding debt for disclosure purposes (also Note 2) and its pension plan assets (see Note 13). The Company also applies the fair value measurement requirements to nonrecurring fair value measurements of nonfinancial assets and liabilities recorded in conjunction with business combinations and as part of impairment reviews for goodwill and other long-lived assets. Revenue Recognition Revenue is recognized upon shipment of goods to customers, at which time title and risk of loss pass to the customer. For arrangements where the Company consigns product to a customer location, revenue is recognized when the customer uses the inventory. The Company records shipping and handling billed to a customer in a sales transaction as revenue. Costs incurred for shipping and handling are reported in cost of sales. Volume discounts due customers are estimated and recorded in the same period as the sales to which the discounts relate and reported as reductions of revenue in the consolidated statements of income. Cost of Sales Cost of sales comprises raw material costs (including inbound freight expense to deliver the raw materials), manufacturing plant labor expenses and various manufacturing overhead expenses, such as utility, maintenance, operating supply, amortization and manufacturing asset depreciation expenses. Cost of sales also includes outbound shipping and handling expenses, inter-plant transfer costs and warehouse expenses. Operating Expenses Selling expense comprises salary and the related fringe benefit expenses for marketing and sales personnel and operating costs, such as outside agent commissions, automobile rental and travel-related expenses, which support the sales and marketing functions. Bad debt charges and any depreciation expenses related to marketing assets (e.g., computers) are also classified as selling expense. Administrative expense comprises salary and the related fringe benefit expenses and operating costs for the Company’s various administrative functions, which include information services, finance, legal, and human resources. Environmental remediation expenses are also classified as administrative expense. The Company’s research and development costs are expensed as incurred. These expenses are aimed at discovery and commercialization of new knowledge with the intent that such effort will be useful in developing a new product or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process. Total research and development expenses were $30,315,000, $27,236,000 and $28,782,000 in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The remainder of research, development and technical service expenses reflected on the consolidated statements of income relates to technical services, which include routine product testing, quality control and sales support service. Compensation expense or income related to the Company’s deferred compensation plans is presented in the Deferred compensation expense (income) line in the Consolidated Statements of Income. In prior years, the deferred compensation expense or income was reported in the administrative expense line. The 2014 and 2013 information has been changed to conform to the current year presentation. The current year presentation is consistent with the Company’s analysis of operating expenses as discussed in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Environmental Expenditures Environmental expenditures that relate to current operations are expensed in cost of sales. Expenditures that mitigate or prevent environmental contamination and that benefit future operations are capitalized as assets and depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which are typically 10 years. Estimated future expenditures that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations, and which do not contribute to current or future revenue generation, are recorded as liabilities, with the corresponding charge recorded in administrative expenses, when environmental assessments and/or remedial efforts are probable and the cost or range of possible costs can be reasonably estimated. When no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount, the minimum amount in the range is accrued. Some of the factors on which the Company bases its estimates include information provided by feasibility studies, potentially responsible party negotiations and the development of remedial action plans. Legal costs related to environmental matters are expensed as incurred (see Note 16 for environmental contingencies). Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets The Company’s intangible assets include patents, agreements not to compete, trademarks, customer lists, technological and manufacturing know-how and goodwill, all of which were acquired as part of business or product line acquisitions. Intangible assets other than goodwill are determined to have either finite or indefinite useful lives. The Company currently has no indefinite-life intangible assets. The values for intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over the useful lives of the assets. In addition, finite-life intangible assets are tested for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an intangible asset may not be recoverable. Goodwill is not amortized. Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit to which goodwill relates below the reporting unit’s carrying value. For more details see Note 4. Income Taxes The provision for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets or liabilities are computed using the currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for changes in tax rates or laws, and the effects of the changes are recorded in income in the period of enactment. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when the Company determines that it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized. The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by tax authorities. If the tax position meets the more-likely-than-not threshold, the tax benefit recognized in the consolidated financial statements is measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon effective settlement. Unrecognized tax benefits, which are differences between the tax position taken on a tax return and the amounts recognized in the financial statements, are recorded either as an increase to a tax liability or as a decrease to an income tax receivable. The Company includes estimated interest and penalty amounts related to the unrecognized tax benefits in the tax provision. See Note 9 for detailed information about income taxes. Translation of Foreign Currencies For the Company’s consolidated foreign subsidiaries whose functional currency is the local foreign currency, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at year end and revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates for the year. Any resulting translation adjustments are included in the consolidated balance sheets in the accumulated other comprehensive loss line of stockholders’ equity. Gains or losses on foreign currency transactions are reflected in the other, net caption of the consolidated statements of income. The Company has one foreign subsidiary whose functional currency is the U.S. dollar. For this subsidiary, nonmonetary assets and liabilities are translated at historical rates, monetary assets and liabilities are translated at exchange rates in effect at year end, revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates for the year and translation gains and losses are included in the other, net caption of the consolidated statements of income. Stock-Based Compensation The Company grants stock options, performance stock awards and stock appreciation rights (SARs) to certain employees under its incentive compensation plans. The Company calculates the fair values of stock options, performance stock awards and SARs on the date such instruments are granted. The fair values of the stock option and performance stock awards are then recognized as compensation expense over the vesting periods of the instruments. The Company’s SARs granted before 2015 are cash-settled and accounted for as liabilities that must be re-measured at fair value at the end of each reporting period. Compensation expense for each reporting period is calculated as the period-to-period change (or portion of the change, depending on the proportion of the vesting period that has been completed at the reporting date) in the fair value of the cash-settled SARs. The Company’s SARs granted in 2015 are stock-settled only and the accounting treatment of their compensation expenses is similar to those of stock options. See Note 11 for detailed information about the Company’s stock-based compensation. Earnings Per Share Basic earnings per share amounts are computed based on the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Net income used in computing basic earnings per share is net income attributable to the Company reduced by dividends paid to preferred stockholders (as of August 9, 2013, all Company preferred stock had been redeemed or converted to Company common stock). Diluted earnings per share amounts are based on the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding plus the increased number of common shares that would be outstanding assuming the exercise of certain outstanding stock options, contingent performance awards and SARs settling in stock only (under the treasury stock method), the conversion of the convertible preferred stock (when such conversion would have the effect of reducing earnings per share), and contingent stock awards that are part of the Company’s incentive stock-based compensation program (see Note 11). See Note 18 for detailed information about the Company’s earnings per share calculations. Comprehensive Income and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Comprehensive income includes net income and all other non-owner changes in equity that are not reported in net income. Comprehensive income is disclosed in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) is reported as a component of stockholders’ equity in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. See Note 19 for detailed information regarding changes in the Company’s AOCI and reclassifications out of AOCI to income. Segment Reporting The Company reports financial and descriptive information about its reportable operating segments. Operating segments are components of the Company that have separate financial information that is regularly evaluated by the chief operating decision maker to assess segment performance and allocate resources. The Company discloses segment revenue, operating income, assets, capital expenditures and depreciation and amortization expenses. Enterprise-wide financial information about the geographic locations in which the Company earns revenues and holds assets is also disclosed (see Note 17). Derivative Instruments Derivative instruments are recognized in the consolidated balance sheets as either assets or liabilities measured at fair value. For derivative instruments that are not designated as hedging instruments, changes in the fair values of the derivative instruments are recognized currently in earnings. For derivative instruments designated as hedging instruments, depending on the nature of the hedge, changes in the fair values of the derivative instruments are either offset in earnings against changes in the fair values of the hedged items or recognized in AOCI until the hedged transaction is recognized in earnings. At the time a hedging relationship is designated, the Company establishes the method it will use for assessing the effectiveness of the hedge and the measurement approach for determining the ineffective aspect of the hedge. Company policy prohibits the use of derivative instruments for trading or speculative purposes. See Note 3 for further information regarding the Company’s use of derivatives. At December 31, 2015, the Company held open forward contracts for the purchase of 1.1 million dekatherms of natural gas in 2016 at a cost of $3,561,000. The Company uses forward contracts to minimize its exposure to volatile natural gas prices. Because the Company anticipates taking delivery of the natural gas for use in its operations, the forward contracts qualify for the normal purchase exception election provided under U.S. GAAP for derivative instruments. The Company has elected the exception for such contracts. As a result, the forward contracts are not accounted for as derivative instruments. The cost of natural gas is charged to expense at the time the natural gas is delivered and used. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date In January 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-01, Simplifying Income Statement Presentation by Eliminating the Concept of Extraordinary Items Income Statement – Extraordinary and Unusual Items In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Interest – Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs Interest—Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements—Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to Staff Announcement at June 18, 2015 EITF Meeting (SEC Update which) In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other – Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330), Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805), Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740), Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	2. Fair Value Measurements The following were the financial instruments held by the Company at December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the methods and assumptions used to estimate the instruments’ fair values: Cash and cash equivalents Carrying value approximated fair value because of the short maturity of the instruments. Derivative assets and liabilities Derivative assets and liabilities included the foreign currency exchange and interest rate contracts discussed in Note 3. Fair value and carrying value were the same because the contracts were recorded at fair value. The fair values of the foreign currency contracts were calculated as the difference between the applicable forward foreign exchange rates at the reporting date and the contracted foreign exchange rates multiplied by the contracted notional amounts. The fair values of the interest rate swaps were calculated as the difference between the contracted swap rate and the current market replacement swap rate multiplied by the present value of one basis point for the notional amount of the contract. See the table that follows the financial instrument descriptions for the reported fair values of derivative assets and liabilities. Long-term investments Long-term investments included the mutual fund assets the Company held to fund a portion of its deferred compensation liabilities and all of its non-qualified supplemental executive defined contribution obligations (see the defined contribution plans section of Note 13). Fair value and carrying value were the same because the mutual fund assets were recorded at fair value in accordance with the FASB’s fair value option rules. Fair values for the mutual funds were calculated using the published market price per unit at the reporting date multiplied by the number of units held at the reporting date. See the table that follows the financial instrument descriptions for the reported fair value of long-term investments. Debt obligations The fair value of debt with original maturities greater than one year comprised the combined present values of scheduled principal and interest payments for each of the various loans, individually discounted at rates equivalent to those which could be obtained by the Company for new debt issues with durations equal to the average life to maturity of each loan. The fair values of the remaining Company debt obligations approximated their carrying values due to the short-term nature of the debt. The Company’s fair value measurements for debt fall in level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the fair values and related carrying values of debt, including current maturities, were as follows: (In thousands) December 31 2015 2014 Fair value $ 331,183 $ 285,441 Carrying value 332,623 273,931 The following tables present financial assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis at fair value as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurement falls: (In thousands) December 2015 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Mutual fund assets $ 20,910 $ 20,910 $ — $ — Derivative assets: Foreign currency contracts 112 — 112 — Total assets at fair value $ 21,022 $ 20,910 $ 112 $ — Derivative liabilities: Foreign currency contracts $ 305 $ — $ 305 $ — Interest rate contracts 53 — 53 — Total liabilities at fair value $ 358 $ — $ 358 $ — (In thousands) December 2014 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Mutual fund assets $ 20,217 $ 20,217 $ — $ — Derivative assets: Foreign currency contracts 73 — 73 — Total assets at fair value $ 20,290 $ 20,217 $ 73 $ — Derivative liabilities: Foreign currency contracts $ 628 $ — $ 628 $ —

Derivative Instruments

Derivative Instruments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Instruments	3. Derivative Instruments The Company is exposed to certain risks relating to its ongoing business operations. The primary risk managed by the use of derivative instruments is foreign currency exchange risk. The Company holds forward foreign currency exchange contracts that are not designated as any type of accounting hedge as defined by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The Company uses these contracts to manage its exposure to exchange rate fluctuations on certain Company subsidiary cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other obligation balances that are denominated in currencies other than the entities’ functional currencies. The forward foreign exchange contracts are recognized on the balance sheet as either an asset or a liability measured at fair value. Gains and losses arising from recording the foreign exchange contracts at fair value are reported in earnings as offsets to the losses and gains reported in earnings arising from the re-measurement of the receivable and payable balances into the applicable functional currencies. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had open forward foreign currency exchange contracts, all with settlement dates of about one month, to buy or sell foreign currencies with a U.S. dollar equivalent of $31,194,000 and $51,623,000, respectively. The Company is exposed to volatility in short-term interest rates and, at times, mitigates certain portions of that risk by using interest rate swaps and designating such swaps as cash flow hedges. The interest rate swaps are recognized on the balance sheet as either an asset or a liability measured at fair value. Period-to-period changes in the fair value of interest rate swap hedges are recognized as gains or losses in other comprehensive income, to the extent effective. As each interest rate swap hedge contract is settled, the corresponding gain or loss is reclassified out of AOCI into earnings in that settlement period. At December 31, 2015, the Company held an interest rate swap contract with a notional value of $3,724,000. The fair values of the derivative instruments held by the Company on December 31, 2015, and December 31, 2014, and derivative instrument gains and losses for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, were immaterial. For amounts reclassified out of AOCI into earnings for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, see Note 19.

Goodwill and Other Intangible A

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	4. The changes in the carrying value of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, were as follows: (In thousands) Surfactants Segment Polymer Segment Specialty Products Segment Total 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 Balance as of January 1 Goodwill $ 9,025 $ 9,107 $ 5,461 $ 5,603 $ 483 $ 483 $ 14,969 $ 15,193 Accumulated impairment loss (3,467 ) (3,467 ) — — — — (3,467 ) (3,467 ) Goodwill, net 5,558 5,640 5,461 5,603 483 483 11,502 11,726 Goodwill acquired — — — — — — — — Foreign currency translation (156 ) (82 ) (81 ) (142 ) — — (237 ) (224 ) Balance as of December 31 Goodwill 8,869 9,025 5,380 5,461 483 483 14,732 14,969 Accumulated impairment loss (3,467 ) (3,467 ) — — — — (3,467 ) (3,467 ) Goodwill, net $ 5,402 $ 5,558 $ 5,380 $ 5,461 $ 483 $ 483 $ 11,265 $ 11,502 The Company tests its goodwill balances for impairment in the second quarter of each calendar year. The 2015 and 2014 tests indicated no impairment. The following table presents the components of other intangible assets, all of which have finite lives, as of December 31, 2015 and 2014. The year-over-year changes in gross carrying values resulted from the effects of foreign currency translation. (In thousands) Gross Carrying Value Accumulated Amortization December 31 December 31 2015 2014 2015 2014 Other Intangible Assets: Patents $ 6,947 $ 6,947 $ 2,696 $ 2,096 Trademarks 4,087 4,087 1,150 748 Customer lists 8,026 8,082 2,621 1,871 Know-how (a) 8,245 8,273 2,881 1,871 Total $ 27,305 $ 27,389 $ 9,348 $ 6,586 (a) Know-how includes intellectual property rights covering proprietary information, written formulae, trade secrets or secret processes, inventions and developmental products (whether patentable or not), discoveries, improvements, compositions, manufacturing processes, manuals, specifications and technical data. Aggregate amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, was $2,816,000, $2,841,000 and $2,832,000, respectively. Estimated amortization expense for identifiable intangibles assets for each of the five succeeding fiscal years is as follows: (In thousands) For year ended 12/31/16 $ 2,676 For year ended 12/31/17 2,559 For year ended 12/31/18 2,559 For year ended 12/31/19 2,559 For year ended 12/31/20 2,510

Inventories

Inventories	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventories	5. Inventories The composition of inventories was as follows: December 31 (In thousands) 2015 2014 Finished products $ 124,481 $ 126,157 Raw materials 45,943 57,076 Total inventories $ 170,424 $ 183,233 Inventories are primarily priced using the last-in, first-out (LIFO) inventory valuation method. If the first-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory valuation method had been used for all inventories, inventory balances would have been approximately $18,171,000 and $34,340,000 higher than reported at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Debt

Debt	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	6. Debt Debt comprised the following at December 31, 2015 and 2014: (In thousands) Maturity Dates December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014 Unsecured private placement notes 3.95% 2021-2027 $ 100,000 $ — 3.86% 2019-2025 100,000 100,000 4.86% 2017-2023 65,000 65,000 5.88% 2016-2022 40,000 40,000 5.69% 2016-2018 17,142 22,857 6.86% 2015 — 4,284 Unsecured U.S. bank debt 2019 — 20,000 Debt of foreign subsidiaries Unsecured bank debt, foreign currency 2016 4,810 12,043 Unsecured bank term loan, foreign currency 2021 3,724 4,840 Secured bank term loan, foreign currency 2015 — 2,723 Secured bank debt, foreign currency 2016 1,947 1,638 Unsecured bank debt, U.S. dollars 2015 — 546 Total debt $ 332,623 $ 273,931 Less current maturities 18,806 27,034 Long-term debt $ 313,817 $ 246,897 The majority of the Company’s long-term debt financing is composed of unsecured private placement notes issued to insurance companies, totaling $322,142,000 as of December 31, 2015. These notes are denominated in U.S. dollars and have fixed interest rates ranging from 3.86 percent to 5.88 percent. At inception, these notes had final maturities of 12 to 13 years with remaining amortization scheduled from 2016 to 2027. On July 10, 2015, the Company completed the issuance of $100,000,000 of unsecured private placement debt. These notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 3.95% with interest to be paid semi-annually and with equal annual principal payments beginning on July 10, 2021, and continuing through final maturity on July 10, 2027. The proceeds of this debt are being used primarily for capital expenditures, for paying down existing debt in accordance with normal payment schedules and for other corporate purposes. The terms of the note agreement require the maintenance of certain financial ratios and covenants that are substantially identical to the Company’s existing long-term debt and customary events of default. The Company has a committed $125,000,000 multi-currency five-year revolving credit agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and four U.S. banks named as lenders thereunder. This unsecured facility is the Company’s primary source of short-term borrowings, which the Company may draw on as needed to finance certain acquisitions, working capital and for general corporate purposes. This facility is secured through July 10, 2019.As of December 31, 2015, the Company had outstanding letters of credit of $4,700,000 and no borrowings under this agreement with $120,300,000 remaining available. Loans under the credit agreement may be incurred, at the discretion of the Company, with terms to maturity of 1 to 180 days. The Company may choose from several interest rate options, including (1) LIBOR applicable to each currency plus spreads ranging from 0.975 percent to 1.525 percent, depending on the Company’s leverage ratio or (2) the prime rate plus zero percent to 0.525 percent, depending on the leverage ratio. The credit agreement requires the Company to pay a facility fee ranging from 0.150 percent to 0.350 percent, which also depends on the leverage ratio. The credit agreement requires the maintenance of certain financial ratios and compliance with certain other covenants that are similar to the Company’s existing debt agreements, including net worth, interest coverage and leverage financial covenants and limitations on restricted payments, indebtedness and liens. In addition to the unsecured private placement notes and the revolving credit facility, the Company’s foreign subsidiaries had $8,534,000 of unsecured debt and $1,947,000 of secured debt at December 31, 2015. The secured foreign debt is secured only by the assets of the respective entities. The Company’s loan agreements in the U.S. and Philippines contain provisions, which, among others, require maintenance of certain financial ratios and place limitations on additional debt, investments and payment of dividends. Based on the loan agreement provisions that place limitations on dividend payments, unrestricted retained earnings (i.e., retained earnings available for dividend distribution) were $119,891,000 and $88,684,000 at December 31, 2015, and 2014, respectively. Debt at December 31, 2015, matures as follows: $18,806,000 in 2016; $21,335,000 in 2017; $21,335,000 in 2018; $29,907,000 in 2019; $29,906,000 in 2020 and $211,334,000 after 2020. Debt maturing in 2016 includes $12,049,000 of scheduled repayments under long-term debt agreements and $6,757,000 of debt of foreign subsidiaries under short-term working capital loans. These short-term loan agreements are routinely renewed, but could be supplemented or replaced, if necessary, by the Company’s $125,000,000 revolving credit agreement. Net interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, comprised the following: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Interest expense $ 15,488 $ 12,542 $ 11,104 Interest income (217 ) (262 ) (57 ) 15,271 12,280 11,047 Capitalized interest (738 ) (839 ) (689 ) Interest expense, net $ 14,533 $ 11,441 $ 10,358

Leased Properties

Leased Properties	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Leases [Abstract]
Leased Properties	7. Leased Properties The Company leases certain property and equipment (primarily transportation equipment, buildings and land) under operating leases, which are denominated in local currencies. Total rental expense was $7,097,000, $6,660,000 and $6,280,000 in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Consolidated Company minimum future rental payments under operating leases with terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2015, are: (In thousands) Year Amount 2016 $ 5,836 2017 4,297 2018 3,560 2019 3,011 2020 2,708 Subsequent to 2020 17,889 Total minimum future rental payments $ 37,301

Other, Net

Other, Net	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Other Income And Expenses [Abstract]
Other, Net	8. Other, Net Other, net in the consolidated statements of income included the following for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Foreign exchange gains (losses) $ 686 $ (220 ) $ (1,495 ) Investment income 877 1,269 1,055 Realized and unrealized gains on investments 21 241 2,611 Other, net $ 1,584 $ 1,290 $ 2,171

