In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, statements that are not reported financial results or other historical information are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements give current expectations or forecasts of future events and are not guarantees of future performance. They are based on management’s expectations that involve a number of business risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historic or current facts. They use words such as “will,”"will," “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,”“believe” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial condition, performance and/or sales. In particular, these include statements relating to future actions; prospective changes in raw material costs, product pricing or product demand; future performance; estimated capital expenditures; results of current and anticipated market conditions and market strategies; sales efforts; expenses; the outcome of contingencies such as legal proceedings and environmental liabilities; and financial results. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

We cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be realized, although we believe we have been prudent in our plans and assumptions. Achievement of future results is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Should known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. Investors should bear this in mind as they consider forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our reports on Forms 10-Q, 8-K and 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all risk factors. Consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties.

We are a premier providerformulator of specialized and sustainable polymer materials, and polymer services and solutions.material solutions that transform customer challenges into opportunities, bringing new products to life for a better world. Our products include specialty engineered materials, performance fibers, advanced composites and color and additive systems and polymer distribution.systems. We are also a highly specialized developer and manufacturer of performance enhancing additives, liquid colorants and fluoropolymer and silicone colorants. Headquartered in Avon Lake, Ohio, we have employees at sales, manufacturing and distribution facilities across North America, South America, Europe and Asia. When used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the terms “we,” “us,” “our”, "PolyOne"“our," "Avient" and the “Company” mean PolyOneAvient Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Polymers are a class of organic materials that are generally produced by converting natural gas or crude oil derivatives into monomers, such as ethylene, propylene, and styrene. These monomers are then polymerized into chains called polymers, or plastic resin, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, in their most basic forms. Large petrochemical companies, including someAvient does not produce commodity base resins. Rather, Avient sources various resins, polymers and additives, then employs additional chemistry in the petroleum industry, produceformulating those materials into a majority of the monomers and base resins because they have direct access to the raw materials neededhighly engineered, unique material for production. Monomers make up the majority of the variable cost of manufacturing the base resin. As a result, the cost of a base resin tends to move in tandem with the industry market prices for monomers and the cost of raw materials and energy used during production. Resin selling prices can move in tandem with costs, but are largely driven by supply and demand.specific use.

Thermoplastic polymers make up a substantial majority of the resin market and are characterized by their ability to be reshaped repeatedly into new forms after heat and pressure are applied. Thermoplastics offer versatility and a wide range of applications. The major types of thermoplastics include polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester and a range of specialized engineering resins. Each type of thermoplastic has unique qualities and characteristics that make it appropriate for use in a particular application.

Thermoplastic composites include these base resins, but are combined with a structural fillerelement such as glass, wood, carbon or polymer fibers to enhance strength, rigidity and structure. Further performance can be delivered through an engineered thermoplastic sheet or thick film, which may incorporate more than one resin formulation or composite in multiple layers to impart additional properties such as gas barrier, structural integrity and lightweighting.

Thermoplastics and polymer composites are found in a variety of end-use products and markets, including packaging, defense, building and construction, wire and cable, transportation, medical, furniture and furnishings, durable goods, outdoor high performance equipment, electrical and electronics, adhesives, inks and coatings.coatings and fiber. Each type of thermoplastic resin has to ultimately achieve unique characteristics (such as flexibility, strength or durability) suitable for use in a particular end-use application. The formulation science and manufacturing processes required to achieve those characteristics is the specialty role that Avient plays.

For example, the packaging industry requires plastics that help keep food fresh and free of contamination while providing a variety of options for product display, and offering advantages in terms of weight and user-friendliness. In the wire and cable, industry, thermoplastics and composites serve to protect by providing electrical insulation, flame

electrical insulation, flame resistance, durability, water resistance, water swelling and color coding to engineered fibers, yarn products, wire coatings and connectors. In the transportation industry, plastic has proven to be durable, lightweight and corrosion resistant while offering fuel savings, design flexibility and high performance, often replacing traditional materials such as metal and glass. In the medical industry, plastics are used for a vast array of devices and equipment, including blood and intravenous bags, medical tubing, catheters, lead replacement for radiation shielding, clamps and connectors to bed frames, curtains and sheeting, electronic enclosures and equipment housings. In the outdoor high performance industry, plastic applications are used for components and colorants for all terrain vehicles and reinforced polymers are used for various outdoor equipment and gear. In the electronics industry, plastic enclosures and connectors not only enhance safety through electrical insulation, but thermally and electrically conductive plastics provide heat transferring, cooling, anti-static, electrostatic discharge, and electromagnetic shielding performance for critical applications including integrated circuit chip packaging.

