Crist, Scheuring take on new roles at PolyOne

One of North America's largest resin distribution businesses has a new man in charge.

PolyOne Corp. has appointed Mark Crist as president of its distribution unit and as a senior vice president of the Avon Lake, Ohio-based firm. Crist has been with PolyOne since 2008, most recently serving as vice president of key account management.

Crist will be replacing Kurt Scheuring, who will become vice president of global key account management. Scheuring had led PolyOne's distribution unit since 2012, when he took over for industry veteran Michael Rademacher, who retired. Scheuring joined the company in 2007.

Crist “is an established, successful, and trusted business leader among our customers and within PolyOne,” President and CEO Robert Patterson said in a May 22 news release. “He has global experience and a proven ability to deliver results.”

“At the same time, I am equally pleased that [Schuering] will now focus on serving PolyOne's largest and global customers as the leader of our key account team,” he added. "Kurt's broad knowledge of our full portfolio and passion for understanding and delivering value to customers makes him uniquely qualified to serve in this role.”

PolyOne's distribution unit rang up sales of almost $1.1 billion in 2013, accounting for almost 30 percent of the firm's total sales. The unit's sales were up more than 4 percent vs. 2013, even as operating income fell 4 percent to $63.3 million.

In the first quarter of 2014, the distribution unit's sales grew 6 percent vs. the year-ago quarter to $284 million, while operating income also increased 6 percent to $17.2 million.

PolyOne also ranks as one of the region's largest makers of compounds, concentrates and plastic sheet. The firm had total sales of $3.8 billion in 2013.