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	9. Income Taxes The provisions for taxes on income and the related income before taxes for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, were as follows: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Taxes on Income Federal Current $ 7,697 $ 3,362 $ 9,744 Deferred 3,890 4,338 (285 ) State Current 1,559 782 1,223 Deferred (225 ) 643 (680 ) Foreign Current 14,562 9,004 12,067 Deferred (664 ) 325 1,224 Total $ 26,819 $ 18,454 $ 23,293 Income before Taxes Domestic $ 48,721 $ 34,091 $ 50,626 Foreign 54,135 41,444 45,004 Total $ 102,856 $ 75,535 $ 95,630 The variations between the effective and statutory U.S. federal income tax rates are summarized as follows: (In thousands) 2015 Amount % 2014 Amount % 2013 Amount % Federal income tax provision at statutory tax rate $ 36,000 35.0 $ 26,437 35.0 $ 33,471 35.0 State tax provision on income less applicable federal tax benefit 867 0.8 926 1.2 353 0.4 Foreign income taxed at different rates (a) (5,060 ) (4.9 ) (5,416 ) (7.2 ) (2,474 ) (2.6 ) Unrecognized tax benefits (a) 1,536 1.5 241 0.3 (53 ) (0.1 ) Domestic production activities deduction (884 ) (0.9 ) (312 ) (0.4 ) (991 ) (1.0 ) Nontaxable foreign interest income (2,106 ) (2.0 ) (2,435 ) (3.2 ) (2,614 ) (2.7 ) Nontaxable biodiesel excise credit income — — (130 ) (0.2 ) (2,347 ) (2.5 ) U.S. tax credits (3,465 ) (3.4 ) (1,086 ) (1.4 ) (2,209 ) (2.3 ) Non-deductible expenses and other items, net (a) (69 ) 0.0 229 0.3 157 0.2 Total income tax provision $ 26,819 26.1 $ 18,454 24.4 $ 23,293 24.4 (a) Certain 2014 and 2013 amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the tax effects of significant temporary differences representing deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows. Note that in the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company early-adopted ASU No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740), Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. (In thousands) 2015 2014 Deferred Tax Liabilities: Depreciation $ (69,975 ) $ (63,104 ) Unrealized foreign exchange loss (614 ) (838 ) Other (950 ) (1,159 ) $ (71,539 ) $ (65,101 ) Deferred Tax Assets: Pensions $ 16,698 $ 18,775 Deferred revenue 1,377 1,650 Other accruals and reserves 17,171 13,230 Inventories 1,833 1,957 Legal and environmental accruals 9,303 9,505 Deferred compensation 17,828 15,636 Bad debt and rebate reserves 3,685 4,618 Subsidiaries net operating loss carryforwards 602 727 Tax credit carryforwards 1,120 2,064 $ 69,617 $ 68,162 Valuation Allowance $ (1,443 ) $ (1,506 ) Net Deferred Tax (Liabilities) Assets $ (3,365 ) $ 1,555 Reconciliation to Consolidated Balance Sheet: Current deferred tax assets $ — $ 15,364 Non-current deferred tax assets (in other non-current assets) 6,090 2,044 Current deferred tax liabilities (in accrued liabilities) — (49 ) Non-current deferred tax liabilities (9,455 ) (15,804 ) Net Deferred Tax (Liabilities) Assets $ (3,365 ) $ 1,555 Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries and related companies that are deemed to be permanently reinvested amounted to $266,317,000 at December 31, 2015, compared to $224,483,000 at December 31, 2014. In general, the Company reinvests earnings of foreign subsidiaries in their operations indefinitely. However, the Company will repatriate earnings from a subsidiary where excess cash has accumulated and it is advantageous for tax or foreign exchange reasons. Because of the probable availability of foreign tax credits, it is not practicable to estimate the amount, if any, of the deferred tax liability on earnings reinvested indefinitely. The Company has tax loss carryforwards of $2,224,000 (pretax) as of December 31, 2015, and $2,776,000 as of December 31, 2014, that are available for use by the Company between 2016 and 2024. The Company has tax credit carryforwards of $1,120,000 as of December 31, 2015, and $2,064,000 as of December 31, 2014, that are available for use by the Company between 2016 and 2022. At December 31, 2015, the Company had valuation allowances of $1,443,000, which were primarily attributable to deferred tax assets in China, India and the Philippines. The realization of deferred tax assets is dependent on the generation of sufficient taxable income in the appropriate tax jurisdictions. The Company believes that it is more likely than not that the related deferred tax assets will not be realized. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, unrecognized tax benefits totaled $1,958,000 and $464,000, respectively. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would favorably affect the Company’s effective income tax rate in any future periods, net of the federal benefit on state issues, was approximately $1,948,000, $454,000 and $231,000 at December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The Company believes it is reasonably possible that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits related to its current uncertain tax positions could decrease by a range of approximately $0 to $900,000 over the next 12 months as a result of ongoing audits. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. In 2015, the Company recognized net interest and penalty expense of $6,000 compared to $6,000 of net interest and penalty expense in 2014 and $9,000 of net interest and penalty income in 2013. At December 31, 2015 the liability for interest and penalties was $44,000 compared to $38,000 at December 31, 2014. The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various states and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is not subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2011. In addition, 2013 is no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations (see paragraph below). Some foreign jurisdictions and various U.S. states jurisdictions may be subject to examination back to 2009. During 2015, the Internal Revenue Service completed its audit of the 2013 tax year. Other than timing differences which will primarily reverse on the 2015 income tax return, no adjustments were made. With respect to jurisdictions outside of the U.S., the French tax authority completed its audit of the tax years 2012 and 2013. The audit resulted in a $1,924,000 unfavorable adjustment (excluding interest) related to an intercompany transfer of an intangible asset to the Company’s subsidiary in Poland. The cost will be recognized over the tax period in which the $1,000,000 tax benefit in Poland is recognized from the amortization of the intangible asset. Other than the interest, no tax impact was recorded in 2015. Below are reconciliations of the January 1 and December 31 balances of unrecognized tax benefits for 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Unrecognized tax benefits, opening balance $ 464 $ 240 $ 289 Gross increases – tax positions in prior period 1,526 — 27 Gross decreases – tax positions in prior period — — (41 ) Gross increases – current period tax positions 29 261 17 Foreign currency translation (37 ) (13 ) 5 Lapse of statute of limitations (24 ) (24 ) (57 ) Unrecognized tax benefits, ending balance $ 1,958 $ 464 $ 240

Stockholders' Equity

Stockholders' Equity	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity	10. Stockholders’ Equity At December 31, 2015 and 2014, treasury stock consisted of 3,428,541 shares and 3,384,443 shares of common stock, respectively. During 2015, 41,915 shares of Company common stock were purchased in the open market, and 6,746 shares were received to settle employees’ minimum statutory withholding taxes related to performance stock awards and deferred compensation distribution. Also, 4,563 shares of treasury stock were distributed to participants under the Company’s deferred compensation plan. On June 12, 2013, the Company announced that on August 9, 2013 (redemption date), it would redeem any remaining outstanding shares of its 5½ percent Convertible Preferred Stock without par value (preferred stock). At the time of the redemption announcement, there were 61,735 shares of preferred stock outstanding. Prior to the redemption date, preferred shareholders converted 60,900 shares of preferred stock into 139,029 shares of Company common stock. In accordance with the Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights of the 5½ percent Convertible Preferred Stock, the Company redeemed 835 unconverted shares of Company preferred stock for an aggregate redemption price of $25.26354 per share ($25.00 per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends of $0.26354 per share). As of the redemption date, there are no longer any issued and outstanding shares of preferred stock.

Stock-based Compensation

Stock-based Compensation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]
Stock-based Compensation	11. Stock-based Compensation On December 31, 2015, the Company had stock options and stock awards outstanding under its 2006 Incentive Compensation Plan (2006 Plan) and stock options, stock awards and SARs under its 2011 Incentive Compensation Plan (2011 Plan). Stock options, stock awards and SARs are currently granted to Company executives and other key employees. No further options or awards may be granted under the 2006 Plan. The 2011 Plan authorized the award of 2,600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock for stock options, SARs and stock awards. At December 31, 2015, there were 1,624,462 shares available for grant under the 2011 Plan. Compensation expense (income) recorded in the consolidated statements of income for all plans was $4,374,000, $(69,000) and $2,783,000 for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The increase in stock-based compensation for the year ended December 31, 2015, compared to the year ended December 31, 2014, was primarily due to the increase in compensation related to SARs and performance awards. Due to an increase in the market value of Company common stock, the fair value of SARs at December 31, 2015, increased, resulting in an increase of the Company’s SARs liability. Performance awards stock-based compensation expenses were up between years as a result of expense-lowering adjustments made in 2014 that reflected management’s assessment that the profitability performance targets for certain grants would not be achieved. The total income tax benefit (expense) recognized in the income statement for share-based compensation arrangements was $1,654,000, $(26,000) and $1,059,000 for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Stock Options Under all plans, stock option awards are granted with an exercise price equal to the market price of the Company’s stock at the date of grant. The market price is defined and calculated as the average of the opening and closing prices for Company common stock on the grant date as reported in the New York Stock Exchange – Composite Transactions. Stock option awards generally vest based on two years of continuous service and have 8- to 10-year contractual terms. The fair value of each option award was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option valuation model incorporating the weighted-average assumptions noted in the following table. Expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock. The Company also uses historical data to estimate the expected term of options granted. The risk-free rate is the U.S. Treasury note rate that corresponds to the expected option term at the date of grant. The following are the weighted-average assumptions used to calculate the grant-date fair values of stock option awards granted in the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: For the Years Ended December 31 2015 2014 2013 Expected dividend yield 1.53% 1.77% 2.01% Expected volatility 40.32% 42.04% 42.48% Expected term 7.3 years 7.3 years 7.4 years Risk-free interest rate 1.96% 2.18% 1.53% A summary of stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2015 is presented below: Shares Weighted- Average Exercise Price Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term Aggregate Intrinsic ($000) Options Outstanding at January 1, 2015 480,736 $ 34.35 Granted 84,672 41.21 Exercised (45,289 ) 17.16 Forfeited (13,035 ) 52.25 Outstanding at December 31, 2015 507,084 36.57 4.53 $ 6,654 Vested or expected to vest at December 31, 2015 506,473 36.56 4.52 6,649 Exercisable at December 31, 2015 381,257 32.59 3.14 6,518 The weighted-average grant-date fair values of options awarded during the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, were $15.59, $23.77 and $23.08, respectively. The total intrinsic values of options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 were $1,426,000, $2,071,000, and $9,138,000, respectively. As of December 31, 2015, the total unrecognized compensation cost for unvested stock options was $784,000. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.0 years. Cash received from stock option exercises under the Company’s stock option plans for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013 was $777,000, $1,754,000 and $3,977,000, respectively. The actual tax benefit realized for the tax deductions from stock option exercises totaled $351,000, $568,000, and $2,786,000 for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Stock Awards In 2013, 2014, and 2015, the Company granted stock awards under the 2011 Plan. Most Company stock awards are granted in the form of performance awards. The performance stock awards vest only upon the Company’s achievement of certain Board of Director approved levels of financial performance by the end of specified measurement periods. The number of Company shares of common stock ultimately distributed, if any, is contingent upon the Company’s actual financial performance attained by the end of the measurement period relative to the Board of Director approved targets. The fair value of performance stock awards equals the grant-date market price of the Company’s common stock, discounted for the estimated amount of dividends that would not be received during the measurement period. Compensation expense is recorded each reporting period based on the probable number of awards that will ultimately vest given the projected level of financial performance. If at the end of the measurement period the performance objectives are not met, no compensation cost is recognized and any compensation expense recorded in prior periods is reversed. No performance stock awards vested for the measurement period ended December 31, 2015, because the financial performance conditions for those awards were not met. Periodically, the Company also grants stock awards that have no performance conditions associated with their vesting. These stock awards vest based on the service time established for the given grant. A summary of stock award activity for the year ended December 31, 2015, is presented below: Shares Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Unvested Stock Awards Unvested at January 1, 2015 183,010 $ 57.92 Granted 141,000 39.11 Vested (15,088 ) 33.14 Forfeited (100,419 ) 58.84 Unvested at December 31, 2015 208,503 46.55 The weighted-average grant-date fair values of stock awards granted during the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, were $39.11, $59.52 and $60.75, respectively. As of December 31, 2015, under the current Company assumption as to the number of stock award shares that will vest at the measurement periods ended December 31, 2017 and 2018, there was $3,396,000 of unrecognized compensation cost for unvested stock awards. That cost is expected to be recognized over a period of 2.0 years. The actual tax benefit realized for the tax deductions from vested restricted stock awards totaled $235,000. SARs At December 31, 2015, the Company had both cash-settled and Company stock-settled SARs outstanding. SARs granted prior to 2015 are cash-settled, and SARs granted in 2015 are stock-settled. SARs cliff vest after two years of continuous service and expire ten years from the grant date. Upon the exercise of a SARs award, a participant receives in cash (for cash-settled SARs) or Company common stock (for stock-settled SARs) an amount that equals or shares of Company stock that are valued at the excess of the fair market value of a share of Company common stock at the date of exercise over the fair market value of a share of Company common stock at the date of grant (the exercise price). Cash-settled SARs are accounted for as liabilities that must be re-measured at fair value at the end of every reporting period until settlement. Compensation expense for each reporting period is based on the period-to-period change (or portion of the change, depending on the proportion of the vesting period that has been completed at the reporting date) in the fair value of the SARs. Compensation expense for stock-settled SARs is based on the grant-date value of the awards allocated over the proportion of the vesting period that has been completed at the reporting date. Because stock-settled SARs are considered equity instruments, they are not re-measured at fair value at the end of each reporting period. The following is a summary of SARs activity for the year ended December 31, 2015: Shares Weighted- Average Exercise Price Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000) SARs Outstanding at January 1, 2015 231,182 $ 57.94 Granted 187,527 41.23 Forfeited (28,754 ) 52.67 Outstanding at December 31, 2015 389,955 50.30 8.16 $ (236 ) The weighted-average grant-date fair values of SARs granted during the years 2015, 2014 and 2013 were $15.60, $23.74 and $23.12, respectively. The fair value for each SARs award was estimated using the Black-Scholes valuation model incorporating the same assumptions as noted for stock options. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the liability for cash-settled SARs recorded on the consolidated balance sheet (non-current liabilities) was $2,593,000 and $1,457,000, respectively. At December 31, 2015, there was $1,644,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to all unvested SARs. That cost is to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.1 years. In general, it is the Company’s policy to issue new shares of its common stock upon the exercise of stock options and stock-settled SARs or the vesting of stock awards.

Deferred Compensation

Deferred Compensation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Compensation Related Costs [Abstract]
Deferred Compensation	12. Deferred Compensation The Company sponsors deferred compensation plans that allow management employees to defer receipt of their annual bonuses and outside directors to defer receipt of their fees until retirement, departure from the Company or as elected. Compensation expense and the related deferred compensation obligation are recorded when the underlying compensation is earned. Over time, the deferred obligation may increase or decrease based on the performance results of investment options chosen by the plan participants. The investment options include Company common stock and a limited selection of mutual funds. The Company maintains sufficient shares of treasury stock to cover the equivalent number of shares that result from participants elections of the Company common stock investment option. As a result, the Company must periodically purchase its common shares in the open market. The Company purchases shares of the applicable mutual funds to fund the portion of its deferred compensation liabilities tied to such investments. Some plan distributions may be made in cash or Company common stock at the option of the participant. Other plan distributions can only be made in Company common stock. For deferred compensation obligations that may be settled in cash or Company common stock at the option of the participant, the Company must record appreciation in the market values of the investment choices made by participants as additional compensation expense. Conversely, declines in the market values of the investment choices reduce compensation expense. Increases and decreases of compensation expense that result from fluctuations in the underlying investments are recorded as part of operating expenses in the consolidated statements of income. The additional compensation expense or income resulting from the changes in the market values and earnings of the selected investment options was $6,500,000 expense in 2015, $11,903,000 income in 2014 and $9,496,000 expense in 2013. The obligations that must be settled only in Company common stock are treated as equity instruments; therefore, fluctuations in the market price of the underlying Company stock do not affect earnings. The Company’s deferred compensation liability was $43,988,000 and $38,730,000 at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Postretirement Benefit Plans

Postretirement Benefit Plans	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Compensation And Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Postretirement Benefit Plans	13. Postretirement Benefit Plans Defined Benefit Plans The Company sponsors various funded qualified and unfunded non-qualified defined benefit pension plans, the most significant of which cover employees in the U.S. and U.K. locations. The various U.S. defined benefit pension plans were amended in 2005-2008 to freeze the plans by stopping the accrual of service benefits. The U.K. defined benefit pension plan was frozen in 2006. Benefits earned through the freeze dates are available to participants when they retire, in accordance with the terms of the plans. The Company established defined contribution plans to replace the frozen defined benefit pension plans. Obligations and Funded Status at December 31 (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2015 2014 Change in benefit obligation Benefit obligation at beginning of year $ 169,407 $ 144,508 $ 22,983 $ 21,095 Interest cost 6,815 6,936 789 964 Actuarial (gain) loss (9,315 ) 23,547 (1,763 ) 3,176 Benefits paid (6,118 ) (5,584 ) (891 ) (822 ) Foreign exchange impact — — (1,168 ) (1,430 ) Benefit obligation at end of year $ 160,789 $ 169,407 $ 19,950 $ 22,983 (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2015 2014 Change in plan assets Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year $ 126,369 $ 133,264 $ 22,858 $ 22,204 Actual return on plan assets 1,374 (2,929 ) 72 1,902 Employer contributions 210 1,618 605 1,004 Benefits paid (6,118 ) (5,584 ) (891 ) (822 ) Foreign exchange impact — — (1,219 ) (1,430 ) Fair value of plan assets at end of year $ 121,835 $ 126,369 $ 21,425 $ 22,858 Over (Under) funded status at end of year $ (38,954 ) $ (43,038 ) $ 1,475 $ (125 ) The amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets at December 31 consisted of (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2015 2014 Non-current asset $ — $ — $ 1,475 $ — Current liability (198 ) (185 ) — — Non-current liability (38,756 ) (42,853 ) — (125 ) Net amount recognized $ (38,954 ) $ (43,038 ) $ 1,475 $ (125 ) The amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income at December 31 consisted of (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2015 2014 Net actuarial loss $ 54,470 $ 60,114 $ 3,764 $ 4,724 The accumulated benefit obligations at December 31, 2015, for the U.S. and U.K defined benefit pension plans were $160,789,000 and $19,950,000, respectively. Below is information for pension plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets at December 31: (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2015 2014 Projected benefit obligation $ 160,789 $ 169,407 $ — $ 22,983 Accumulated benefit obligation 160,789 169,407 — 22,983 Fair value of plan assets 121,835 126,369 — 22,858 Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost and Other Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income Net periodic benefit costs for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, were as follows: (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013 Interest cost $ 6,815 $ 6,936 $ 6,424 $ 789 $ 964 $ 899 Expected return on plan assets (9,579 ) (9,523 ) (8,828 ) (1,054 ) (1,303 ) (941 ) Amortization of net actuarial loss 4,534 2,687 5,109 179 — 288 Net periodic benefit cost $ 1,770 $ 100 $ 2,705 $ (86 ) $ (339 ) $ 246 Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, were as follows: (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013 Net actuarial (gain) loss $ (1,110 ) $ 35,999 $ (18,539 ) $ (781 ) $ 2,577 $ (3,264 ) Amortization of net actuarial loss (4,534 ) (2,687 ) (5,109 ) (179 ) — (288 ) Total recognized in other comprehensive income $ (5,644 ) $ 33,312 $ (23,648 ) $ (960 ) $ 2,577 $ (3,552 ) Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income $ (3,874 ) $ 33,412 $ (20,943 ) $ (1,046 ) $ 2,238 $ (3,306 ) The estimated amounts that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income into net periodic benefit cost in 2016 are as follows: (In thousands) United States United Kingdom Net actuarial loss $ 3,528 $ 84 Estimated Future Benefit Payments (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2016 $ 6,533 $ 553 2017 7,113 587 2018 7,687 597 2019 8,151 604 2020 8,638 618 2021-2025 49,565 3,762 Assumptions The weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations at December 31 were as follows: United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2015 2014 Discount rate 4.39 % 4.09 % 4.00 % 3.50 % The weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit costs for years ended December 31 were as follows: United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013 Discount rate 4.09 % 4.87 % 4.17 % 3.50 % 4.60 % 4.30 % Expected long-term return on plan assets 7.50 % 7.75 % 7.75 % 4.66 % 5.84 % 5.25 % I n addition to the above assumptions, the Company uses a market-related value of assets approach to calculate the expected return on plan assets component of U.S. net periodic benefit cost. The market-related value equals the fair value of plan assets with five-year smoothing of asset gains or losses. Asset gains are subtracted or losses added in the following way: 80 percent of the prior year’s gain or loss; 60 percent of the second preceding year’s gain or loss; 40 percent of the third preceding year’s gain or loss; and 20 percent of the fourth preceding year’s gain or loss. Gains or losses for the year are calculated as the difference between the expected fair value of assets and the actual fair value of assets. Investment Strategies and Policies U.S. Plans Plan assets are predominantly invested using active investment strategies, as compared to passive or index investing. An investment management firm hires and monitors underlying investment management firms for each asset category. Equity managers within each category cover a range of investment styles and approaches, including both active and passive, and are combined in a way that controls for capitalization, style biases, and country exposure versus benchmark indexes, while active managers focus primarily on stock selection to improve returns. Fixed income managers seek to reduce the volatility of the plan’s funded status by matching the duration with the plan’s liability while seeking to improve returns through security selection, sector allocation and yield curve management. Real estate uses public core real estate strategies, which provide stable and high levels of current income and enhanced core strategies, which seek slightly higher returns by emphasizing appreciation. Commodity managers are used to further diversify the portfolio and may serve as an inflation hedge and are benchmarked to a diversified commodities index. Risk is controlled through diversification among multiple asset categories, managers, styles, and securities. The investment management firm recommends asset allocations based on the time horizon available for investment, the nature of the plan cash flows and liabilities and other factors that affect risk tolerance. The asset allocation targets are approved by the Company’s Plan Committee. Risk is further controlled both at the manager and asset category level by assigning targets for risk versus investment returns. Allowable investment categories include: Equities: Common stocks of large, medium, and small companies, including both U.S. and non-U.S. based companies. The long-term target allocation for equities, excluding Company stock, is 34 percent. Fixed Income (Debt): Bonds or notes issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, and to a lesser extent, by non-U.S. governments, or by their agencies or branches, mortgage-backed securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations, corporate bonds, municipal bonds and dollar-denominated debt securities issued in the U.S. by non-U.S. banks and corporations. Up to 20 percent of the fixed income assets may be in debt securities that are below investment grade. The target allocation for fixed income is 35 percent. Real Estate: Public real estate funds using office, apartment, industrial, retail, and other property types. The target allocation for real estate is 4 percent. Commodities: Commodity funds that match the index using commodity-linked derivative instruments including swap agreements, commodity options, futures, options on futures and commodity-linked notes, while seeking to enhance overall returns through the use of fixed income securities. The target allocation for commodities is 2 percent. Employer Securities: The retirement plans also hold shares of the Company’s common stock, which are purchased or sold by the trustee from time to time, as directed by the Plan Committee. At the direction of the Plan Committee, the plans sold 39,360 common shares to the Company’s ESOP trust on February 18, 2015, and 37,999 common shares on February 19, 2014. The target allocation for employer securities is 25 percent. In addition to these primary investment types, excess cash may be invested in futures in order to efficiently achieve more fully invested portfolio positions. Otherwise, a small number of investment managers make limited use of derivatives, including futures contracts, options on futures and interest rate swaps in place of direct investment in securities to efficiently achieve equivalent market positions. Derivatives are not used to leverage portfolios. U.K. Plan The objective of the U.K. defined benefit pension fund investment strategy is to maximize the long-term rate of return on plan assets within a medium level of risk in order to minimize the cost of providing pension benefits. To that end, the plan assets are invested in an actively managed pooled fund of funds that diversifies its holdings among equity securities, debt securities, property and cash. Essentially, the plan is to hold equity instruments to back the benefits of participants yet to retire and bonds and cash to back current pensioners. Although there are no formal target allocations for the plan assets, the fund will generally be heavily invested in equity securities. Equity securities are selected from U.K., European, U.S. and emerging market companies. Bonds include U.K. and other countries’ government notes and corporate debt of U.K and non-U.K. companies. There are no specific prohibited investments, but the current managed fund will not allocate assets to derivatives or other financial hedging instruments. Plan trustees meet regularly with the fund manager to assess the fund’s performance and to reassess investment strategy. At December 31, 2015, the pension asset allocation was 58 percent equities, 27 percent fixed income, nine percent insurance contracts, four percent cash and two percent real estate. Included in plan assets are insurance contracts purchased by the plan trustees to provide pension payments for specific retirees. In past years, at the time a plan participant retired, the plan trustee would periodically purchase insurance contracts to cover the future payments due the retiree. This practice is no longer followed. The contracts are revocable, and the related plan obligations are not considered settled. Therefore, the plan assets and obligations include the insured amounts. Plan Assets U.S. Plans The Company’s asset allocations for its U.S. pension plans at December 31, 2015 and 2014, by asset category, were as follows: December 31, 2015 (In thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Cash and Cash Equivalents $ — $ 1,989 $ — $ 1,989 Equity Securities U.S. Equities 33,076 — — 33,076 Non-U.S. Equities 10,630 — — 10,630 Employer Securities 24,792 — — 24,792 Total Equities 68,498 — — 68,498 Fixed Income Securities U.S. Corporate Bonds — 26,389 — 26,389 U.S. Government and Agency Bonds 365 9,371 — 9,736 Other Bonds — 7,378 — 7,378 Total Fixed Income 365 43,138 — 43,503 Mutual Funds Real Estate 5,222 — — 5,222 Commodities 1,481 — — 1,481 Other 1,142 — — 1,142 Total Mutual Funds 7,845 — — 7,845 Total $ 76,708 $ 45,127 $ — $ 121,835 December 31, 2014 (In thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Cash and Cash Equivalents $ — $ 1,963 $ — $ 1,963 Equity Securities U.S. Equities 34,885 — — 34,885 Non-U.S. Equities 12,478 — — 12,478 Employer Securities 21,575 — — 21,575 Total Equities 68,938 — — 68,938 Fixed Income Securities U.S. Corporate Bonds — 27,676 — 27,676 U.S. Government and Agency Bonds 350 10,327 — 10,677 Municipal Bonds — 3,352 — 3,352 Other Bonds — 6,155 — 6,155 Total Fixed Income 350 47,510 — 47,860 Mutual Funds Real Estate 5,585 — — 5,585 Commodities 2,023 — — 2,023 Total Mutual Funds 7,608 — — 7,608 Total $ 76,896 $ 49,473 $ — $ 126,369 Plan Asset Valuation Methodology Following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for plan assets measured at fair value. Individual equity securities, including employer securities, are valued by Standard & Poor’s Securities Evaluations as determined by quoted market prices on the New York Stock Exchange or other active markets. Both market pricing and future cash flow analysis may be used in the pricing process as follows: Level 1 – Equities represent the largest asset category and are valued according to the exchange-quoted market prices of the underlying investments. Level 1 fixed income securities are U.S. government securities and are valued according to quoted prices from active markets. Level 2 – Fixed income investments without equivalent trading exchanges are valued primarily through a technique known as “future cash flow approach” which is based on what bondholders can reasonably expect to receive based upon an issuer’s current financial condition. Pricing analysts prepare cash-flow forecasts and utilize one or two pricing models to arrive at an evaluated price. Evaluated bid modeling includes factors such as the interest rate on the coupon, maturity, rating, cash flow projections and other factors. Level 3 – no investments held during 2015 or 2014 were categorized as Level 3. U.K. Plan The Company’s asset allocations for its U.K. pension plans at December 31, 2015 and 2014, by asset category, were as follows: December 31, 2015 (In thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Cash $ 833 $ — $ — $ 833 Equity Securities Pooled Pension Funds — 12,397 — 12,397 Fixed Income Pooled Pension Funds — 5,740 — 5,740 Real Estate Pooled Pension Funds — 486 — 486 Insurance Contracts — — 1,969 1,969 Total $ 833 $ 18,623 $ 1,969 $ 21,425 December 31, 2014 (In thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Cash $ 1,176 $ — $ — $ 1,176 Equity Securities Pooled Pension Funds — 15,322 — 15,322 Fixed Income Pooled Pension Funds — 3,642 — 3,642 Real Estate Pooled Pension Funds — 477 — 477 Insurance Contracts — — 2,241 2,241 Total $ 1,176 $ 19,441 $ 2,241 $ 22,858 Units of each of the pooled funds are valued by the trustee based on quoted market prices of the underlying investments (the underlying assets are either exchange traded or have readily available markets). Fair value changes within asset categories for which fair value measurements use significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were as follows during 2014 and 2015: (In thousands) Insurance Fair value, December 31, 2013 $ 2,426 Sale proceeds (benefit payments) (178 ) Change in unrealized gain 135 Foreign exchange impact (142 ) Fair value, December 31, 2014 $ 2,241 Sale proceeds (benefit payments) (168 ) Change in unrealized gain 11 Foreign exchange impact (115 ) Fair value, December 31, 2015 $ 1,969 Long-term Rate of Return for Plan Assets U.S. Plans The overall expected long-term rate of return on assets of 7.50 percent that was used to develop the 2015 pension expense is based on plan asset allocation, capital markets forecasts and expected benefits of active investment management. For fixed income, the expected return is 4.26 percent. This assumption includes the yield on the five-year zero-coupon U.S. Treasury bond as the base rate along with historical data from the U.S. Treasury yield curve. For equities, the expected return is 8.57 percent for U.S. and international equities. This return is based on a blended average of three different statistical models that each incorporates multiple factors including, for example, inflation, Gross Domestic Product and the Fed Funds Target Rate. For real estate, the expected return is 7.30 percent. For commodities, the expected return is 6.30 percent. The overall investment return forecast reflects the target allocations and the capital markets forecasts for each asset category, plus a premium for active asset management expected over the long-term. U.K. Plan The overall expected long-term return on plan assets is a weighted-average of the expected long-term returns for equity securities, debt securities and other assets. The redemption yield at the measurement date on U.K. government fixed interest bonds and the yield on corporate bonds are used as proxies for the return on the debt portfolio. The returns for equities and property are estimated as a premium of 3.0 percent added to the risk-free rate. Cash is assumed to have a long-term return of 4.0 percent. Other Defined Benefit Plans The Company maintains funded and unfunded defined benefit plans in other foreign locations. The liabilities and expenses associated with these plans, individually and collectively, are not material to the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Discount rates for these plans are determined based on local interest rates and plan participant data. Cash Flows As a result of pension funding relief included in the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014, the Company expects to make no 2016 contributions to the funded U.S. qualified defined benefit plans. $198,000 is expected to be paid related to the unfunded non-qualified U.S. pension plans. The Company expects to contribute $361,000 to the U.K. defined benefit plan in 2016. Defined Contribution Plans The Company sponsors retirement savings defined contribution plans that cover U.S. and U.K. employees. The Company also sponsors a profit sharing plan for its U.S. employees. Profit sharing contributions are determined each year using a formula that is applied to Company earnings. The contributions, which are made partly in cash and partly in Company common stock, are allocated to participant accounts on the basis of participant base earnings. The retirement savings and profit sharing defined contribution plans each include a qualified plan and a non-qualified supplemental executive plan. Defined contribution plan expenses for the Company’s retirement savings plans and profit sharing plan were as follows: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Retirement savings plans $ 4,644 $ 4,565 $ 4,500 Profit sharing plan 4,972 3,619 4,804 Total $ 9,616 $ 8,184 $ 9,304 The Company has a rabbi trust to fund the obligations of its non-qualified supplemental executive defined contribution plans (supplemental plans). The trust comprises various mutual fund investments selected by the participants of the supplemental plans. In accordance with the accounting guidance for rabbi trust arrangements, the assets of the trust and the obligations of the supplemental plans are reported on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. The Company elected the fair value option for the mutual fund investment assets so that offsetting changes in the mutual fund values and defined contribution plan obligations would be recorded in earnings in the same period. Therefore, the mutual funds are reported at fair value with any subsequent changes in fair value recorded in the income statement. The supplemental plan liabilities increase (i.e., supplemental plan expense is recognized) when the value of the trust assets appreciates and decrease (i.e., supplemental plan income is recognized) when the value of the trust assets declines. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the trust asset balances were $1,762,000 and $1,741,000, respectively, and the supplemental plan liability balances were $1,827,000 and $1,776,000, respectively. The differences between the trust asset balances and the supplemental liability balances were due to estimated liabilities that were not funded until after the end of the year when the actual liabilities were determined. In addition to the Company sponsored profit sharing plan, certain foreign locations are required by law to make profit sharing contributions to employees based on statutory formulas. For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Company recognized $1,375,000, $145,000 and $1,999,000, respectively, of statutory profit sharing expense.

Accrued Liabilities

Accrued Liabilities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]
Accrued Liabilities	14. Accrued Liabilities The composition of accrued liabilities was as follows: December 31 (In thousands) 2015 2014 Accrued payroll and benefits $ 53,691 $ 28,060 Accrued customer rebates 16,561 17,395 Other accrued liabilities 25,581 20,041 Total accrued liabilities $ 95,833 $ 65,496 The year-over-year change in the accruals for payroll and benefits was largely attributable to increased liabilities for short-term incentive-based compensation.

Other Non-Current Liabilities

Other Non-Current Liabilities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Non-Current Liabilities	15. Other Non-Current Liabilities The composition of other non-current liabilities was as follows: December 31 (In thousands) 2015 2014 Deferred revenue $ 2,988 $ 3,318 Environmental and legal matters 18,258 20,583 Deferred compensation liability 43,042 37,790 Pension liability 41,252 45,738 Other non-current liabilities 9,221 5,427 Total other non-current liabilities $ 114,761 $ 112,856

Contingencies

Contingencies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Contingencies	16. Contingencies There are a variety of legal proceedings pending or threatened against the Company. Some of these proceedings may result in fines, penalties, judgments or costs being assessed against the Company at some future time. The Company’s operations are subject to extensive local, state and federal regulations, including the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) and the Superfund amendments of 1986 (Superfund). Over the years, the Company has received requests for information related to or has been named by the government as a PRP at a number of waste disposal and manufacturing sites where cleanup costs have been or may be incurred under CERCLA and similar state statutes. In addition, damages are being claimed against the Company in general liability actions for alleged personal injury or property damage in the case of some disposal and plant sites. The Company believes that it has made adequate provisions for the costs it may incur with respect to these sites. As of December 31, 2015, the Company estimated a range of possible environmental and legal losses of $20.9 million to $41.4 million. The Company’s accrued liability for such losses, which represented the Company’s best estimate within the estimated range of possible environmental and legal losses, was $20.9 million at December 31, 2015, compared to $22.0 million at December 31, 2014. During 2015, cash outlays related to legal and environmental matters approximated $2.7 million compared to $1.2 million in 2014. For certain sites, the Company has responded to information requests made by federal, state or local government agencies but has received no response confirming or denying the Company’s stated positions. As such, estimates of the total costs, or range of possible costs, of remediation, if any, or the Company’s share of such costs, if any, cannot be determined with respect to these sites. Consequently, the Company is unable to predict the effect thereof on the Company’s financial position, cash flows and results of operations. Given the information available, management believes the Company has no liability at these sites. However, in the event of one or more adverse determinations with respect to such sites in any annual or interim period, the effect on the Company’s cash flows and results of operations for those periods could be material. Based upon the Company’s present knowledge with respect to its involvement at these sites, the possibility of other viable entities’ responsibilities for cleanup, and the extended period over which any costs would be incurred, the Company believes that these matters, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position. Following are summaries of the material contingencies at December 31, 2015: Maywood, New Jersey Site The Company’s property in Maywood, New Jersey and property formerly owned by the Company adjacent to its current site and other nearby properties (Maywood site) were listed on the National Priorities List in September 1993 pursuant to the provisions of CERCLA because of certain alleged chemical contamination. Pursuant to an Administrative Order on Consent entered into between USEPA and the Company for property formerly owned by the Company, and the issuance of an order by USEPA to the Company for property currently owned by the Company, the Company has completed various Remedial Investigation Feasibility Studies (RI/FS), and on September 24, 2014, USEPA issued its Record of Decision (“ROD”) for chemically-contaminated soil. USEPA has not yet issued a ROD for chemically-contaminated groundwater for Maywood site. Based on the most current information available, the Company believes its recorded liability represents its best estimate of the cost of remediation for the Maywood site. The best estimate of the cost of remediation for the Maywood site could change as the Company continues to hold discussions with USEPA, as the design of the remedial action progresses or if other PRPs are identified. The ultimate amount for which the Company is liable could differ from the Company’s current recorded liability. In April 2015, the Company entered into an Administrative Settlement Agreement and Administrative Order on Consent with USEPA which requires payment of certain costs and performance of certain investigative and design work for chemically-contaminated soil. Based on the Company’s review and analysis of this order, no changes to the Company’s current recorded liability for claims associated with soil remediation of chemical contamination were required. In addition, under the terms of a settlement agreement reached on November 12, 2004, the United States Department of Justice and the Company agreed to fulfill the terms of a Cooperative Agreement reached in 1985 under which the United States will take title to and responsibility for radioactive waste removal at the Maywood site, including past and future remediation costs incurred by the United States. As such, the Company recorded no liability related to this settlement agreement. D’Imperio Property Site During the mid-1970’s, Jerome Lightman and the Lightman Drum Company disposed of hazardous substances at several sites in New Jersey. The Company was named as a potentially responsible party (PRP) in the case United States v. Lightman Wilmington Site The Company is currently contractually obligated to contribute to the response costs associated with the Company’s formerly-owned site at 51 Eames Street, Wilmington, Massachusetts. Remediation at this site is being managed by its current owner to whom the Company sold the property in 1980. Under the agreement, once total site remediation costs exceed certain levels, the Company is obligated to contribute up to five percent of future response costs associated with this site with no limitation on the ultimate amount of contributions. To date, the Company has paid the current owner $2.4 million for the Company’s portion of environmental response costs through the third quarter of 2015. The Company has recorded a liability for its portion of the estimated remediation costs for the site. Depending on the ultimate cost of the remediation at this site, the amount for which the Company is liable could differ from the current estimates. The Company and other prior owners also entered into an agreement in April 2004 waiving certain statute of limitations defenses for claims which may be filed by the Town of Wilmington, Massachusetts, in connection with this site. While the Company has denied any liability for any such claims, the Company agreed to this waiver while the parties continue to discuss the resolution of any potential claim which may be filed. The Company believes that based on current information it has adequate reserves for the claims related to this site. However, depending on the ultimate cost of the remediation at this site, the amount for which the Company is liable could differ from the current estimates. Unclaimed Property Examination As disclosed in prior filings, the Company was subject to an unclaimed property examination by the state of Delaware (the Company’s state of incorporation) and seven other states for the period covering 1981 through 2010. The types of unclaimed property under examination included certain un-cashed payroll and accounts payable checks and certain accounts receivable credits. Generally, unclaimed property must be reported and remitted to the state of the rightful owner. In cases where the rightful owner cannot be identified, the property must be reported and remitted to the unclaimed property holder’s state of incorporation. The unclaimed property examination was completed in the fourth quarter of 2015, and a settlement was reached. As a result of the settlement, no significant adjustments to the Company’s unclaimed property liability were required. Customer Claims From time to time in the normal course of business, customers make claims against the Company for issues such as product performance and liability, contract disputes, delivery errors and other various concerns. Frequently, such claims are subject to extensive investigation, discussion and negotiation prior to settlement or resolution. On the basis of the most current information available, the Company has no liability for such claims at December 31, 2015, compared to $3.5 million recorded as of December 31, 2014. The decline in the claims balance was attributable to the favorable resolutions of the previously recorded potential claims. Mexico Value-Added Tax During an examination of the Company’s 2009 and 2010 Mexico subsidiary financial records, local tax authority auditors determined that the Company’s treatment of value-added tax (VAT) for purchase transactions with a certain vendor was incorrect. As a result, the tax authorities concluded that the Company owed past VAT from 2009-2010 along with assessed inflation, penalty and interest charges. Consequently, the Company recorded a liability and corresponding income statement charge for the VAT inflation, penalty and interest charges. The liability included the 2009-2010 assessment of inflation, penalty and interest charges plus an estimated amount for the potential exposure for 2011-2014. No exposure for 2015 exists as the Company remedied the underlying problem. The amount recorded was not material to the Company’s results of operations. No charge was recorded for the past unpaid VAT because the Company believes the amount will be recoverable through the normal VAT process. In February 2016, the Company reached agreement with Mexico’s tax authorities on the amount of inflation, penalty and interest charged for the 2009 and 2010 years under audit. No significant adjustments were required to the previously recorded liability. Depending on the outcomes of future negotiations with Mexico’s tax authorities about the years 2011- 2014 and the actual amount of the past VAT that is recovered by the Company, the final actual settlement could differ from the current recorded liability.

Segment Reporting

Segment Reporting	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Reporting	17. Segment Reporting The Company has three reportable segments: Surfactants, Polymers and Specialty Products. Each segment provides distinct products and requires separate management due to unique markets, technologies and production processes. Surfactants are used in a variety of consumer and industrial cleaning compounds as well as in agricultural products, lubricating ingredients, oil field chemicals and other specialized applications. Polymers are used primarily in plastics, building materials, refrigeration systems and CASE applications. Specialty Products are used in food, flavoring, nutritional supplement and pharmaceutical applications. The Company evaluates the performance of its segments and allocates resources based on operating income before interest expense, other income/expense items and income tax provision. The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies. The following is segment data for the three years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) Surfactants Polymers Specialty Products Segment Totals 2015 Net sales $ 1,205,849 $ 491,488 $ 78,830 $ 1,776,167 Operating income 104,080 80,942 4,397 189,419 Assets 758,524 293,790 72,604 1,124,918 Capital expenditures 79,171 31,309 6,387 116,867 Depreciation and amortization expenses 42,122 19,541 3,659 65,322 2014 Net sales $ 1,296,638 $ 550,966 $ 79,609 $ 1,927,213 Operating income 60,778 60,690 10,487 131,955 Assets 741,677 320,640 67,588 1,129,905 Capital expenditures 70,796 22,409 5,618 98,823 Depreciation and amortization expenses 41,483 18,433 2,792 62,708 2013 Net sales $ 1,317,164 $ 483,361 $ 80,261 $ 1,880,786 Operating income 100,201 54,536 10,902 165,639 Assets 710,521 292,015 68,413 1,070,949 Capital expenditures 66,266 18,804 6,370 91,440 Depreciation and amortization expenses 36,400 16,351 2,631 55,382 Below are reconciliations of segment data to the consolidated financial statements: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Operating income - segment totals $ 189,419 $ 131,955 $ 165,639 Business restructuring and asset impairments (a) — (4,009 ) (1,040 ) Unallocated corporate expenses (b) (66,629 ) (37,252 ) (55,446 ) Total operating income 122,790 90,694 109,153 Interest expense, net (14,533 ) (11,441 ) (10,358 ) Loss from equity in joint ventures (6,985 ) (5,008 ) (5,336 ) Other, net 1,584 1,290 2,171 Consolidated income before income taxes $ 102,856 $ 75,535 $ 95,630 Assets - segment totals $ 1,124,918 $ 1,129,905 $ 1,070,949 Unallocated corporate assets (c) 114,743 32,109 96,253 Consolidated assets $ 1,239,661 $ 1,162,014 $ 1,167,202 Capital expenditures - segment totals $ 116,867 $ 98,823 $ 91,440 Unallocated corporate expenditures 2,482 2,996 1,425 Consolidated capital expenditures $ 119,349 $ 101,819 $ 92,865 Depreciation and amortization expenses – segment totals $ 65,322 $ 62,708 $ 55,382 Unallocated corporate depreciation expenses 1,663 1,096 1,018 Consolidated depreciation and amortization expenses $ 66,985 $ 63,804 $ 56,400 (a) See Note 22 regarding business restructuring and asset impairment costs. (b) Unallocated corporate expenses primarily comprise corporate administrative expenses (e.g., corporate finance, legal, human resources, information systems, deferred compensation and environmental remediation) that are not included in segment operating income and not used to evaluate segment performance. (c) The changes in unallocated corporate assets between 2013 and 2015 were primarily attributable to changes in the balance of U.S. cash and cash equivalents, which are not allocated to segments. Below is certain Company-wide geographic data for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Net sales (a) United States $ 1,069,526 $ 1,146,405 $ 1,103,181 France 169,072 183,896 221,971 Poland 150,654 175,862 122,215 United Kingdom 89,757 103,696 104,470 All other countries 297,158 317,354 328,949 Total $ 1,776,167 $ 1,927,213 $ 1,880,786 Long-lived assets (b) United States $ 387,744 $ 360,921 $ 330,799 Germany 30,268 36,156 42,309 Singapore 39,181 41,909 44,315 Philippines 16,671 17,793 18,817 Brazil 26,721 25,991 22,920 China 25,689 10,674 2,084 United Kingdom 22,943 23,040 23,061 All other countries 35,468 40,016 45,132 Total $ 584,685 $ 556,500 $ 529,437 (a) Net sales are attributed to countries based on selling location. (b) Includes net property, plant and equipment, goodwill and other intangible assets.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	18. Earnings Per Share Below is the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands, except per share amounts) 2015 2014 2013 Computation of Basic Earnings per Share Net income attributable to Stepan Company $ 75,968 $ 57,101 $ 72,828 Deduct dividends on preferred stock — — 43 Income applicable to common stock $ 75,968 $ 57,101 $ 72,871 Weighted-average number of shares outstanding 22,730 22,758 22,621 Basic earnings per share $ 3.34 $ 2.51 $ 3.22 Computation of Diluted Earnings per Share Net income attributable to Stepan Company $ 75,968 $ 57,101 $ 72,828 Weighted-average number of shares outstanding 22,730 22,758 22,621 Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of options (under treasury share method) (1) 118 148 215 Add weighted-average net shares related to unvested stock awards (under treasury share method) 3 11 8 Add weighted-average shares from assumed conversion of convertible preferred stock ─ ─ 80 Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of SARs (under treasury share method) 1 ─ ─ Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of contingent performance awards (under treasury share method) 6 ─ ─ Weighted-average shares applicable to diluted earnings 22,858 22,917 22,924 Diluted earnings per share $ 3.32 $ 2.49 $ 3.18 (1)

Accumulated Other Comprehensive

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	19. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Below is the change in the Company’s accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (AOCI) balance by component (net of income taxes) for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments Defined Benefit Pension Plan Adjustments Cash Flow Hedge Adjustments Total Balance at December 31, 2012 $ (2,886 ) $ (35,498 ) $ 134 $ (38,250 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications (8,085 ) 13,417 (32 ) 5,300 Amounts reclassified from AOCI — 3,409 13 3,422 Net current period other comprehensive income (8,085 ) 16,826 (19 ) 8,722 Balance at December 31, 2013 $ (10,971 ) $ (18,672 ) $ 115 $ (29,528 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications (31,943 ) (24,186 ) — (56,129 ) Amounts reclassified from AOCI — 1,709 3 1,712 Net current period other comprehensive income (31,943 ) (22,477 ) 3 (54,417 ) Balance at December 31, 2014 $ (42,914 ) $ (41,149 ) $ 118 $ (83,945 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications (45,423 ) 1,311 (49 ) (44,161 ) Amounts reclassified from AOCI — 3,013 5 3,018 Net current period other comprehensive income (45,423 ) 4,324 (44 ) (41,143 ) Balance at December 31, 2015 $ (88,337 ) $ (36,825 ) $ 74 $ (125,088 ) Amounts reclassified out of AOCI for the three years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, is displayed below: Amounts Reclassified from AOCI (a) (In thousands) Affected Line Item in Consolidated 2015 2014 2013 Statements of Income Amortization of defined pension items: Prior service cost $ (17 ) $ (20 ) $ (19 ) Actuarial loss (4,757 ) (2,727 ) (5,410 ) Transition obligation — — (2 ) $ (4,774 ) (2,747 ) (5,431 ) Total before tax (b) 1,761 1,038 2,022 Tax benefit $ (3,013 ) $ (1,709 ) $ (3,409 ) Net of tax Gains and losses on cash flow hedges: Interest rate contracts $ (22 ) $ (20 ) $ (37 ) Interest, net Foreign exchange contracts 9 10 10 Cost of sales (13 ) (10 ) (27 ) Total before tax 8 7 14 Tax benefit $ (5 ) $ (3 ) $ (13 ) Net of tax Total reclassifications for the period $ (3,018 ) $ (1,712 ) $ (3,422 ) Net of tax (a) Amounts in parentheses denote expense to statement of income. (b) This component of accumulated other comprehensive income is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost (see Note 13 for details regarding net periodic benefit costs for the Company’s U.S. and U.K. defined benefit plans).

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Business And Asset Acquisition [Abstract]
Acquisitions	20. Acquisitions 2015 Acquisitions Business Acquisition On June 15, 2015, the Company acquired Procter & Gamble do Brasil S.A.’s (P&G Brazil’s) sulfonation production facility in Bahia, Brazil. The facility is located in northeastern Brazil and has 30,000 metric tons of surfactants capacity. The acquired business is included in the Company’s Surfactants segment. The new business complements the Company’s existing Vespasiano, Brazil, plant and provides opportunities to serve growing northeastern Brazil. The purchase price was cash of $5,133,000. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination and, accordingly, the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as part of the acquisition were measured and recorded at their estimated fair values. The purchase included property, plant and equipment valued at $6,007,000 and the assumption of liabilities valued at $874,000. No intangibles or goodwill were acquired in the business combination. The purchase price allocation is final, and no allocation adjustments were made to the amounts recorded at the acquisition date. Other acquisition-related expenses were not material. Post-acquisition financial results for the acquired business were insignificant. Pro forma financial information has not been included because revenues and earnings of the Company would not have been significantly different than reported had the acquisition date been January 1, 2014. Asset Acquisition In 2015, the Company purchased select chemical manufacturing assets and land from The Sun Products Corporation’s Pasadena, Texas, manufacturing site. The Company intends to redeploy the manufacturing assets as needed to reduce future capital expenditures and is evaluating alternatives for the use of the land. The purchase price of the land and manufacturing assets was $13,000,000 cash, of which $3,377,000 was allocated to land and $9,623,000 was allocated to manufacturing assets. 2013 Business Acquisition On June 1, 2013, the Company acquired the North American polyester resins business of Bayer MaterialScience LLC (BMS). Prior to the acquisition, BMS was a North American producer of powder polyester resins for metal coating applications and liquid polyester resins for coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE) applications. The purchase included a 21,000-ton production facility in Columbus, Georgia, and a modern research and development laboratory for customer technical support and new product development. Infrastructure is in place to allow for future expansion. The acquisition has diversified the Company’s polyol product offering and is expected to accelerate the Company’s growth in CASE and PUSH (polyurethane systems house) applications. As of the acquisition date, the new business and acquired net assets became a part of the North American operations reporting unit included in the Company’s Polymers reportable segment. The total acquisition purchase price was $68,212,000 cash, of which $61,067,000 was paid at closing and $7,145,000, primarily for inventory, was paid over a three-month period (June 2013 through August 2013) pursuant to a transition services agreement with BMS. In addition to the purchase price paid, the Company incurred $270,000 of acquisition-related expenses related to legal, consulting, valuation and accounting services. These costs were included in administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statement of income for the year ended December 31, 2013. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination and, accordingly, the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as part of the acquisition were measured and recorded at their estimated fair values. The following table summarizes the assets acquired and liabilities assumed: (Dollars in thousands) June 1, 2013 Assets: Inventory $ 9,002 Property, plant and equipment 37,000 Identifiable intangible assets 17,800 Goodwill 4,642 Total assets acquired $ 68,444 Liabilities: Accrued expenses 232 Net assets acquired $ 68,212 The acquired goodwill, which was assigned entirely to the Company’s North American operations reporting unit included in the Company’s Polymers reportable segment, was deductible for tax purposes. The goodwill reflects the potential marketing, manufacturing and raw material sourcing synergies of the acquired business with the Company’s existing polymer business. Identifiable intangible assets included a technology and manufacturing know-how license agreement ($7,900,000), a trademark/trade name ($3,800,000) and customer relationships ($6,100,000). The amortization periods for these intangibles at the time of acquisition were 8, 11 and 12 years, respectively. The following is 2013 pro forma financial information prepared under the assumption that the acquisition of the BMS North American polyester resins business occurred on January 1, 2012: Pro Forma Financial Information Unaudited Year Ended December 31 (In thousands, except per share amounts) 2013 Net Sales $ 1,907,607 Net Income Attributable to Stepan Company $ 73,609 Net Income Per Common Share Attributable to Stepan Company: Basic $ 3.25 Diluted $ 3.21 The supplemental pro forma information is presented for illustrative purposes only and may not be indicative of the consolidated results that would have actually been achieved by the Company. Furthermore, future results may vary significantly from the results reflected in the pro forma information. The pro forma results include adjustments related to amortization of acquired intangible assets, depreciation of the fair value adjustment of acquisition-date plant assets, interest on borrowings and tax expense. In addition, nonrecurring adjustments to pro forma net income include $270,000 of acquisition-related expenses and $558,000 of expense related to the fair value adjustment of the acquisition-date inventory, which were excluded from 2013 pro forma net income. Under the assumption that the BMS acquisition occurred on January 1, 2012, such expenses would have been included in 2012 net income.

Sale of Product Line

Sale of Product Line	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Sale Of Product Line [Abstract]
Sale of Product Line	21. Sale of Product Line In January 2015, the Company sold its specialty polyurethane systems product line (kits) to J6 Polymers, LLC (J6) for cash of $3,262,000. Kits were part of the Company’s Polymers segment and accounted for approximately $2,800,000 of the Company’s 2014 net sales. The sale of kits included inventory as well as customer and supplier lists, formulations, manufacturing procedures and all other intellectual property associated with the manufacturing and selling of kits. As a result of the sale, Company operating income for the year ended December 31, 2015, included a gain of $2,862,000. The gain was attributed to the Polymer segment. J6 is a business wholly-owned and operated by members of the immediate family of Robert J. Wood, a former Company executive who retired from the Company in April 2014. Mr. Wood is a managing member of J6.

Business Restructuring and Asse

Business Restructuring and Asset Impairments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Restructuring And Related Activities [Abstract]
Business Restructuring and Asset Impairments	22. Business Restructuring and Asset Impairments 2014 Restructuring In the fourth quarter of 2014, a restructuring plan was approved that affected certain Company functions, principally the research and development function and to a lesser extent product safety and compliance and plant site accounting functions (primarily impacting the Surfactants reportable segment). The objective of the plan was to better align staffing resources with the needs of the Company’s diversification and growth initiatives. In implementing the plan, management offered a voluntary retirement incentive to employees of the affected functions. By December 31, 2014, 13 employees accepted the voluntary termination incentive. As a result, the Company recognized a $1,722,000 charge against income for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2014. The restructuring was not considered a cost savings initiative but rather an opportunity to create some staffing flexibility to reposition roles to meet changing business needs. The severance payouts were completed by June 30, 2015. Other costs for the restructuring were not material. The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the restructuring liability: (In thousands) Severance Expense Restructuring liability at December 31, 2014 $ 1,722 Amounts paid (1,695 ) Foreign currency translation (18 ) Expense adjustment (9 ) Restructuring liability at December 31, 2015 $ — 2014 Asset Impairments In the fourth quarter of 2014, the Company wrote off the net book values of three assets, resulting in a pretax charge against income of $2,287,000 for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2014. All three assets were part of the Company’s Surfactants segment, although the write-off charges were excluded from Surfactants segment operating results. At the Company’s Singapore location, $1,316,000 of engineering costs for an asset expansion project were reversed out of the Company’s construction-in-process account and into expense because management determined that, given the business environment at that time, the magnitude of the project could no longer be economically justified. At the Company’s Millsdale, Illinois, plant, a reactor used to manufacture certain surfactant products was no longer required and was retired and removed from service. The book value of the asset was $714,000. The remaining $257,000 of impairment charges related to an administrative building at the Company’s United Kingdom site that was vacated and abandoned in place. 2013 Restructuring In the fourth quarter of 2013, the Company recorded a $1,040,000 restructuring charge for estimated severance expense related to an approved plan to reduce costs and increase operating efficiencies by consolidating a portion of the Surfactants segment’s North American manufacturing operations. In the third quarter of 2014, the Company shut down certain production areas at its Canadian manufacturing site, moving production in those areas to U.S. plants. This consolidation resulted in the elimination of 16 North American positions. Other restructuring costs for this plan were not material. The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the restructuring liability: (In thousands) Severance Expense Restructuring liability at December 31, 2013 $ 1,040 Amounts paid (420 ) Foreign currency translation (57 ) Restructuring liability at December 31, 2014 $ 563 Amounts paid (464 ) Foreign currency translation (42 ) Restructuring liability at December 31, 2015 $ 57 In connection with the planned business restructuring, the Company reduced the useful lives of the manufacturing assets in the affected areas of the Canadian plant. The change in useful lives resulted in accelerated depreciation expenses of $1,825,000 in 2014 and $296,000 in 2013. The depreciation expense was included in the cost of sales line of the consolidated statements of income for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Insurance Recovery

Insurance Recovery	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Extraordinary And Unusual Items [Abstract]
Insurance Recovery	23. Insurance Recovery The Company received an insurance recovery of $3,730,000 in 2013 for business interruption losses resulting from a May 2011 fire that damaged polyol manufacturing equipment at the Company’s plant site in Wesseling, Germany. The insurance recovery was recorded as a reduction of cost of sales in the consolidated statement of income for the year ended December 31, 2013.

Statement of Cash Flows - Nonca

Statement of Cash Flows - Noncash Investing and Financing Activities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Statement of Cash Flows - Noncash Investing and Financing Activities	24. Statement of Cash Flows – Noncash Investing and Financing Activities Noncash investing activities included liabilities (accounts payable) incurred for fixed asset acquisitions of approximately $9,515,000, $17,797,000 and $11,772,000 that were unpaid at December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Noncash financing activities were immaterial for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014. Noncash financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2013 included 48,973 shares of Company common stock (valued at $2,999,000) issued in connection with the Company’s performance stock award plan.

TIORCO, LLC Joint Venture

TIORCO, LLC Joint Venture	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Equity Method Investments And Joint Ventures [Abstract]
TIORCO, LLC Joint Venture	25. TIORCO, LLC Joint Venture In October 2015, the Company and its partner, Nalco Company (a subsidiary of Ecolab Inc.), made the decision to dissolve their equally owned and operated TIORCO, LLC (TIORCO) enhanced oil recovery joint venture. As a result of the dissolution, TIORCO incurred fourth quarter 2015 exit costs, which included termination pay, lease termination costs and asset impairments. The Company’s share of the exit costs was $2,356,000, which was reported in the ‘Loss from equity in joint venture’ line of the consolidated statement of income for the year ended December 31, 2015. Exit activities for the joint venture are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2016. No further significant costs are expected to be incurred.

Selected Quarterly Financial Da

Selected Quarterly Financial Data	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Selected Quarterly Financial Data	Selected Quarterly Financial Data (In thousands, except per share data) Unaudited 2015 Quarter First Second Third Fourth Year Net Sales $ 460,451 $ 452,414 $ 444,011 $ 419,291 $ 1,776,167 Gross Profit 76,442 79,512 77,598 74,689 308,241 Operating Income 35,178 28,595 38,794 20,223 122,790 Interest, net (4,054 ) (2,869 ) (3,837 ) (3,773 ) (14,533 ) Income Before Income Taxes 30,536 24,146 33,113 15,061 102,856 Net Income 21,286 16,941 24,934 12,876 76,037 Net Income Attributable to Stepan Company 21,270 16,914 24,912 12,872 75,968 Per Diluted Share 0.93 0.74 1.09 0.56 3.32 2014 Quarter First Second Third Fourth Year Net Sales $ 477,442 $ 504,111 $ 491,429 $ 454,231 $ 1,927,213 Gross Profit 63,024 71,589 65,099 49,851 249,563 Operating Income 22,523 36,914 22,253 9,004 90,694 Interest, net (2,957 ) (3,021 ) (2,846 ) (2,617 ) (11,441 ) Income Before Income Taxes 18,089 33,206 18,228 6,012 75,535 Net Income 13,008 24,368 13,480 6,225 57,081 Net Income Attributable to Stepan Company 13,018 24,353 13,491 6,239 57,101 Per Diluted Share 0.57 1.06 0.59 0.27 2.49

Summary of Significant Accoun36

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Nature of Operations	Nature of Operations Stepan Company (the Company) operations consist predominantly of the production and sale of specialty and intermediate chemicals, which are sold to other manufacturers for use in a variety of end products. Principal markets for all products are manufacturers of cleaning and washing compounds (including detergents, shampoos, fabric softeners, toothpastes and household cleaners), paints, cosmetics, food, beverages, nutritional supplements, agricultural products, plastics, furniture, automotive equipment, insulation and refrigeration.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) requires Company management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries in which the Company exercises controlling influence. The equity method is used to account for investments in which the Company exercises significant but noncontrolling influence. Intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. The Company is a partner in two joint ventures: Nanjing Stepan Jinling Chemical Limited Liability Company (Stepan China) in Nanjing, China, and TIORCO, LLC (TIORCO) in Denver, Colorado. The Company has an 80 percent ownership interest in the Stepan China joint venture and exercises controlling influence. Therefore, Stepan China’s accounts are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. The joint venture partner’s interest in Stepan China’s net income is reported in the net income attributable to noncontrolling interests line of the consolidated statements of income. The joint venture partner’s interest in the net assets of Stepan China is reported in the noncontrolling interests line (a component of equity separate from Company equity) of the consolidated balance sheets. TIORCO is equally owned and controlled by the Company and Nalco Company (a subsidiary of Ecolab Inc.). The Company’s investment in TIORCO is accounted for using the equity method and is included in the other non-current assets line on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company’s share of TIORCO’s net earnings is included in the loss from equity in joint ventures line of the consolidated statements of income. In October 2015, the Company and Nalco Company made the decision to dissolve TIORCO. See Note 25 for information regarding the dissolution of the joint venture.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments with purchased maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. At December 31, 2015, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $176.1 million including $68.8 million in two separate money market funds, each of which was rated AAA by Standard and Poor’s and Aaa by Moody’s. Cash in U.S. demand deposit accounts totaled $20.2 million and cash of the Company’s non-U.S. subsidiaries held outside the U.S. totaled $87.1 million as of December 31, 2015.
Receivables and Credit Risk	Receivables and Credit Risk Receivables are stated net of allowances for doubtful accounts and other allowances and primarily include trade receivables from customers, as well as nontrade receivables from suppliers, governmental tax agencies and others. The Company is exposed to credit risk on accounts receivable balances. This risk is mitigated by the Company’s large, diverse customer base, which is dispersed over various geographic regions and industrial sectors. No single customer comprised more than 10 percent of the Company’s consolidated net sales in 2015, 2014 or 2013. The Company maintains allowances for potential credit losses. Specific customer allowances are recorded when a review of customer creditworthiness and current economic conditions indicate that collection is doubtful. In addition, the Company maintains a general allowance as a percentage of total trade receivables. The general allowance percentage is periodically reviewed and adjusted based on historical bad debt losses of the Company. The Company also maintains other customer allowances that occur in the normal course of business. Such allowances are based on historical averages and trade receivable levels. The following is an analysis of the allowance for doubtful accounts and other accounts receivable allowances for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Balance at January 1 $ 10,011 $ 5,945 $ 5,533 Provision charged to income 1,106 4,625 719 Accounts written off, net of recoveries (3,071 ) (559 ) (307 ) Balance at December 31 $ 8,046 $ 10,011 $ 5,945 The 2014 provision charged to income included a $2,388,000 bad debt allowance for a major Polymer customer that filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in September 2014. Also included in the 2014 provision charged to income were additional allowances for certain high risk accounts and for general reserves. The accounts written off for 2015 included the write-off of the Polymer customer’s uncollectible receivable balance.
Inventories	Inventories Inventories are valued at cost, which is not in excess of market value, and include material, labor and plant overhead costs. The last-in, first-out (LIFO) method is used to determine the cost of the Company’s U.S. inventories. The first-in, first-out (FIFO) method is used for all other inventories. Inventories priced at LIFO as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, accounted for 72 and 67 percent of total inventories, respectively.
Property, Plant and Equipment	Property, Plant and Equipment Depreciation of property, plant and equipment is provided on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Lives used for calculating depreciation are generally 30 years for buildings and 15 years for building improvements. For assets classified as machinery and equipment, lives generally used for calculating depreciation expense range from 10 to 15 years for manufacturing equipment, five to 10 years for furniture and fixtures, three to five years for vehicles and three to 10 years for computer equipment and software. Manufacturing of chemicals is capital intensive with a large majority of the assets included in machinery and equipment representing manufacturing equipment. Major renewals and betterments are capitalized in the property accounts, while maintenance and repairs ($52,549,000, $55,923,000, and $48,683,000 in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively), which do not renew or extend the life of the respective assets, are charged to operations as incurred. Land is not depreciated. The cost of property retired or sold and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in income. Included in the computer equipment and software component of machinery and equipment are costs related to the acquisition and development of internal-use software. Capitalized costs for internal-use software include external direct costs of materials and services consumed in obtaining and developing the software. For development projects where major internal resources are committed, payroll and payroll-related costs incurred during the application development phase of the project are also capitalized. The capitalized costs are amortized over the useful lives of the software, which are generally three to 10 years. Costs incurred in the preliminary project phase are expensed. Interest charges on borrowings applicable to major construction projects are capitalized. Property, plant and equipment assets are tested for impairment when events indicate that impairment may have occurred.
Fair Value Measurements	Fair Value Measurements GAAP defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Furthermore, GAAP establishes a framework, in the form of a three-level hierarchy, for measuring fair value that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The following describes the hierarchy levels: Level 1 - quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities. Level 2 - inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data. Level 3 - unobservable inputs which reflect the entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants use in pricing the assets and liabilities. The Company applies the fair value measurement provisions of GAAP to any of its financial assets and liabilities that are carried at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets (see Note 2), its outstanding debt for disclosure purposes (also Note 2) and its pension plan assets (see Note 13). The Company also applies the fair value measurement requirements to nonrecurring fair value measurements of nonfinancial assets and liabilities recorded in conjunction with business combinations and as part of impairment reviews for goodwill and other long-lived assets.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition Revenue is recognized upon shipment of goods to customers, at which time title and risk of loss pass to the customer. For arrangements where the Company consigns product to a customer location, revenue is recognized when the customer uses the inventory. The Company records shipping and handling billed to a customer in a sales transaction as revenue. Costs incurred for shipping and handling are reported in cost of sales. Volume discounts due customers are estimated and recorded in the same period as the sales to which the discounts relate and reported as reductions of revenue in the consolidated statements of income.
Cost of Sales	Cost of Sales Cost of sales comprises raw material costs (including inbound freight expense to deliver the raw materials), manufacturing plant labor expenses and various manufacturing overhead expenses, such as utility, maintenance, operating supply, amortization and manufacturing asset depreciation expenses. Cost of sales also includes outbound shipping and handling expenses, inter-plant transfer costs and warehouse expenses.
Operating Expenses	Operating Expenses Selling expense comprises salary and the related fringe benefit expenses for marketing and sales personnel and operating costs, such as outside agent commissions, automobile rental and travel-related expenses, which support the sales and marketing functions. Bad debt charges and any depreciation expenses related to marketing assets (e.g., computers) are also classified as selling expense. Administrative expense comprises salary and the related fringe benefit expenses and operating costs for the Company’s various administrative functions, which include information services, finance, legal, and human resources. Environmental remediation expenses are also classified as administrative expense. The Company’s research and development costs are expensed as incurred. These expenses are aimed at discovery and commercialization of new knowledge with the intent that such effort will be useful in developing a new product or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process. Total research and development expenses were $30,315,000, $27,236,000 and $28,782,000 in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The remainder of research, development and technical service expenses reflected on the consolidated statements of income relates to technical services, which include routine product testing, quality control and sales support service. Compensation expense or income related to the Company’s deferred compensation plans is presented in the Deferred compensation expense (income) line in the Consolidated Statements of Income. In prior years, the deferred compensation expense or income was reported in the administrative expense line. The 2014 and 2013 information has been changed to conform to the current year presentation. The current year presentation is consistent with the Company’s analysis of operating expenses as discussed in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Environmental Expenditures	Environmental Expenditures Environmental expenditures that relate to current operations are expensed in cost of sales. Expenditures that mitigate or prevent environmental contamination and that benefit future operations are capitalized as assets and depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which are typically 10 years. Estimated future expenditures that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations, and which do not contribute to current or future revenue generation, are recorded as liabilities, with the corresponding charge recorded in administrative expenses, when environmental assessments and/or remedial efforts are probable and the cost or range of possible costs can be reasonably estimated. When no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount, the minimum amount in the range is accrued. Some of the factors on which the Company bases its estimates include information provided by feasibility studies, potentially responsible party negotiations and the development of remedial action plans. Legal costs related to environmental matters are expensed as incurred (see Note 16 for environmental contingencies).
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets The Company’s intangible assets include patents, agreements not to compete, trademarks, customer lists, technological and manufacturing know-how and goodwill, all of which were acquired as part of business or product line acquisitions. Intangible assets other than goodwill are determined to have either finite or indefinite useful lives. The Company currently has no indefinite-life intangible assets. The values for intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over the useful lives of the assets. In addition, finite-life intangible assets are tested for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an intangible asset may not be recoverable. Goodwill is not amortized. Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit to which goodwill relates below the reporting unit’s carrying value. For more details see Note 4.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The provision for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets or liabilities are computed using the currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for changes in tax rates or laws, and the effects of the changes are recorded in income in the period of enactment. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when the Company determines that it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized. The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by tax authorities. If the tax position meets the more-likely-than-not threshold, the tax benefit recognized in the consolidated financial statements is measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon effective settlement. Unrecognized tax benefits, which are differences between the tax position taken on a tax return and the amounts recognized in the financial statements, are recorded either as an increase to a tax liability or as a decrease to an income tax receivable. The Company includes estimated interest and penalty amounts related to the unrecognized tax benefits in the tax provision. See Note 9 for detailed information about income taxes.
Translation of Foreign Currencies	Translation of Foreign Currencies For the Company’s consolidated foreign subsidiaries whose functional currency is the local foreign currency, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at year end and revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates for the year. Any resulting translation adjustments are included in the consolidated balance sheets in the accumulated other comprehensive loss line of stockholders’ equity. Gains or losses on foreign currency transactions are reflected in the other, net caption of the consolidated statements of income. The Company has one foreign subsidiary whose functional currency is the U.S. dollar. For this subsidiary, nonmonetary assets and liabilities are translated at historical rates, monetary assets and liabilities are translated at exchange rates in effect at year end, revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates for the year and translation gains and losses are included in the other, net caption of the consolidated statements of income.
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation The Company grants stock options, performance stock awards and stock appreciation rights (SARs) to certain employees under its incentive compensation plans. The Company calculates the fair values of stock options, performance stock awards and SARs on the date such instruments are granted. The fair values of the stock option and performance stock awards are then recognized as compensation expense over the vesting periods of the instruments. The Company’s SARs granted before 2015 are cash-settled and accounted for as liabilities that must be re-measured at fair value at the end of each reporting period. Compensation expense for each reporting period is calculated as the period-to-period change (or portion of the change, depending on the proportion of the vesting period that has been completed at the reporting date) in the fair value of the cash-settled SARs. The Company’s SARs granted in 2015 are stock-settled only and the accounting treatment of their compensation expenses is similar to those of stock options. See Note 11 for detailed information about the Company’s stock-based compensation.
Earnings Per Share	Earnings Per Share Basic earnings per share amounts are computed based on the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Net income used in computing basic earnings per share is net income attributable to the Company reduced by dividends paid to preferred stockholders (as of August 9, 2013, all Company preferred stock had been redeemed or converted to Company common stock). Diluted earnings per share amounts are based on the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding plus the increased number of common shares that would be outstanding assuming the exercise of certain outstanding stock options, contingent performance awards and SARs settling in stock only (under the treasury stock method), the conversion of the convertible preferred stock (when such conversion would have the effect of reducing earnings per share), and contingent stock awards that are part of the Company’s incentive stock-based compensation program (see Note 11). See Note 18 for detailed information about the Company’s earnings per share calculations.
Comprehensive Income and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Comprehensive Income and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Comprehensive income includes net income and all other non-owner changes in equity that are not reported in net income. Comprehensive income is disclosed in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) is reported as a component of stockholders’ equity in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. See Note 19 for detailed information regarding changes in the Company’s AOCI and reclassifications out of AOCI to income.
Segment Reporting	Segment Reporting The Company reports financial and descriptive information about its reportable operating segments. Operating segments are components of the Company that have separate financial information that is regularly evaluated by the chief operating decision maker to assess segment performance and allocate resources. The Company discloses segment revenue, operating income, assets, capital expenditures and depreciation and amortization expenses. Enterprise-wide financial information about the geographic locations in which the Company earns revenues and holds assets is also disclosed (see Note 17).
Derivative Instruments	Derivative Instruments Derivative instruments are recognized in the consolidated balance sheets as either assets or liabilities measured at fair value. For derivative instruments that are not designated as hedging instruments, changes in the fair values of the derivative instruments are recognized currently in earnings. For derivative instruments designated as hedging instruments, depending on the nature of the hedge, changes in the fair values of the derivative instruments are either offset in earnings against changes in the fair values of the hedged items or recognized in AOCI until the hedged transaction is recognized in earnings. At the time a hedging relationship is designated, the Company establishes the method it will use for assessing the effectiveness of the hedge and the measurement approach for determining the ineffective aspect of the hedge. Company policy prohibits the use of derivative instruments for trading or speculative purposes. See Note 3 for further information regarding the Company’s use of derivatives. At December 31, 2015, the Company held open forward contracts for the purchase of 1.1 million dekatherms of natural gas in 2016 at a cost of $3,561,000. The Company uses forward contracts to minimize its exposure to volatile natural gas prices. Because the Company anticipates taking delivery of the natural gas for use in its operations, the forward contracts qualify for the normal purchase exception election provided under U.S. GAAP for derivative instruments. The Company has elected the exception for such contracts. As a result, the forward contracts are not accounted for as derivative instruments. The cost of natural gas is charged to expense at the time the natural gas is delivered and used.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date In January 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-01, Simplifying Income Statement Presentation by Eliminating the Concept of Extraordinary Items Income Statement – Extraordinary and Unusual Items In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Interest – Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs Interest—Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements—Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to Staff Announcement at June 18, 2015 EITF Meeting (SEC Update which) In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other – Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330), Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805), Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740), Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes.

Summary of Significant Accoun37

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Other Accounts Receivable Allowance	The following is an analysis of the allowance for doubtful accounts and other accounts receivable allowances for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Balance at January 1 $ 10,011 $ 5,945 $ 5,533 Provision charged to income 1,106 4,625 719 Accounts written off, net of recoveries (3,071 ) (559 ) (307 ) Balance at December 31 $ 8,046 $ 10,011 $ 5,945

Fair Value Measurements (Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Values and Related Carrying Values of Debt	At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the fair values and related carrying values of debt, including current maturities, were as follows: (In thousands) December 31 2015 2014 Fair value $ 331,183 $ 285,441 Carrying value 332,623 273,931
Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis at Fair Value	The following tables present financial assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis at fair value as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurement falls: (In thousands) December 2015 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Mutual fund assets $ 20,910 $ 20,910 $ — $ — Derivative assets: Foreign currency contracts 112 — 112 — Total assets at fair value $ 21,022 $ 20,910 $ 112 $ — Derivative liabilities: Foreign currency contracts $ 305 $ — $ 305 $ — Interest rate contracts 53 — 53 — Total liabilities at fair value $ 358 $ — $ 358 $ — (In thousands) December 2014 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Mutual fund assets $ 20,217 $ 20,217 $ — $ — Derivative assets: Foreign currency contracts 73 — 73 — Total assets at fair value $ 20,290 $ 20,217 $ 73 $ — Derivative liabilities: Foreign currency contracts $ 628 $ — $ 628 $ —

Goodwill and Other Intangible39

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Changes in Carrying Value of Goodwill	The changes in the carrying value of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, were as follows: (In thousands) Surfactants Segment Polymer Segment Specialty Products Segment Total 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 Balance as of January 1 Goodwill $ 9,025 $ 9,107 $ 5,461 $ 5,603 $ 483 $ 483 $ 14,969 $ 15,193 Accumulated impairment loss (3,467 ) (3,467 ) — — — — (3,467 ) (3,467 ) Goodwill, net 5,558 5,640 5,461 5,603 483 483 11,502 11,726 Goodwill acquired — — — — — — — — Foreign currency translation (156 ) (82 ) (81 ) (142 ) — — (237 ) (224 ) Balance as of December 31 Goodwill 8,869 9,025 5,380 5,461 483 483 14,732 14,969 Accumulated impairment loss (3,467 ) (3,467 ) — — — — (3,467 ) (3,467 ) Goodwill, net $ 5,402 $ 5,558 $ 5,380 $ 5,461 $ 483 $ 483 $ 11,265 $ 11,502
Components of Other Intangible Assets and Changes in Gross Carrying Values	The following table presents the components of other intangible assets, all of which have finite lives, as of December 31, 2015 and 2014. The year-over-year changes in gross carrying values resulted from the effects of foreign currency translation. (In thousands) Gross Carrying Value Accumulated Amortization December 31 December 31 2015 2014 2015 2014 Other Intangible Assets: Patents $ 6,947 $ 6,947 $ 2,696 $ 2,096 Trademarks 4,087 4,087 1,150 748 Customer lists 8,026 8,082 2,621 1,871 Know-how (a) 8,245 8,273 2,881 1,871 Total $ 27,305 $ 27,389 $ 9,348 $ 6,586 (a) Know-how includes intellectual property rights covering proprietary information, written formulae, trade secrets or secret processes, inventions and developmental products (whether patentable or not), discoveries, improvements, compositions, manufacturing processes, manuals, specifications and technical data.
Estimated Amortization Expense for Identifiable Intangibles Assets	Estimated amortization expense for identifiable intangibles assets for each of the five succeeding fiscal years is as follows: (In thousands) For year ended 12/31/16 $ 2,676 For year ended 12/31/17 2,559 For year ended 12/31/18 2,559 For year ended 12/31/19 2,559 For year ended 12/31/20 2,510

Inventories (Tables)

Inventories (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Composition of Inventories	The composition of inventories was as follows: December 31 (In thousands) 2015 2014 Finished products $ 124,481 $ 126,157 Raw materials 45,943 57,076 Total inventories $ 170,424 $ 183,233

Debt (Tables)

Debt (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	Debt comprised the following at December 31, 2015 and 2014: (In thousands) Maturity Dates December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014 Unsecured private placement notes 3.95% 2021-2027 $ 100,000 $ — 3.86% 2019-2025 100,000 100,000 4.86% 2017-2023 65,000 65,000 5.88% 2016-2022 40,000 40,000 5.69% 2016-2018 17,142 22,857 6.86% 2015 — 4,284 Unsecured U.S. bank debt 2019 — 20,000 Debt of foreign subsidiaries Unsecured bank debt, foreign currency 2016 4,810 12,043 Unsecured bank term loan, foreign currency 2021 3,724 4,840 Secured bank term loan, foreign currency 2015 — 2,723 Secured bank debt, foreign currency 2016 1,947 1,638 Unsecured bank debt, U.S. dollars 2015 — 546 Total debt $ 332,623 $ 273,931 Less current maturities 18,806 27,034 Long-term debt $ 313,817 $ 246,897
Schedule of Net Interest Expense	Net interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, comprised the following: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Interest expense $ 15,488 $ 12,542 $ 11,104 Interest income (217 ) (262 ) (57 ) 15,271 12,280 11,047 Capitalized interest (738 ) (839 ) (689 ) Interest expense, net $ 14,533 $ 11,441 $ 10,358

Leased Properties (Tables)

Leased Properties (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Leases [Abstract]
Consolidated Company Minimum Future Rental Payments Under Operating Leases With Terms in Excess of One Year	Consolidated Company minimum future rental payments under operating leases with terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2015, are: (In thousands) Year Amount 2016 $ 5,836 2017 4,297 2018 3,560 2019 3,011 2020 2,708 Subsequent to 2020 17,889 Total minimum future rental payments $ 37,301

Other, Net (Tables)

Other, Net (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Other Income And Expenses [Abstract]
Other Net in Consolidated Statements of Income	Other, net in the consolidated statements of income included the following for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Foreign exchange gains (losses) $ 686 $ (220 ) $ (1,495 ) Investment income 877 1,269 1,055 Realized and unrealized gains on investments 21 241 2,611 Other, net $ 1,584 $ 1,290 $ 2,171

Income Taxes (Tables)

Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Provision for Taxes on Income and Other Related Income Before Taxes	The provisions for taxes on income and the related income before taxes for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, were as follows: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Taxes on Income Federal Current $ 7,697 $ 3,362 $ 9,744 Deferred 3,890 4,338 (285 ) State Current 1,559 782 1,223 Deferred (225 ) 643 (680 ) Foreign Current 14,562 9,004 12,067 Deferred (664 ) 325 1,224 Total $ 26,819 $ 18,454 $ 23,293 Income before Taxes Domestic $ 48,721 $ 34,091 $ 50,626 Foreign 54,135 41,444 45,004 Total $ 102,856 $ 75,535 $ 95,630
Summary of Variations Between the Effective and Statutory U.S. Federal Income Tax Rates	The variations between the effective and statutory U.S. federal income tax rates are summarized as follows: (In thousands) 2015 Amount % 2014 Amount % 2013 Amount % Federal income tax provision at statutory tax rate $ 36,000 35.0 $ 26,437 35.0 $ 33,471 35.0 State tax provision on income less applicable federal tax benefit 867 0.8 926 1.2 353 0.4 Foreign income taxed at different rates (a) (5,060 ) (4.9 ) (5,416 ) (7.2 ) (2,474 ) (2.6 ) Unrecognized tax benefits (a) 1,536 1.5 241 0.3 (53 ) (0.1 ) Domestic production activities deduction (884 ) (0.9 ) (312 ) (0.4 ) (991 ) (1.0 ) Nontaxable foreign interest income (2,106 ) (2.0 ) (2,435 ) (3.2 ) (2,614 ) (2.7 ) Nontaxable biodiesel excise credit income — — (130 ) (0.2 ) (2,347 ) (2.5 ) U.S. tax credits (3,465 ) (3.4 ) (1,086 ) (1.4 ) (2,209 ) (2.3 ) Non-deductible expenses and other items, net (a) (69 ) 0.0 229 0.3 157 0.2 Total income tax provision $ 26,819 26.1 $ 18,454 24.4 $ 23,293 24.4 (a) Certain 2014 and 2013 amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.
Schedule Showing Tax Effects of Significant Temporary Differences Representing Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities	At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the tax effects of significant temporary differences representing deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows. Note that in the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company early-adopted ASU No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740), Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. (In thousands) 2015 2014 Deferred Tax Liabilities: Depreciation $ (69,975 ) $ (63,104 ) Unrealized foreign exchange loss (614 ) (838 ) Other (950 ) (1,159 ) $ (71,539 ) $ (65,101 ) Deferred Tax Assets: Pensions $ 16,698 $ 18,775 Deferred revenue 1,377 1,650 Other accruals and reserves 17,171 13,230 Inventories 1,833 1,957 Legal and environmental accruals 9,303 9,505 Deferred compensation 17,828 15,636 Bad debt and rebate reserves 3,685 4,618 Subsidiaries net operating loss carryforwards 602 727 Tax credit carryforwards 1,120 2,064 $ 69,617 $ 68,162 Valuation Allowance $ (1,443 ) $ (1,506 ) Net Deferred Tax (Liabilities) Assets $ (3,365 ) $ 1,555 Reconciliation to Consolidated Balance Sheet: Current deferred tax assets $ — $ 15,364 Non-current deferred tax assets (in other non-current assets) 6,090 2,044 Current deferred tax liabilities (in accrued liabilities) — (49 ) Non-current deferred tax liabilities (9,455 ) (15,804 ) Net Deferred Tax (Liabilities) Assets $ (3,365 ) $ 1,555
Schedule of Reconciliations of Unrecognized Tax Benefits	Below are reconciliations of the January 1 and December 31 balances of unrecognized tax benefits for 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Unrecognized tax benefits, opening balance $ 464 $ 240 $ 289 Gross increases – tax positions in prior period 1,526 — 27 Gross decreases – tax positions in prior period — — (41 ) Gross increases – current period tax positions 29 261 17 Foreign currency translation (37 ) (13 ) 5 Lapse of statute of limitations (24 ) (24 ) (57 ) Unrecognized tax benefits, ending balance $ 1,958 $ 464 $ 240

Stock-based Compensation (Table

Stock-based Compensation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]
Fair Value Assumptions for Stock Options	The following are the weighted-average assumptions used to calculate the grant-date fair values of stock option awards granted in the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: For the Years Ended December 31 2015 2014 2013 Expected dividend yield 1.53% 1.77% 2.01% Expected volatility 40.32% 42.04% 42.48% Expected term 7.3 years 7.3 years 7.4 years Risk-free interest rate 1.96% 2.18% 1.53%
Summary of Stock Option Activity	A summary of stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2015 is presented below: Shares Weighted- Average Exercise Price Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term Aggregate Intrinsic ($000) Options Outstanding at January 1, 2015 480,736 $ 34.35 Granted 84,672 41.21 Exercised (45,289 ) 17.16 Forfeited (13,035 ) 52.25 Outstanding at December 31, 2015 507,084 36.57 4.53 $ 6,654 Vested or expected to vest at December 31, 2015 506,473 36.56 4.52 6,649 Exercisable at December 31, 2015 381,257 32.59 3.14 6,518
Summary of Stock Award Activity	A summary of stock award activity for the year ended December 31, 2015, is presented below: Shares Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Unvested Stock Awards Unvested at January 1, 2015 183,010 $ 57.92 Granted 141,000 39.11 Vested (15,088 ) 33.14 Forfeited (100,419 ) 58.84 Unvested at December 31, 2015 208,503 46.55
Summary of SARs Activity	The following is a summary of SARs activity for the year ended December 31, 2015: Shares Weighted- Average Exercise Price Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000) SARs Outstanding at January 1, 2015 231,182 $ 57.94 Granted 187,527 41.23 Forfeited (28,754 ) 52.67 Outstanding at December 31, 2015 389,955 50.30 8.16 $ (236 )

Postretirement Benefit Plans (T

Postretirement Benefit Plans (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Obligations and Funded Status	Obligations and Funded Status at December 31 (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2015 2014 Change in benefit obligation Benefit obligation at beginning of year $ 169,407 $ 144,508 $ 22,983 $ 21,095 Interest cost 6,815 6,936 789 964 Actuarial (gain) loss (9,315 ) 23,547 (1,763 ) 3,176 Benefits paid (6,118 ) (5,584 ) (891 ) (822 ) Foreign exchange impact — — (1,168 ) (1,430 ) Benefit obligation at end of year $ 160,789 $ 169,407 $ 19,950 $ 22,983 (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2015 2014 Change in plan assets Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year $ 126,369 $ 133,264 $ 22,858 $ 22,204 Actual return on plan assets 1,374 (2,929 ) 72 1,902 Employer contributions 210 1,618 605 1,004 Benefits paid (6,118 ) (5,584 ) (891 ) (822 ) Foreign exchange impact — — (1,219 ) (1,430 ) Fair value of plan assets at end of year $ 121,835 $ 126,369 $ 21,425 $ 22,858 Over (Under) funded status at end of year $ (38,954 ) $ (43,038 ) $ 1,475 $ (125 )
Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheets	The amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets at December 31 consisted of (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2015 2014 Non-current asset $ — $ — $ 1,475 $ — Current liability (198 ) (185 ) — — Non-current liability (38,756 ) (42,853 ) — (125 ) Net amount recognized $ (38,954 ) $ (43,038 ) $ 1,475 $ (125 )
Amounts Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	The amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income at December 31 consisted of (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2015 2014 Net actuarial loss $ 54,470 $ 60,114 $ 3,764 $ 4,724
Information for Pension Plans with Projected Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets	The accumulated benefit obligations at December 31, 2015, for the U.S. and U.K defined benefit pension plans were $160,789,000 and $19,950,000, respectively. Below is information for pension plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets at December 31: (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2015 2014 Projected benefit obligation $ 160,789 $ 169,407 $ — $ 22,983 Accumulated benefit obligation 160,789 169,407 — 22,983 Fair value of plan assets 121,835 126,369 — 22,858
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost	Net periodic benefit costs for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, were as follows: (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013 Interest cost $ 6,815 $ 6,936 $ 6,424 $ 789 $ 964 $ 899 Expected return on plan assets (9,579 ) (9,523 ) (8,828 ) (1,054 ) (1,303 ) (941 ) Amortization of net actuarial loss 4,534 2,687 5,109 179 — 288 Net periodic benefit cost $ 1,770 $ 100 $ 2,705 $ (86 ) $ (339 ) $ 246
Other Changes in Plan Assets and Benefit Obligations Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income	Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, were as follows: (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013 Net actuarial (gain) loss $ (1,110 ) $ 35,999 $ (18,539 ) $ (781 ) $ 2,577 $ (3,264 ) Amortization of net actuarial loss (4,534 ) (2,687 ) (5,109 ) (179 ) — (288 ) Total recognized in other comprehensive income $ (5,644 ) $ 33,312 $ (23,648 ) $ (960 ) $ 2,577 $ (3,552 ) Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income $ (3,874 ) $ 33,412 $ (20,943 ) $ (1,046 ) $ 2,238 $ (3,306 )
Estimated Amounts Amortized from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income into Net Periodic Benefit Cost	The estimated amounts that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income into net periodic benefit cost in 2016 are as follows: (In thousands) United States United Kingdom Net actuarial loss $ 3,528 $ 84
Estimated Future Benefit Payments	Estimated Future Benefit Payments (In thousands) United States United Kingdom 2016 $ 6,533 $ 553 2017 7,113 587 2018 7,687 597 2019 8,151 604 2020 8,638 618 2021-2025 49,565 3,762
Defined Contribution Plan Expenses for Company's Retirement Savings Plans and Profit Sharing Plan	Defined contribution plan expenses for the Company’s retirement savings plans and profit sharing plan were as follows: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Retirement savings plans $ 4,644 $ 4,565 $ 4,500 Profit sharing plan 4,972 3,619 4,804 Total $ 9,616 $ 8,184 $ 9,304
United States [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Company's Asset Allocations for its U.S. and U.K Pension Plans	The Company’s asset allocations for its U.S. pension plans at December 31, 2015 and 2014, by asset category, were as follows: December 31, 2015 (In thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Cash and Cash Equivalents $ — $ 1,989 $ — $ 1,989 Equity Securities U.S. Equities 33,076 — — 33,076 Non-U.S. Equities 10,630 — — 10,630 Employer Securities 24,792 — — 24,792 Total Equities 68,498 — — 68,498 Fixed Income Securities U.S. Corporate Bonds — 26,389 — 26,389 U.S. Government and Agency Bonds 365 9,371 — 9,736 Other Bonds — 7,378 — 7,378 Total Fixed Income 365 43,138 — 43,503 Mutual Funds Real Estate 5,222 — — 5,222 Commodities 1,481 — — 1,481 Other 1,142 — — 1,142 Total Mutual Funds 7,845 — — 7,845 Total $ 76,708 $ 45,127 $ — $ 121,835 December 31, 2014 (In thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Cash and Cash Equivalents $ — $ 1,963 $ — $ 1,963 Equity Securities U.S. Equities 34,885 — — 34,885 Non-U.S. Equities 12,478 — — 12,478 Employer Securities 21,575 — — 21,575 Total Equities 68,938 — — 68,938 Fixed Income Securities U.S. Corporate Bonds — 27,676 — 27,676 U.S. Government and Agency Bonds 350 10,327 — 10,677 Municipal Bonds — 3,352 — 3,352 Other Bonds — 6,155 — 6,155 Total Fixed Income 350 47,510 — 47,860 Mutual Funds Real Estate 5,585 — — 5,585 Commodities 2,023 — — 2,023 Total Mutual Funds 7,608 — — 7,608 Total $ 76,896 $ 49,473 $ — $ 126,369
United Kingdom [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Company's Asset Allocations for its U.S. and U.K Pension Plans	The Company’s asset allocations for its U.K. pension plans at December 31, 2015 and 2014, by asset category, were as follows: December 31, 2015 (In thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Cash $ 833 $ — $ — $ 833 Equity Securities Pooled Pension Funds — 12,397 — 12,397 Fixed Income Pooled Pension Funds — 5,740 — 5,740 Real Estate Pooled Pension Funds — 486 — 486 Insurance Contracts — — 1,969 1,969 Total $ 833 $ 18,623 $ 1,969 $ 21,425 December 31, 2014 (In thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Cash $ 1,176 $ — $ — $ 1,176 Equity Securities Pooled Pension Funds — 15,322 — 15,322 Fixed Income Pooled Pension Funds — 3,642 — 3,642 Real Estate Pooled Pension Funds — 477 — 477 Insurance Contracts — — 2,241 2,241 Total $ 1,176 $ 19,441 $ 2,241 $ 22,858
Fair Value Changes within Asset Categories for which Fair Value Measurements Use Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) Defined Benefit United States Plans and United Kingdom Plans	Fair value changes within asset categories for which fair value measurements use significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were as follows during 2014 and 2015: (In thousands) Insurance Fair value, December 31, 2013 $ 2,426 Sale proceeds (benefit payments) (178 ) Change in unrealized gain 135 Foreign exchange impact (142 ) Fair value, December 31, 2014 $ 2,241 Sale proceeds (benefit payments) (168 ) Change in unrealized gain 11 Foreign exchange impact (115 ) Fair value, December 31, 2015 $ 1,969
Defined Benefit Plan Periodic Costs [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine Benefit Obligations/Net Periodic Benefit Costs	The weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit costs for years ended December 31 were as follows: United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2013 2015 2014 2013 Discount rate 4.09 % 4.87 % 4.17 % 3.50 % 4.60 % 4.30 % Expected long-term return on plan assets 7.50 % 7.75 % 7.75 % 4.66 % 5.84 % 5.25 %
Benefit Obligation [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine Benefit Obligations/Net Periodic Benefit Costs	The weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations at December 31 were as follows: United States United Kingdom 2015 2014 2015 2014 Discount rate 4.39 % 4.09 % 4.00 % 3.50 %

Accrued Liabilities (Tables)

Accrued Liabilities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]
Composition of Accrued Liabilities	The composition of accrued liabilities was as follows: December 31 (In thousands) 2015 2014 Accrued payroll and benefits $ 53,691 $ 28,060 Accrued customer rebates 16,561 17,395 Other accrued liabilities 25,581 20,041 Total accrued liabilities $ 95,833 $ 65,496

Other Non-Current Liabilities (

Other Non-Current Liabilities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Composition of other non-current liabilities	The composition of other non-current liabilities was as follows: December 31 (In thousands) 2015 2014 Deferred revenue $ 2,988 $ 3,318 Environmental and legal matters 18,258 20,583 Deferred compensation liability 43,042 37,790 Pension liability 41,252 45,738 Other non-current liabilities 9,221 5,427 Total other non-current liabilities $ 114,761 $ 112,856

Segment Reporting (Tables)

Segment Reporting (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Operating Segment	The following is segment data for the three years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) Surfactants Polymers Specialty Products Segment Totals 2015 Net sales $ 1,205,849 $ 491,488 $ 78,830 $ 1,776,167 Operating income 104,080 80,942 4,397 189,419 Assets 758,524 293,790 72,604 1,124,918 Capital expenditures 79,171 31,309 6,387 116,867 Depreciation and amortization expenses 42,122 19,541 3,659 65,322 2014 Net sales $ 1,296,638 $ 550,966 $ 79,609 $ 1,927,213 Operating income 60,778 60,690 10,487 131,955 Assets 741,677 320,640 67,588 1,129,905 Capital expenditures 70,796 22,409 5,618 98,823 Depreciation and amortization expenses 41,483 18,433 2,792 62,708 2013 Net sales $ 1,317,164 $ 483,361 $ 80,261 $ 1,880,786 Operating income 100,201 54,536 10,902 165,639 Assets 710,521 292,015 68,413 1,070,949 Capital expenditures 66,266 18,804 6,370 91,440 Depreciation and amortization expenses 36,400 16,351 2,631 55,382
Reconciliation of Segment Information to Consolidated Financial Statements	Below are reconciliations of segment data to the consolidated financial statements: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Operating income - segment totals $ 189,419 $ 131,955 $ 165,639 Business restructuring and asset impairments (a) — (4,009 ) (1,040 ) Unallocated corporate expenses (b) (66,629 ) (37,252 ) (55,446 ) Total operating income 122,790 90,694 109,153 Interest expense, net (14,533 ) (11,441 ) (10,358 ) Loss from equity in joint ventures (6,985 ) (5,008 ) (5,336 ) Other, net 1,584 1,290 2,171 Consolidated income before income taxes $ 102,856 $ 75,535 $ 95,630 Assets - segment totals $ 1,124,918 $ 1,129,905 $ 1,070,949 Unallocated corporate assets (c) 114,743 32,109 96,253 Consolidated assets $ 1,239,661 $ 1,162,014 $ 1,167,202 Capital expenditures - segment totals $ 116,867 $ 98,823 $ 91,440 Unallocated corporate expenditures 2,482 2,996 1,425 Consolidated capital expenditures $ 119,349 $ 101,819 $ 92,865 Depreciation and amortization expenses – segment totals $ 65,322 $ 62,708 $ 55,382 Unallocated corporate depreciation expenses 1,663 1,096 1,018 Consolidated depreciation and amortization expenses $ 66,985 $ 63,804 $ 56,400 (a) See Note 22 regarding business restructuring and asset impairment costs. (b) Unallocated corporate expenses primarily comprise corporate administrative expenses (e.g., corporate finance, legal, human resources, information systems, deferred compensation and environmental remediation) that are not included in segment operating income and not used to evaluate segment performance. (c) The changes in unallocated corporate assets between 2013 and 2015 were primarily attributable to changes in the balance of U.S. cash and cash equivalents, which are not allocated to segments.
Summary of company-wide geographic data	Below is certain Company-wide geographic data for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) 2015 2014 2013 Net sales (a) United States $ 1,069,526 $ 1,146,405 $ 1,103,181 France 169,072 183,896 221,971 Poland 150,654 175,862 122,215 United Kingdom 89,757 103,696 104,470 All other countries 297,158 317,354 328,949 Total $ 1,776,167 $ 1,927,213 $ 1,880,786 Long-lived assets (b) United States $ 387,744 $ 360,921 $ 330,799 Germany 30,268 36,156 42,309 Singapore 39,181 41,909 44,315 Philippines 16,671 17,793 18,817 Brazil 26,721 25,991 22,920 China 25,689 10,674 2,084 United Kingdom 22,943 23,040 23,061 All other countries 35,468 40,016 45,132 Total $ 584,685 $ 556,500 $ 529,437 (a) Net sales are attributed to countries based on selling location. (b) Includes net property, plant and equipment, goodwill and other intangible assets.

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share	Below is the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands, except per share amounts) 2015 2014 2013 Computation of Basic Earnings per Share Net income attributable to Stepan Company $ 75,968 $ 57,101 $ 72,828 Deduct dividends on preferred stock — — 43 Income applicable to common stock $ 75,968 $ 57,101 $ 72,871 Weighted-average number of shares outstanding 22,730 22,758 22,621 Basic earnings per share $ 3.34 $ 2.51 $ 3.22 Computation of Diluted Earnings per Share Net income attributable to Stepan Company $ 75,968 $ 57,101 $ 72,828 Weighted-average number of shares outstanding 22,730 22,758 22,621 Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of options (under treasury share method) (1) 118 148 215 Add weighted-average net shares related to unvested stock awards (under treasury share method) 3 11 8 Add weighted-average shares from assumed conversion of convertible preferred stock ─ ─ 80 Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of SARs (under treasury share method) 1 ─ ─ Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise of contingent performance awards (under treasury share method) 6 ─ ─ Weighted-average shares applicable to diluted earnings 22,858 22,917 22,924 Diluted earnings per share $ 3.32 $ 2.49 $ 3.18 (1)

Accumulated Other Comprehensi51

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
Summary of Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Below is the change in the Company’s accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (AOCI) balance by component (net of income taxes) for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013: (In thousands) Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments Defined Benefit Pension Plan Adjustments Cash Flow Hedge Adjustments Total Balance at December 31, 2012 $ (2,886 ) $ (35,498 ) $ 134 $ (38,250 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications (8,085 ) 13,417 (32 ) 5,300 Amounts reclassified from AOCI — 3,409 13 3,422 Net current period other comprehensive income (8,085 ) 16,826 (19 ) 8,722 Balance at December 31, 2013 $ (10,971 ) $ (18,672 ) $ 115 $ (29,528 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications (31,943 ) (24,186 ) — (56,129 ) Amounts reclassified from AOCI — 1,709 3 1,712 Net current period other comprehensive income (31,943 ) (22,477 ) 3 (54,417 ) Balance at December 31, 2014 $ (42,914 ) $ (41,149 ) $ 118 $ (83,945 ) Other comprehensive income before reclassifications (45,423 ) 1,311 (49 ) (44,161 ) Amounts reclassified from AOCI — 3,013 5 3,018 Net current period other comprehensive income (45,423 ) 4,324 (44 ) (41,143 ) Balance at December 31, 2015 $ (88,337 ) $ (36,825 ) $ 74 $ (125,088 )
Summary of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Amounts reclassified out of AOCI for the three years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, is displayed below: Amounts Reclassified from AOCI (a) (In thousands) Affected Line Item in Consolidated 2015 2014 2013 Statements of Income Amortization of defined pension items: Prior service cost $ (17 ) $ (20 ) $ (19 ) Actuarial loss (4,757 ) (2,727 ) (5,410 ) Transition obligation — — (2 ) $ (4,774 ) (2,747 ) (5,431 ) Total before tax (b) 1,761 1,038 2,022 Tax benefit $ (3,013 ) $ (1,709 ) $ (3,409 ) Net of tax Gains and losses on cash flow hedges: Interest rate contracts $ (22 ) $ (20 ) $ (37 ) Interest, net Foreign exchange contracts 9 10 10 Cost of sales (13 ) (10 ) (27 ) Total before tax 8 7 14 Tax benefit $ (5 ) $ (3 ) $ (13 ) Net of tax Total reclassifications for the period $ (3,018 ) $ (1,712 ) $ (3,422 ) Net of tax (a) Amounts in parentheses denote expense to statement of income. (b) This component of accumulated other comprehensive income is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost (see Note 13 for details regarding net periodic benefit costs for the Company’s U.S. and U.K. defined benefit plans).

Acquisitions (Tables)

Acquisitions (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Business And Asset Acquisition [Abstract]
Summary of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed	The following table summarizes the assets acquired and liabilities assumed: (Dollars in thousands) June 1, 2013 Assets: Inventory $ 9,002 Property, plant and equipment 37,000 Identifiable intangible assets 17,800 Goodwill 4,642 Total assets acquired $ 68,444 Liabilities: Accrued expenses 232 Net assets acquired $ 68,212
Summary of Pro Forma Financial Information	The following is 2013 pro forma financial information prepared under the assumption that the acquisition of the BMS North American polyester resins business occurred on January 1, 2012: Pro Forma Financial Information Unaudited Year Ended December 31 (In thousands, except per share amounts) 2013 Net Sales $ 1,907,607 Net Income Attributable to Stepan Company $ 73,609 Net Income Per Common Share Attributable to Stepan Company: Basic $ 3.25 Diluted $ 3.21

Business Restructuring (Tables)

Business Restructuring (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
2014 Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Reconciliation of Restructuring Liability	The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the restructuring liability: (In thousands) Severance Expense Restructuring liability at December 31, 2014 $ 1,722 Amounts paid (1,695 ) Foreign currency translation (18 ) Expense adjustment (9 ) Restructuring liability at December 31, 2015 $ —
2013 Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Reconciliation of Restructuring Liability	The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the restructuring liability: (In thousands) Severance Expense Restructuring liability at December 31, 2013 $ 1,040 Amounts paid (420 ) Foreign currency translation (57 ) Restructuring liability at December 31, 2014 $ 563 Amounts paid (464 ) Foreign currency translation (42 ) Restructuring liability at December 31, 2015 $ 57

Selected Quarterly Financial 54

Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Selected Quarterly Financial Data	2015 Quarter First Second Third Fourth Year Net Sales $ 460,451 $ 452,414 $ 444,011 $ 419,291 $ 1,776,167 Gross Profit 76,442 79,512 77,598 74,689 308,241 Operating Income 35,178 28,595 38,794 20,223 122,790 Interest, net (4,054 ) (2,869 ) (3,837 ) (3,773 ) (14,533 ) Income Before Income Taxes 30,536 24,146 33,113 15,061 102,856 Net Income 21,286 16,941 24,934 12,876 76,037 Net Income Attributable to Stepan Company 21,270 16,914 24,912 12,872 75,968 Per Diluted Share 0.93 0.74 1.09 0.56 3.32 2014 Quarter First Second Third Fourth Year Net Sales $ 477,442 $ 504,111 $ 491,429 $ 454,231 $ 1,927,213 Gross Profit 63,024 71,589 65,099 49,851 249,563 Operating Income 22,523 36,914 22,253 9,004 90,694 Interest, net (2,957 ) (3,021 ) (2,846 ) (2,617 ) (11,441 ) Income Before Income Taxes 18,089 33,206 18,228 6,012 75,535 Net Income 13,008 24,368 13,480 6,225 57,081 Net Income Attributable to Stepan Company 13,018 24,353 13,491 6,239 57,101 Per Diluted Share 0.57 1.06 0.59 0.27 2.49

Summary of Significant Accoun55

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) MMBTU in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)MMBTUCustomerSubsidiary	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)Customer	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)Customer	Dec. 31, 2012USD ($)
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 176,143,000	$ 85,215,000	$ 133,347,000	$ 76,875,000
Single customer comprised more than 10 percent of the Company's consolidated net sales | Customer	0	0	0
Bad debt allowance	$ 1,106,000	$ 4,625,000	$ 719,000
Percentage of LIFO Inventory	72.00%	67.00%
Cost of maintenance and repairs	$ 52,549,000	$ 55,923,000	48,683,000
Total research and development expenses	$ 30,315,000	27,236,000	$ 28,782,000
Capitalized Environmental expenditures depreciation period	10 years
Indefinite-life intangible assets	$ 0
Number of foreign subsidiaries | Subsidiary	1
Natural Gas [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Volume in derivative contract | MMBTU	1.1
Purchased Contract Price	$ 3,561,000
Building [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Lives used for calculating depreciation expense	30 years
Building Improvements [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Lives used for calculating depreciation expense	15 years
Minimum [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Percentage of Tax benefit recognized	50.00%
Minimum [Member] | Machinery and Equipment [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Lives used for calculating depreciation expense	10 years
Minimum [Member] | Furniture and Fixtures [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Lives used for calculating depreciation expense	5 years
Minimum [Member] | Vehicles [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Lives used for calculating depreciation expense	3 years
Minimum [Member] | Computers Equipment And Software [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Lives used for calculating depreciation expense	3 years
Maximum [Member] | Machinery and Equipment [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Lives used for calculating depreciation expense	15 years
Maximum [Member] | Furniture and Fixtures [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Lives used for calculating depreciation expense	10 years
Maximum [Member] | Vehicles [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Lives used for calculating depreciation expense	5 years
Maximum [Member] | Computers Equipment And Software [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Lives used for calculating depreciation expense	10 years
Polymers [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Bad debt allowance		$ 2,388,000
Money Market Funds [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 68,800,000
Demand Deposits [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	20,200,000
Non U S Subsidiaries [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 87,100,000
Stepan China [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policy [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	80.00%

Summary of Significant Accoun56

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Other Accounts Receivable Allowances (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Allowance For Doubtful Accounts Receivable Rollforward
Allowance, balance at the beginning	$ 10,011	$ 5,945	$ 5,533
Provision charged to income	1,106	4,625	719
Accounts written off, net of recoveries	(3,071)	(559)	(307)
Allowance, balance at ending	$ 8,046	$ 10,011	$ 5,945

Fair Value Measurements - Fair

Fair Value Measurements - Fair Values and Related Carrying Values of Debt (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying value	$ 332,623	$ 273,931
Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value	$ 331,183	$ 285,441

Fair Value Measurements - Finan

Fair Value Measurements - Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis at Fair Value (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Mutual fund assets	$ 20,910	$ 20,217
Derivative assets:
Foreign currency contracts	112	73
Total assets at fair value	21,022	20,290
Derivative liabilities:
Foreign currency contracts	305	628
Interest rate contracts	53
Total liabilities at fair value	358
Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring And Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Mutual fund assets	20,910	20,217
Derivative assets:
Total assets at fair value	20,910	20,217
Level 2 [Member]
Derivative assets:
Foreign currency contracts	112	73
Total assets at fair value	112	73
Derivative liabilities:
Foreign currency contracts	305	$ 628
Interest rate contracts	53
Total liabilities at fair value	$ 358

Derivative Instruments - Additi

Derivative Instruments - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Derivative notional amount	$ 31,194,000	$ 51,623,000
Derivative foreign currency exchange contracts settlement date	1 month
Cash flow hedges [Member] | Interest rate contracts [Member]
Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Derivative notional amount	$ 3,724,000

Goodwill and Other Intangible60

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Schedule of Changes in Carrying Value of Goodwill (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, Beginning Balance	$ 14,969	$ 15,193
Accumulated impairment loss, Beginning Balance	(3,467)	(3,467)
Goodwill net, Beginning Balance	11,502	11,726
Foreign currency translation	(237)	(224)
Goodwill, Ending Balance	14,732	14,969
Accumulated impairment loss, Ending Balance	(3,467)	(3,467)
Goodwill net, Ending Balance	11,265	11,502
Surfactants Segment [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, Beginning Balance	9,025	9,107
Accumulated impairment loss, Beginning Balance	(3,467)	(3,467)
Goodwill net, Beginning Balance	5,558	5,640
Foreign currency translation	(156)	(82)
Goodwill, Ending Balance	8,869	9,025
Accumulated impairment loss, Ending Balance	(3,467)	(3,467)
Goodwill net, Ending Balance	5,402	5,558
Polymer Segment [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, Beginning Balance	5,461	5,603
Goodwill net, Beginning Balance	5,461	5,603
Foreign currency translation	(81)	(142)
Goodwill, Ending Balance	5,380	5,461
Goodwill net, Ending Balance	5,380	5,461
Specialty Products Segment [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, Beginning Balance	483	483
Goodwill net, Beginning Balance	483	483
Goodwill, Ending Balance	483	483
Goodwill net, Ending Balance	$ 483	$ 483

Goodwill and Other Intangible61

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Impairment of Goodwill	$ 0	$ 0
Amortization of Intangible Assets, Total	$ 2,816,000	$ 2,841,000	$ 2,832,000

Goodwill and Other Intangible62

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Components of Other Intangible Assets and Changes in Gross Carrying Values (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Other Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross Carrying Value	$ 27,305	$ 27,389
Other Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	9,348	6,586
Patents [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Other Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross Carrying Value	6,947	6,947
Other Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	2,696	2,096
Trademarks [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Other Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross Carrying Value	4,087	4,087
Other Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	1,150	748
Customer Lists [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Other Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross Carrying Value	8,026	8,082
Other Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	2,621	1,871
Know-how [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Other Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross Carrying Value	8,245	8,273
Other Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	$ 2,881	$ 1,871

Goodwill and Other Intangible63

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Estimated Amortization Expense for Identifiable Intangibles Assets (Detail) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
For year ended 12/31/16	$ 2,676
For year ended 12/31/17	2,559
For year ended 12/31/18	2,559
For year ended 12/31/19	2,559
For year ended 12/31/20	$ 2,510

Inventories - Composition of In

Inventories - Composition of Inventories (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Finished products	$ 124,481	$ 126,157
Raw materials	45,943	57,076
Total inventories	$ 170,424	$ 183,233

Inventories - Additional Inform

Inventories - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
LIFO reserve	$ 18,171,000	$ 34,340,000

Debt - Debt (Detail)

Debt - Debt (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jul. 10, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 332,623,000	$ 273,931,000
Less current maturities	18,806,000	27,034,000
Long-term debt	313,817,000	$ 246,897,000
Unsecured private placement 3.95% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 100,000,000		$ 100,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate percentage	3.95%	3.95%	3.95%
Unsecured private placement 3.95% note [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,021	2,021
Unsecured private placement 3.95% note [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,027	2,027
Unsecured private placement 3.86% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 100,000,000	$ 100,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate percentage	3.86%	3.86%
Unsecured private placement 3.86% note [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,019	2,019
Unsecured private placement 3.86% note [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,025	2,025
Unsecured private placement 4.86% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 65,000,000	$ 65,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate percentage	4.86%	4.86%
Unsecured private placement 4.86% note [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,017	2,017
Unsecured private placement 4.86% note [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,023	2,023
Unsecured private placement 5.88% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 40,000,000	$ 40,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate percentage	5.88%	5.88%
Unsecured private placement 5.88% note [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,016	2,016
Unsecured private placement 5.88% note [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,022	2,022
Unsecured private placement 5.69% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 17,142,000	$ 22,857,000
Debt instrument interest rate percentage	5.69%	5.69%
Unsecured private placement 5.69% note [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,016	2,016
Unsecured private placement 5.69% note [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity Dates	2,018	2,018
Unsecured private placement 6.86% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt		$ 4,284,000
Debt instrument interest rate percentage	6.86%	6.86%
Maturity Dates	2,015	2,015
Unsecured U.S. bank debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt		$ 20,000,000
Maturity Dates	2,019	2,019
Debt of foreign subsidiaries Unsecured bank debt, foreign currency [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 4,810,000	$ 12,043,000
Maturity Dates	2,016	2,016
Debt of foreign subsidiaries Unsecured bank term loan, foreign currency [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 3,724,000	$ 4,840,000
Maturity Dates	2,021	2,021
Debt of foreign subsidiaries Secured bank term loan, foreign currency [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt		$ 2,723,000
Maturity Dates	2,015	2,015
Debt of foreign subsidiaries Secured bank debt, foreign currency [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 1,947,000	$ 1,638,000
Maturity Dates	2,016	2,016
Debt of foreign subsidiaries Unsecured bank debt, U.S dollars [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt		$ 546,000
Maturity Dates	2,015	2,015

Debt - Additional Information (

Debt - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	Jul. 10, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt		$ 332,623,000	$ 273,931,000
Revolving credit agreement		$ 125,000,000
Line of credit facility, Minimum maturity period		1 day
Line of credit facility, Maximum maturity period		180 days
Debt matures in 2016		$ 18,806,000
Debt matures in 2017		21,335,000
Debt matures in 2018		21,335,000
Debt matures in 2019		29,907,000
Debt matures in 2020		29,906,000
Debt matures after 2020		211,334,000
Amount of repayments of long-term debt due in next year		12,049,000
Amount of repayments of foreign subsidiaries short-term debt due in next year		$ 6,757,000
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Facility fee percentage		0.15%
Minimum [Member] | LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Spread rate		0.975%
Minimum [Member] | Prime Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Spread rate		0.00%
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Facility fee percentage		0.35%
Maximum [Member] | LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Spread rate		1.525%
Maximum [Member] | Prime Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Spread rate		0.525%
Unsecured Private Placement Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt		$ 322,142,000
Unsecured Private Placement Notes [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate percentage		3.86%
Maturity Dates		12 years
Unsecured Private Placement Notes [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate percentage		5.88%
Maturity Dates		13 years
Unsecured private placement 3.95% note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 100,000,000	$ 100,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate percentage	3.95%	3.95%	3.95%
Maturity date range, start	Jul. 10, 2021
Maturity date range, end	Jul. 10, 2027
Multi currency revolving credit agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit agreement		$ 125,000,000
Credit agreement secured date		Jul. 10, 2019
Debt Outstanding		$ 0
Letters of Credit Outstanding		4,700,000
Unused Revolving credit		120,300,000
Unrestricted retained earnings		119,891,000	$ 88,684,000
Debt of foreign subsidiaries Unsecured bank debt and Term Loan, foreign currency [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt		8,534,000
Debt of foreign subsidiaries Secured bank debt, foreign currency [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt		$ 1,947,000	$ 1,638,000

Debt - Schedule of Net Interest

Debt - Schedule of Net Interest Expense (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Interest Income Expense Net [Abstract]
Interest expense									$ 15,488	$ 12,542	$ 11,104
Interest income									(217)	(262)	(57)
Interest expense net of interest income									15,271	12,280	11,047
Capitalized interest									(738)	(839)	(689)
Interest expense, net	$ 3,773	$ 3,837	$ 2,869	$ 4,054	$ 2,617	$ 2,846	$ 3,021	$ 2,957	$ 14,533	$ 11,441	$ 10,358

Leased Properties - Additional

Leased Properties - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Leases [Abstract]
Total rental expense	$ 7,097,000	$ 6,660,000	$ 6,280,000

Leased Properties - Consolidate

Leased Properties - Consolidated Company Minimum Future Rental Payments Under Operating Leases with Terms in Excess of One Year (Detail) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
2,016	$ 5,836
2,017	4,297
2,018	3,560
2,019	3,011
2,020	2,708
Subsequent to 2020	17,889
Total minimum future rental payments	$ 37,301

Other, Net - Other Net in Conso

Other, Net - Other Net in Consolidated Statements of Income (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Other Nonoperating Income Expense [Abstract]
Foreign exchange gains (losses)	$ 686	$ (220)	$ (1,495)
Investment income	877	1,269	1,055
Realized and unrealized gains on investments	21	241	2,611
Other, net	$ 1,584	$ 1,290	$ 2,171

Income Taxes - Schedule of Prov

Income Taxes - Schedule of Provision for Taxes on Income and Other Related Income Before Taxes (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Federal
Current									$ 7,697	$ 3,362	$ 9,744
Deferred									3,890	4,338	(285)
State
Current									1,559	782	1,223
Deferred									(225)	643	(680)
Foreign
Current									14,562	9,004	12,067
Deferred									(664)	325	1,224
Total									26,819	18,454	23,293
Income before Taxes
Domestic									48,721	34,091	50,626
Foreign									54,135	41,444	45,004
Income Before Provision for Income Taxes	$ 15,061	$ 33,113	$ 24,146	$ 30,536	$ 6,012	$ 18,228	$ 33,206	$ 18,089	$ 102,856	$ 75,535	$ 95,630

Income Taxes - Summary of Varia

Income Taxes - Summary of Variations Between the Effective and Statutory U.S. Federal Income Tax Rates (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Federal income tax provision at statutory tax rate		$ 36,000	$ 26,437	$ 33,471
State tax provision on income less applicable federal tax benefit		867	926	353
Foreign income taxed at different rates	[1]	(5,060)	(5,416)	(2,474)
Unrecognized tax benefits	[1]	1,536	241	(53)
Domestic production activities deduction		(884)	(312)	(991)
Nontaxable foreign interest income		(2,106)	(2,435)	(2,614)
Nontaxable biodiesel excise credit income			(130)	(2,347)
U.S. tax credits		(3,465)	(1,086)	(2,209)
Non-deductible expenses and other items, net	[1]	(69)	229	157
Total		$ 26,819	$ 18,454	$ 23,293
Percentage of Federal income tax provision at statutory tax rate		35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Percentage of State tax provision on income less applicable federal tax benefit		0.80%	1.20%	0.40%
Percentage of Foreign income taxed at different rates	[1]	(4.90%)	(7.20%)	(2.60%)
Percentage of Unrecognized tax benefits	[1]	1.50%	0.30%	(0.10%)
Percentage of Domestic production activities deduction		(0.90%)	(0.40%)	(1.00%)
Percentage of Nontaxable foreign interest income		(2.00%)	(3.20%)	(2.70%)
Percentage of Nontaxable biodiesel excise credit income			(0.20%)	(2.50%)
Percentage of U.S. tax credits		(3.40%)	(1.40%)	(2.30%)
Percentage of Non-deductible expenses and other items, net	[1]	0.00%	0.30%	0.20%
Percentage of Total income tax provision		26.10%	24.40%	24.40%
[1]	Certain 2014 and 2013 amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.

Income Taxes - Schedule Showing

Income Taxes - Schedule Showing Tax Effects of Significant Temporary Differences Representing Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Deferred Tax Liabilities:
Depreciation	$ (69,975)	$ (63,104)
Unrealized foreign exchange loss	(614)	(838)
Other	(950)	(1,159)
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Gross	(71,539)	(65,101)
Deferred Tax Assets:
Pensions	16,698	18,775
Deferred revenue	1,377	1,650
Other accruals and reserves	17,171	13,230
Inventories	1,833	1,957
Legal and environmental accruals	9,303	9,505
Deferred compensation	17,828	15,636
Bad debt and rebate reserves	3,685	4,618
Subsidiaries net operating loss carryforwards	602	727
Tax credit carryforwards	1,120	2,064
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	69,617	68,162
Valuation Allowance	(1,443)	(1,506)
Net Deferred Tax (Liabilities)	(3,365)
Reconciliation to Consolidated Balance Sheet:
Current deferred tax assets		15,364
Non-current deferred tax assets (in other non-current assets)	6,090	2,044
Current deferred tax liabilities (in accrued liabilities)		(49)
Non-current deferred tax liabilities	(9,455)	(15,804)
Net Deferred Tax (Liabilities)	$ (3,365)
Net Deferred Tax Assets		$ 1,555

Income Taxes - Additional Infor

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax [Line Items]
Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries	$ 266,317,000	$ 224,483,000
Tax loss carryforwards	2,224,000	2,776,000
Tax credit carryforwards	1,120,000	2,064,000
Valuation Allowance	1,443,000	1,506,000
Unrecognized tax benefits	1,958,000	464,000	$ 240,000	$ 289,000
Unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would impact effective tax rates	1,948,000	454,000	231,000
Recognition of interest and penalties accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense	6,000	6,000	$ 9,000
Income tax liability for interest and penalties	44,000	$ 38,000
Income tax return adjustments	0
French Tax Authority [Member] | Tax Year 2012 And 2013 [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Unfavorable adjustment excluding interest	1,924,000
Poland Tax Authority [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Unrecognized tax benefits	1,000,000
Minimum [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Unrecognized tax benefits related to its current uncertain tax positions	0
Maximum [Member]
Income Tax [Line Items]
Unrecognized tax benefits related to its current uncertain tax positions	$ 900,000

Income Taxes - Schedule of Reco

Income Taxes - Schedule of Reconciliations of Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Unrecognized tax benefits, opening balance	$ 464	$ 240	$ 289
Gross increases – tax positions in prior period	1,526		27
Gross decreases – tax positions in prior period			(41)
Gross increases – current period tax positions	29	261	17
Foreign currency translation	(37)	(13)	5
Lapse of statute of limitations	(24)	(24)	(57)
Unrecognized tax benefits, ending balance	$ 1,958	$ 464	$ 240

Stockholders' Equity - Addition

Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Aug. 09, 2013
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock redemption date	Aug. 9, 2013
Preferred stock dividend rate			5.50%
Preferred stock outstanding			0	61,735
Number of Preferred shares converted			60,900
Number of common shares issued upon conversion of preferred stock			139,029
Preferred shares redeemed			835
Aggregate redemption price			$ 25.26354
Treasury stock, shares	3,428,541	3,384,443
Shares purchased during period	41,915	154,633	60,595
Treasury stock distributed under deferred compensation plan	4,563
Stock purchased to settle employees statutory withholding taxes relates to performance stock awards and deferred compensation distribution	6,746
Open Market Repurchases [Member]
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Shares purchased during period	41,915
Price per share [Member]
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Aggregate redemption price			$ 25
Accrued and Unpaid Dividends [Member]
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Aggregate redemption price			$ 0.26354

Stock-based Compensation - Addi

Stock-based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares of common stock authorized for share based payment awards under 2011 Plan	2,600,000
Shares available for grant under the 2011 plan	1,624,462
Compensation expenses (income) charged against income	$ 4,374	$ (69)	$ 2,783
Income tax benefit (expense) recognized in the income statement for share-based compensation arrangements	1,654	(26)	1,059
Proceeds from stock option exercises	777	1,754	3,977
Actual tax benefit recognized for the tax deductions from stock based compensation	$ 442	$ 640	$ 3,440
Stock Option [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period	2 years
Weighted-average grant-date fair values of options awarded	$ 15.59	$ 23.77	$ 23.08
Intrinsic values of options exercised	$ 1,426	$ 2,071	$ 9,138
Unrecognized compensation cost	$ 784
Weighted average period for amortization of unrecognized compensation cost	1 year
Actual tax benefit recognized for the tax deductions from stock based compensation	$ 351	$ 568	$ 2,786
Stock Option [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Period of expiration	10 years
Stock Option [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Period of expiration	8 years
Performance Stock Award [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Performance stock awards vested	0
Stock Awards [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation cost	$ 3,396
Weighted average period for amortization of unrecognized compensation cost	2 years
Performance stock awards vested	15,088
Weighted-average grant-date fair values of awards granted	$ 39.11	$ 59.52	$ 60.75
Stock Awards [Member] | Restricted Stock [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Actual tax benefit recognized for the tax deductions from stock based compensation	$ 235
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Period of expiration	10 years
Vesting period	2 years
Unrecognized compensation cost	$ 1,644
Weighted average period for amortization of unrecognized compensation cost	1 year 1 month 6 days
Weighted-average grant-date fair values of awards granted	$ 15.60	$ 23.74	$ 23.12
SARs liability cash-settled	$ 2,593	$ 1,457

Stock-based Compensation - Fair

Stock-based Compensation - Fair Value Assumptions for Stock Options (Detail) - Stock Option [Member]	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Expected dividend yield	1.53%	1.77%	2.01%
Expected volatility	40.32%	42.04%	42.48%
Expected term	7 years 3 months 18 days	7 years 3 months 18 days	7 years 4 months 24 days
Risk-free interest rate	1.96%	2.18%	1.53%

Stock-based Compensation - Summ

Stock-based Compensation - Summary of Stock Option Activity (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]
Shares, Beginning Balance	480,736
Granted, Shares	84,672
Exercised, Shares	(45,289)	(67,029)	(227,410)
Forfeited, Shares	(13,035)
Shares, Ending Balance	507,084	480,736
Vested or expected to vest, Shares	506,473
Exercisable, Shares	381,257
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Beginning Balance	$ 34.35
Granted, Weighted Average Exercise Price	41.21
Exercised, Weighted Average Exercise Price	17.16
Forfeited, Weighted Average Exercise Price	52.25
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Ending Balance	36.57	$ 34.35
Vested or expected to vest, Weighted Average Exercise Price	36.56
Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price	$ 32.59
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term, Ending Balance	4 years 6 months 11 days
Vested or expected to vest, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	4 years 6 months 7 days
Exercisable, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	3 years 1 month 21 days
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Ending Balance	$ 6,654
Vested or expected to vest, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	6,649
Exercisable, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	$ 6,518

Stock-based Compensation - Su81

Stock-based Compensation - Summary of Stock Award Activity (Detail) - Stock Awards [Member] - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares, Beginning Balance	183,010
Granted, Shares	141,000
Vested, Shares	(15,088)
Forfeited, Shares	(100,419)
Shares, Ending Balance	208,503	183,010
Unvested Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value, Beginning Balance	$ 57.92
Granted, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	39.11	$ 59.52	$ 60.75
Vested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	33.14
Forfeited, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	58.84
Unvested Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value, Ending Balance	$ 46.55	$ 57.92

Stock-based Compensation - Su82

Stock-based Compensation - Summary of SARs Activity (Detail) - Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member] $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)$ / sharesshares
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares, Beginning Balance | shares	231,182
Granted, Shares | shares	187,527
Forfeited, Shares | shares	(28,754)
Shares, Ending Balance | shares	389,955
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Beginning Balance | $ / shares	$ 57.94
Granted, Weighted Average Exercise Price | $ / shares	41.23
Forfeited, Weighted Average Exercise Price | $ / shares	52.67
Weighted Average Exercise Price, Ending balance | $ / shares	$ 50.30
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term, Ending balance	8 years 1 month 28 days
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Ending balance | $	$ (236)

Deferred Compensation - Additio

Deferred Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]
Deferred compensation	[1]	$ 6,500,000	$ (11,903,000)	$ 9,496,000
Deferred compensation liability		$ 43,988,000	$ 38,730,000
[1]	In 2014 and 2013, deferred compensation expense (income) was included in administrative expenses. The 2014 and 2013 amounts have been changed to conform to the current year presentation.

Postretirement Benefit Plans -

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Obligations and Funded Status (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
United States [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$ 169,407	$ 144,508
Interest cost	6,815	6,936	$ 6,424
Actuarial (gain) loss	(9,315)	23,547
Benefits paid	(6,118)	(5,584)
Benefit obligation at end of year	160,789	169,407	144,508
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	126,369	133,264
Actual return on plan assets	1,374	(2,929)
Employer contributions	210	1,618
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	121,835	126,369	133,264
Over (Under) funded status at end of year	(38,954)	(43,038)
United Kingdom [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	22,983	21,095
Interest cost	789	964	899
Actuarial (gain) loss	(1,763)	3,176
Benefits paid	(891)	(822)
Foreign exchange impact	(1,168)	(1,430)
Benefit obligation at end of year	19,950	22,983	21,095
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	22,858	22,204
Actual return on plan assets	72	1,902
Employer contributions	605	1,004
Foreign exchange impact	(1,219)	(1,430)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	21,425	22,858	$ 22,204
Over (Under) funded status at end of year	$ 1,475	$ (125)

Postretirement Benefit Plans 85

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
United States [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Current liability	$ (198)	$ (185)
Non-current liability	(38,756)	(42,853)
Net amount recognized	(38,954)	(43,038)
United Kingdom [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Non-current asset	1,475
Non-current liability		(125)
Net amount recognized	$ 1,475	$ (125)

Postretirement Benefit Plans 86

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Amounts Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
United States [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Net actuarial loss	$ 54,470	$ 60,114
United Kingdom [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Net actuarial loss	$ 3,764	$ 4,724

Postretirement Benefit Plans 87

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Defined Benefit Plans - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Feb. 18, 2015	Feb. 19, 2014
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Assets gains or losses added for prior year	80.00%
Assets gains or losses added for second preceding year	60.00%
Assets gains or losses added for third preceding year	40.00%
Assets gains or losses added for fourth preceding year	20.00%
Commodities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of target allocation for investment category	2.00%
Expected long-term rate of return on assets	6.30%
U.S Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of fixed income assets in debt securities	20.00%
Common shares sold to the Company's ESOP trust				39,360	37,999
Expected payment related to qualified plan	$ 0
Expected payment related to unqualified plan	$ 198,000
U.K Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of premium estimated return for equities and properties to risk free rate	3.00%
Percentage of long term return in cash	4.00%
Expected payment related to qualified plan	$ 361,000
Equities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of target allocation for investment category	34.00%
Expected long-term rate of return on assets	8.57%
Equities [Member] | U.K Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of target allocation for investment category	58.00%
Debt Securities [Member] | U.S Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of target allocation for investment category	35.00%
Debt Securities [Member] | U.K Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of target allocation for investment category	27.00%
Real Estate Fund [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of target allocation for investment category	4.00%
Expected long-term rate of return on assets	7.30%
Real Estate Fund [Member] | U.K Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of target allocation for investment category	2.00%
Employer Securities [Member] | U.S Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of target allocation for investment category	25.00%
Insurance Contracts [Member] | U.K Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of target allocation for investment category	9.00%
Cash [Member] | U.K Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of target allocation for investment category	4.00%
U.S. and international equities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Expected long-term rate of return on assets	4.26%
United States [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation at end of year	$ 160,789,000
Expected long-term rate of return on assets	7.50%	7.75%	7.75%
United Kingdom [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation at end of year	$ 19,950,000
Expected long-term rate of return on assets	4.66%	5.84%	5.25%

Postretirement Benefit Plans 88

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Information for Pension Plans with Projected Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
United States [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Projected benefit obligation	$ 160,789	$ 169,407
Accumulated benefit obligation	160,789	169,407
Fair value of plan assets	$ 121,835	126,369
United Kingdom [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Projected benefit obligation		22,983
Accumulated benefit obligation		22,983
Fair value of plan assets		$ 22,858

Postretirement Benefit Plans 89

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
United States [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Interest cost	$ 6,815	$ 6,936	$ 6,424
Expected return on plan assets	(9,579)	(9,523)	(8,828)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	4,534	2,687	5,109
Net periodic benefit cost	1,770	100	2,705
United Kingdom [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Interest cost	789	964	899
Expected return on plan assets	(1,054)	(1,303)	(941)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	179		288
Net periodic benefit cost	$ (86)	$ (339)	$ 246

Postretirement Benefit Plans 90

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Other Changes in Plan Assets and Benefit Obligations Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
United States [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Net actuarial (gain) loss	$ (1,110)	$ 35,999	$ (18,539)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	(4,534)	(2,687)	(5,109)
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	(5,644)	33,312	(23,648)
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	(3,874)	33,412	(20,943)
United Kingdom [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Net actuarial (gain) loss	(781)	2,577	(3,264)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	(179)		(288)
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	(960)	2,577	(3,552)
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$ (1,046)	$ 2,238	$ (3,306)

Postretirement Benefit Plans 91

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Estimated Amounts Amortized from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income into Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Detail) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
United States [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Net actuarial loss	$ 3,528
United Kingdom [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Net actuarial loss	$ 84

Postretirement Benefit Plans 92

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Estimated Future Benefit Payments (Detail) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
United States [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
2,016	$ 6,533
2,017	7,113
2,018	7,687
2,019	8,151
2,020	8,638
2021-2025	49,565
United Kingdom [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
2,016	553
2,017	587
2,018	597
2,019	604
2,020	618
2021-2025	$ 3,762

Postretirement Benefit Plans 93

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Weighted-Average Assumptions Used To Determine Benefit Obligations (Detail)	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
United States [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Discount rate	4.39%	4.09%
United Kingdom [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Discount rate	4.00%	3.50%

Postretirement Benefit Plans 94

Postretirement Benefit Plans - The Weighted Average Assumptions Used to Determine Net Periodic Benefit Costs (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
United States [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Discount rate	4.09%	4.87%	4.17%
Expected long-term return on plan assets	7.50%	7.75%	7.75%
United Kingdom [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Discount rate	3.50%	4.60%	4.30%
Expected long-term return on plan assets	4.66%	5.84%	5.25%

Postretirement Benefit Plans 95

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Company's Asset Allocations for its U.S. Pension Plans by Asset Category (Detail) - United States [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	$ 121,835	$ 126,369	$ 133,264
Municipal Bonds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total		3,352
Commodities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	1,481	2,023
Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	76,708	76,896
Level 1 [Member] | Commodities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	1,481	2,023
Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	45,127	49,473
Level 2 [Member] | Municipal Bonds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total		3,352
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	1,989	1,963
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	1,989	1,963
U.S. Equities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	33,076	34,885
U.S. Equities [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	33,076	34,885
Non-U.S. Equities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	10,630	12,478
Non-U.S. Equities [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	10,630	12,478
Employer Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	24,792	21,575
Employer Securities [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	24,792	21,575
Equities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	68,498	68,938
Equities [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	68,498	68,938
U.S. Corporate Bonds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	26,389	27,676
U.S. Corporate Bonds [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	26,389	27,676
U.S. Government and Agency Bonds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	9,736	10,677
U.S. Government and Agency Bonds [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	365	350
U.S. Government and Agency Bonds [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	9,371	10,327
Other Bonds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	7,378	6,155
Other Bonds [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	7,378	6,155
Debt Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	43,503	47,860
Debt Securities [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	365	350
Debt Securities [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	43,138	47,510
Real Estate Fund [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	5,222	5,585
Real Estate Fund [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	5,222	5,585
Other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	1,142
Other | Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	1,142
Mutual Funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	7,845	7,608
Mutual Funds | Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	$ 7,845	$ 7,608

Postretirement Benefit Plans 96

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Company's Asset Allocations for its U.K. Pension Plans by Asset Category (Detail) - United Kingdom [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	$ 21,425	$ 22,858	$ 22,204
Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	833	1,176
Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	18,623	19,441
Level 3 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	1,969	2,241
Cash [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	833	1,176
Cash [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	833	1,176
Pooled Pension Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	12,397	15,322
Pooled Pension Funds [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	12,397	15,322
Pooled Fixed Pension Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	5,740	3,642
Pooled Fixed Pension Funds [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	5,740	3,642
Real Estate Pooled Pension Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	486	477
Real Estate Pooled Pension Funds [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	486	477
Insurance Contracts [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	1,969	2,241
Insurance Contracts [Member] | Level 3 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total	$ 1,969	$ 2,241

Postretirement Benefit Plans 97

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Fair Value Changes Within Asset Categories for which Fair Value Measurements Use Significant Unobservable Inputs Level 3 (Detail) - Insurance Contracts [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Assets Measured On Recurring Basis Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Beginning balance	$ 2,241	$ 2,426
Sale proceeds (benefit payments)	(168)	(178)
Change in unrealized gain	11	135
Foreign exchange impact	(115)	(142)
Ending balance	$ 1,969	$ 2,241

Postretirement Benefit Plans 98

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Defined Contribution Plan Expenses for the Company's Retirement Savings Plans and Profit Sharing Plan (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total defined contribution expense	$ 9,616	$ 8,184	$ 9,304
Retirement Savings Plans [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total defined contribution expense	4,644	4,565	4,500
Profit Sharing Plan [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total defined contribution expense	$ 4,972	$ 3,619	$ 4,804

Postretirement Benefit Plans 99

Postretirement Benefit Plans - Defined Contribution Plans - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Supplemental plan liability balances	$ 1,827	$ 1,776
Defined contribution plan expense	9,616	8,184	$ 9,304
Statutory Plans [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined contribution plan expense	1,375	145	$ 1,999
Defined Contribution Plans [Member]
Defined Contribution Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Balance of trust assets	$ 1,762	$ 1,741

Accrued Liabilities - Statement

Accrued Liabilities - Statement of composition of Accrued Liabilities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Payables And Accruals [Abstract]
Accrued payroll and benefits	$ 53,691	$ 28,060
Accrued customer rebates	16,561	17,395
Other accrued liabilities	25,581	20,041
Total accrued liabilities	$ 95,833	$ 65,496

Other Non-Current Liabilities -

Other Non-Current Liabilities - Statement of Composition of Other Non Current Liablities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Deferred revenue	$ 2,988	$ 3,318
Environmental and legal matters	18,258	20,583
Deferred compensation liability	43,042	37,790
Pension liability	41,252	45,738
Other non-current liabilities	9,221	5,427
Total other non-current liabilities	$ 114,761	$ 112,856

Contingencies - Additional Info

Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)States	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Environmental and legal losses, minimum	$ 20,900,000
Environmental and legal losses, maximum	41,400,000
Accrued liability for losses	20,900,000	$ 22,000,000
Cash outlays related to legal and environmental matters	$ 2,700,000	1,200,000
Number of states examining company unclaimed property records | States	7
Liability for unpaid claim and claim adjustment expense, claims paid	$ 0	$ 3,500,000
VAT inflation, penalty and interest charges	$ 0
Wilmington Site [Member]
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Contribution for future response costs	5.00%
Payment of environmental response costs	$ 2,400,000

Segment Reporting - Additional

Segment Reporting - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015Segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments	3

Segment Reporting - Operating S

Segment Reporting - Operating Segment (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 419,291	$ 444,011	$ 452,414	$ 460,451	$ 454,231	$ 491,429	$ 504,111	$ 477,442	$ 1,776,167	[1]	$ 1,927,213	[1]	$ 1,880,786	[1]
Operating income	20,223	$ 38,794	$ 28,595	$ 35,178	9,004	$ 22,253	$ 36,914	$ 22,523	122,790		90,694		109,153
Assets	1,239,661				1,162,014				1,239,661		1,162,014		1,167,202
Capital expenditures									119,349		101,819		92,865
Depreciation and amortization expenses									66,985		63,804		56,400
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									1,776,167		1,927,213		1,880,786
Operating income									189,419		131,955		165,639
Assets	1,124,918				1,129,905				1,124,918		1,129,905		1,070,949
Capital expenditures									116,867		98,823		91,440
Depreciation and amortization expenses									65,322		62,708		55,382
Surfactants [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									1,205,849		1,296,638		1,317,164
Operating income									104,080		60,778		100,201
Assets	758,524				741,677				758,524		741,677		710,521
Capital expenditures									79,171		70,796		66,266
Depreciation and amortization expenses									42,122		41,483		36,400
Polymers [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									491,488		550,966		483,361
Operating income									80,942		60,690		54,536
Assets	293,790				320,640				293,790		320,640		292,015
Capital expenditures									31,309		22,409		18,804
Depreciation and amortization expenses									19,541		18,433		16,351
Specialty Products [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									78,830		79,609		80,261
Operating income									4,397		10,487		10,902
Assets	$ 72,604				$ 67,588				72,604		67,588		68,413
Capital expenditures									6,387		5,618		6,370
Depreciation and amortization expenses									$ 3,659		$ 2,792		$ 2,631
[1]	Net sales are attributed to countries based on selling location.

Segment Reporting - Reconciliat

Segment Reporting - Reconciliation of Segment Information to Consolidated Financial Statements (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income		$ 20,223	$ 38,794	$ 28,595	$ 35,178	$ 9,004	$ 22,253	$ 36,914	$ 22,523	$ 122,790	$ 90,694	$ 109,153
Business restructuring and asset impairments											(4,009)	(1,040)
Interest expense, net		(3,773)	(3,837)	(2,869)	(4,054)	(2,617)	(2,846)	(3,021)	(2,957)	(14,533)	(11,441)	(10,358)
Loss from equity in joint ventures										(6,985)	(5,008)	(5,336)
Other, net										1,584	1,290	2,171
Consolidated income before income taxes		15,061	$ 33,113	$ 24,146	$ 30,536	6,012	$ 18,228	$ 33,206	$ 18,089	102,856	75,535	95,630
Assets		1,239,661				1,162,014				1,239,661	1,162,014	1,167,202
Capital expenditures										119,349	101,819	92,865
Depreciation and amortization										66,985	63,804	56,400
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income										189,419	131,955	165,639
Assets		1,124,918				1,129,905				1,124,918	1,129,905	1,070,949
Capital expenditures										116,867	98,823	91,440
Depreciation and amortization										65,322	62,708	55,382
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Business restructuring and asset impairments	[1]										(4,009)	(1,040)
Unallocated corporate expenses	[2]									(66,629)	(37,252)	(55,446)
Unallocated corporate assets	[3]	$ 114,743				$ 32,109				114,743	32,109	96,253
Unallocated corporate expenditures										2,482	2,996	1,425
Unallocated corporate depreciation expenses										$ 1,663	$ 1,096	$ 1,018
[1]	See Note 22 regarding business restructuring and asset impairment costs.
[2]	Unallocated corporate expenses primarily comprise corporate administrative expenses (e.g., corporate finance, legal, human resources, information systems, deferred compensation and environmental remediation) that are not included in segment operating income and not used to evaluate segment performance.
[3]	The changes in unallocated corporate assets between 2013 and 2015 were primarily attributable to changes in the balance of U.S. cash and cash equivalents, which are not allocated to segments.

Segment Reporting - Summary of

Segment Reporting - Summary of Company Wide Geographic Data (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule Of Geographical Segments [Line Items]
Net sales		$ 419,291	$ 444,011	$ 452,414	$ 460,451	$ 454,231	$ 491,429	$ 504,111	$ 477,442	$ 1,776,167	[1]	$ 1,927,213	[1]	$ 1,880,786	[1]
Long-lived assets	[2]	584,685				556,500				584,685		556,500		529,437
United States [Member]
Schedule Of Geographical Segments [Line Items]
Net sales	[1]									1,069,526		1,146,405		1,103,181
Long-lived assets	[2]	387,744				360,921				387,744		360,921		330,799
France [Member]
Schedule Of Geographical Segments [Line Items]
Net sales	[1]									169,072		183,896		221,971
Poland [Member]
Schedule Of Geographical Segments [Line Items]
Net sales	[1]									150,654		175,862		122,215
United Kingdom [Member]
Schedule Of Geographical Segments [Line Items]
Net sales	[1]									89,757		103,696		104,470
Long-lived assets	[2]	22,943				23,040				22,943		23,040		23,061
All Other Countries [Member]
Schedule Of Geographical Segments [Line Items]
Net sales	[1]									297,158		317,354		328,949
Long-lived assets	[2]	35,468				40,016				35,468		40,016		45,132
Germany [Member]
Schedule Of Geographical Segments [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	[2]	30,268				36,156				30,268		36,156		42,309
Singapore [Member]
Schedule Of Geographical Segments [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	[2]	39,181				41,909				39,181		41,909		44,315
Philippines [Member]
Schedule Of Geographical Segments [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	[2]	16,671				17,793				16,671		17,793		18,817
Brazil [Member]
Schedule Of Geographical Segments [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	[2]	26,721				25,991				26,721		25,991		22,920
China [Member]
Schedule Of Geographical Segments [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	[2]	$ 25,689				$ 10,674				$ 25,689		$ 10,674		$ 2,084
[1]	Net sales are attributed to countries based on selling location.
[2]	Includes net property, plant and equipment, goodwill and other intangible assets.

Earnings Per Share - Computatio

Earnings Per Share - Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Computation of Basic Earnings per Share
Net income attributable to Stepan Company		$ 12,872	$ 24,912	$ 16,914	$ 21,270	$ 6,239	$ 13,491	$ 24,353	$ 13,018	$ 75,968	$ 57,101	$ 72,828
Deduct dividends on preferred stock												43
Income applicable to common stock										$ 75,968	$ 57,101	$ 72,871
Weighted-average number of shares outstanding										22,730	22,758	22,621
Basic earnings per share										$ 3.34	$ 2.51	$ 3.22
Computation of Diluted Earnings per Share
Net income attributable to Stepan Company										$ 75,968	$ 57,101	$ 72,828
Weighted-average number of shares outstanding										22,730	22,758	22,621
Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise (under treasury share method)	[1]									118	148	215
Add weighted-average net shares related to unvested stock awards (under treasury share method)										3	11	8
Add weighted-average shares from assumed conversion of convertible preferred stock												80
Weighted-average shares applicable to diluted earnings										22,858	22,917	22,924
Diluted earnings per share		$ 0.56	$ 1.09	$ 0.74	$ 0.93	$ 0.27	$ 0.59	$ 1.06	$ 0.57	$ 3.32	$ 2.49	$ 3.18
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member]
Computation of Diluted Earnings per Share
Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise (under treasury share method)										1
Performance Stock Award [Member]
Computation of Diluted Earnings per Share
Add weighted-average net shares from assumed exercise (under treasury share method)										6
[1]	Options to purchase 124,531, 99,044 and 49,815 shares of common stock were not included in the computations of diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The options’ exercise prices were greater than the average market price for the common stock and the effect of the options on earnings per share would have been antidilutive.

Earnings Per Share - Computa108

Earnings Per Share - Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share (Parenthetical) (Detail) - shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Options to purchase shares of common stock not included in the computations of diluted earnings per share	124,531	99,044	49,815

Accumulated Other Comprehens109

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) - Summary of Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss [Line Items]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), beginning balance	$ (83,945)	$ (29,528)	$ (38,250)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	(44,161)	(56,129)	5,300
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	3,018	1,712	3,422
Net current period other comprehensive income	(41,143)	(54,417)	8,722
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), ending balance	(125,088)	(83,945)	(29,528)
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss [Line Items]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), beginning balance	(42,914)	(10,971)	(2,886)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	(45,423)	(31,943)	(8,085)
Net current period other comprehensive income	(45,423)	(31,943)	(8,085)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), ending balance	(88,337)	(42,914)	(10,971)
Defined Benefit Pension Plan Adjustments [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss [Line Items]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), beginning balance	(41,149)	(18,672)	(35,498)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	1,311	(24,186)	13,417
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	3,013	1,709	3,409
Net current period other comprehensive income	4,324	(22,477)	16,826
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), ending balance	(36,825)	(41,149)	(18,672)
Cash Flow Hedge Adjustments [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Loss [Line Items]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), beginning balance	118	115	134
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	(49)		(32)
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	5	3	13
Net current period other comprehensive income	(44)	3	(19)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), ending balance	$ 74	$ 118	$ 115

Accumulated Other Comprehens110

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) - Summary of Amounts Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Tax benefit		$ (26,819)	$ (18,454)	$ (23,293)
Income applicable to common stock		75,968	57,101	72,871
Defined Benefit Pension Plan Adjustments [Member] | Amounts Reclassified From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Prior service cost	[1]	(17)	(20)	(19)
Actuarial loss	[1]	(4,757)	(2,727)	(5,410)
Transition obligation	[1]			(2)
Total before tax	[1],[2]	(4,774)	(2,747)	(5,431)
Tax benefit	[1]	1,761	1,038	2,022
Income applicable to common stock	[1]	(3,013)	(1,709)	(3,409)
Cash Flow Hedge Adjustments [Member] | Amounts Reclassified From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Total before tax	[1]	(13)	(10)	(27)
Tax benefit	[1]	8	7	14
Income applicable to common stock	[1]	(5)	(3)	(13)
Cash Flow Hedge Adjustments [Member] | Interest rate contracts [Member] | Amounts Reclassified From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Interest, net	[1]	(22)	(20)	(37)
Cash Flow Hedge Adjustments [Member] | Foreign exchange contracts [Member] | Amounts Reclassified From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of sales	[1]	9	10	10
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Income applicable to common stock	[1]	$ (3,018)	$ (1,712)	$ (3,422)
[1]	Amounts in parentheses denote expense to statement of income.
[2]	This component of accumulated other comprehensive income is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost (see Note 13 for details regarding net periodic benefit costs for the Company’s U.S. and U.K. defined benefit plans).

Acquisitions - Additional Infor

Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail)	Jun. 01, 2013USD ($)T	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)	Jun. 15, 2015USD ($)T
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill		$ 11,265,000	$ 11,502,000	$ 11,726,000
Asset acquisition purchase price		119,349,000	$ 101,819,000	92,865,000
Business acquisition cash paid		5,133,000		68,212,000
Sun Products Corporation’s (SUN's) Pasadena, Texas [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset acquisition purchase price		13,000,000
Acquisition of land		3,377,000
Acquisition of manufacturing assets		$ 9,623,000
Procter and Gamble Company [Member] | Brazil [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Capacity of production facility purchased in connection with acquisition | T					30,000
Acquisition purchase price					$ 5,133,000
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment					6,007,000
Acquisition of liabilities					874,000
Acquisition of intangible assets					0
Goodwill					$ 0
Bayer Material Science [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Capacity of production facility purchased in connection with acquisition | T	21,000
Acquisition purchase price	$ 68,212,000
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment	37,000,000
Acquisition of intangible assets	17,800,000
Goodwill	4,642,000
Business acquisition cash paid	61,067,000
Business acquisition consideration payable for inventory				7,145,000
Acquisition-related costs incurred				270,000
Bayer Material Science [Member] | Acquisition Related Expenses [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Nonrecurring adjustments to pro forma net income				270,000
Bayer Material Science [Member] | Fair Value Adjustment to Acquisition Date Inventory [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Nonrecurring adjustments to pro forma net income				$ 558,000
Bayer Material Science [Member] | Know-how [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition of intangible assets	7,900,000
Amortization periods for the identifiable intangible assets at the time of acquisition		8 years
Bayer Material Science [Member] | Trademark and Trade Name [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition of intangible assets	3,800,000
Amortization periods for the identifiable intangible assets at the time of acquisition		11 years
Bayer Material Science [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Business And Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition of intangible assets	$ 6,100,000
Amortization periods for the identifiable intangible assets at the time of acquisition		12 years

Acquisitions - Summary of Asset

Acquisitions - Summary of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Jun. 01, 2013
Assets:
Goodwill	$ 11,265	$ 11,502	$ 11,726
Bayer Material Science [Member]
Assets:
Inventory				$ 9,002
Property, plant and equipment				37,000
Identifiable intangible assets				17,800
Goodwill				4,642
Total assets acquired				68,444
Liabilities:
Accrued expenses				232
Net assets acquired				$ 68,212

Acquisitions - Summary of Pro F

Acquisitions - Summary of Pro Forma Financial Information (Detail) - Bayer Material Science [Member] $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)$ / shares
Business Acquisition Pro Forma Information [Line Items]
Net Sales | $	$ 1,907,607
Net Income Attributable to Stepan Company | $	$ 73,609
Net Income Per Common Share Attributable to Stepan Company:
Basic | $ / shares	$ 3.25
Diluted | $ / shares	$ 3.21

Sale of Product Line - Addition

Sale of Product Line - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Sep. 30, 2015

Jun. 30, 2015

Mar. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

[1]

Jan. 31, 2015

Sale Of Product Line [Line Items]

Net sales

$ 419,291,000

$ 444,011,000

$ 452,414,000

$ 460,451,000

$ 454,231,000

$ 491,429,000

$ 504,111,000

$ 477,442,000

$ 1,776,167,000

[1]

$ 1,927,213,000

[1]

$ 1,880,786,000

Gain from the kits sale

2,862,000

J6 Polymers, LLC [Member]

Sale Of Product Line [Line Items]

Gain from the kits sale

$ 2,862,000

J6 Polymers, LLC [Member] | Polyurethane Systems Product Lines [Member]

Sale Of Product Line [Line Items]

Sale of product line for cash

$ 3,262,000

Net sales

$ 2,800,000

[1]

Net sales are attributed to countries based on selling location.

Business Restructuring and A115

Business Restructuring and Asset Impairments - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)Employees	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges	$ 2,287		$ 2,287
Singapore [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges	1,316
Millsdale, Illinois [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges	714
United Kingdom [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges	257
2014 Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Number positions eliminated | Employees			13
Restructuring charges	$ 1,722		$ 1,722
2013 Restructuring [Member] | Surfactants [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges		$ 1,040
Accelerated depreciation expenses			$ 1,825	$ 296
2013 Restructuring [Member] | North America [Member] | Surfactants [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Number positions eliminated | Employees			16

Business Restructuring and A116

Business Restructuring and Asset Impairments - Reconciliation of Restructuring Liability (Detail) - Severance Expense [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
2014 Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring liability at Beginning Balance	$ 1,722
Amounts paid	(1,695)
Foreign currency translation	(18)
Expense adjustment	(9)
Restructuring liability at Ending Balance	0	$ 1,722
2013 Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring liability at Beginning Balance	563	1,040
Amounts paid	(464)	(420)
Foreign currency translation	(42)	(57)
Restructuring liability at Ending Balance	$ 57	$ 563

Insurance Recovery - Additional

Insurance Recovery - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)
Insurance Recovery For Business Interruption [Abstract]
Insurance recovery received for business interruption losses	$ 3,730

Statement of Cash Flows - No118

Statement of Cash Flows - Noncash Investing and Financing Activities - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Noncash investing activities incurred for fixed asset acquisitions	$ 9,515,000	$ 17,797,000	$ 11,772,000
Shares issued related to the Company's performance stock award plan			48,973
Value of shares issued related to Company's performance stock award plan			$ 2,999,000

TIORCO, LLC Joint Venture - Add

TIORCO, LLC Joint Venture - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
TIORCO LLC [Member]
Schedule Of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Company’s share of exit costs upon dissolution	$ 2,356,000

Selected Quarterly Financial120

Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Net Sales	$ 419,291	$ 444,011	$ 452,414	$ 460,451	$ 454,231	$ 491,429	$ 504,111	$ 477,442	$ 1,776,167	[1]	$ 1,927,213	[1]	$ 1,880,786	[1]
Gross Profit	74,689	77,598	79,512	76,442	49,851	65,099	71,589	63,024	308,241		249,563		281,685
Operating income	20,223	38,794	28,595	35,178	9,004	22,253	36,914	22,523	122,790		90,694		109,153
Interest, net	(3,773)	(3,837)	(2,869)	(4,054)	(2,617)	(2,846)	(3,021)	(2,957)	(14,533)		(11,441)		(10,358)
Income Before Income Taxes	15,061	33,113	24,146	30,536	6,012	18,228	33,206	18,089	102,856		75,535		95,630
Net Income	12,876	24,934	16,941	21,286	6,225	13,480	24,368	13,008	76,037		57,081		72,337
Net Income Attributable to Stepan Company	$ 12,872	$ 24,912	$ 16,914	$ 21,270	$ 6,239	$ 13,491	$ 24,353	$ 13,018	$ 75,968		$ 57,101		$ 72,828
Diluted earnings per share	$ 0.56	$ 1.09	$ 0.74	$ 0.93	$ 0.27	$ 0.59	$ 1.06	$ 0.57	$ 3.32		$ 2.49		$ 3.18
[1]	Net sales are attributed to countries based on selling location.