Various additives can also be formulated with a base resin and further engineered into a structure to provide them with greater versatility and performance. Polymer formulations and structures have advantages over metals, wood, rubber, glass and other traditional materials, which have resulted in the replacement of these materials across a wide spectrum of applications that range from automobile parts to construction materials.applications. These specialized polymers offer sustainability and performance advantages compared to traditional materials, that includeincluding design freedom, processability, weight reduction, chemical resistance, flame retardance and lower cost. Plastics are renowned for their durability, aesthetics, ease of handling and recyclability. Avient’s strategy and investments are aligned to enable these important benefits, now and in the future.

The production of plastics and the manufacturing of custom and proprietary formulated thermoplastics, polymer composites, and color and additives systems for the plastics industry areis highly competitive. Competition is based on service, performance, product innovation, product recognition, speed, delivery, quality and price. The relative importance of these factors varies among our products and services. We believe that we are the largest independent formulator of plastic materials and producer of custom and proprietary color and additive systems in the United States and Europe, with a growing presence in Asia and South America. Our competitors range from large international companies with broad product offerings to local independent custom producers whose focus is a specific market niche or product offering.

The primary raw materials used by our manufacturing operations are polyolefin and other thermoplastic resins, TiO2, inorganic and organic pigments, allspecialty additives and ethylene. In general, there is adequate supply and capacity from a variety of suppliers to serve our business. In 2022, we experienced certain supply disruptions, shortages, volume allocations and logistical delays for some of these materials, none of which we believe are in adequate supply.had a material impact on our business. See the discussion of risks associated with raw material supply and costs in Item 1A, “Risk Factors”.

We own and maintain a number of patents and trademarks in the United States and other key countries that contribute to our competitiveness in the markets we serve because they protect our inventions and product names against infringement by others. Patents may exist for 20 years from filing date, and trademarks may have an indefinite life based upon continued use. While we view our patents and trademarks to be valuable because of the broad scope of our products and services and brand recognition we enjoy, we do not believe that the loss or expiration of any single patent or trademark would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows. Nevertheless, we have management processes designed to rigorously protect our inventions and trademarks.

Sales of our products and services are typically seasonal, as demand is generallyhas historically been slower in the firstthird and fourth calendar quarters of the year. Because of the nature of our business, we do not believe that our backlog is a meaningful indicator of the level of our present or future business.

Our products are generally manufactured with a short turnaround time, and the scheduling of manufacturing activities from customer orders generally includes enough lead time to assure delivery of an adequate supply of raw materials. We offeragree to payment terms towith our customers and suppliers that are competitive. We generally allow our customers to return merchandise if pre-agreed quality standards or specifications are not met; however, we employ quality assurance practices that seek to minimize customer returns. Our customer returns are immaterial.

No customer accounted for more than 3% of our consolidated revenues in 20192022 and we do not believe we would suffer a material adverse effect to our consolidated financial statements if we were to lose any single customer.

We have substantial technology and development capabilities.capabilities, powered by approximately 1,100 associates serving in technology capacities, approximately 110 of whom have PhD level educations. Our efforts are largely devoted to developing new product formulations to satisfy definedaddress evolving market needs,and sustainability needs. We do this by providing quality technical services to evaluate alternative raw materials, assuring the continued success of our products for customer applications, providing technology to improve our products, processes and applications and providing support to our manufacturing plants for cost reduction, productivity and quality improvement programs. We operate research and development centers that support our commercial development activities and manufacturing operations. These facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art analytical, synthesis, polymer characterization and testing equipment, along with pilot plants and polymer manufacturing operations that simulate specific production processes that allowprocesses. This allows us to rapidly translate new technologies into new products.products, helping us advance a more circular economy with reduced carbon footprint. Our investment in product research and development was $50.6$84.9 million in 2019, $49.62022, $83.2 million in 20182021, and $45.3$59.8 million in 2017.2020.

We sell products primarily through direct sales personnel, distributors, including our Distribution segment, and commissioned sales agents. We primarily use truck carriers to transport our products to customers, although some customers pick up product at our manufacturing facilities or warehouses. We also ship some

“People” is the first of Avient’s four cornerstones of sustainability (People, Products, Planet and Performance), which, together with our core values and our four-pillar strategy, form the framework of our manufactured products to customers by rail.

As of December 31, 2019, we2022, Avient employed approximately 5,600 people. Approximately 1%9,700 people, 34% of which were located in the U.S. and Canada, 35% were located in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, 24% were located in Asia, and 7% were located in Latin America.

The top priority at Avient is the safety and health of our employees are represented by labor unions under collective bargaining agreements. We believe that relations withassociates, and our employees are good,ultimate goal is to operate injury free. Progress toward this goal is measured at the business unit and regional levels, communicated globally, and linked to a number of recognition mechanisms. In 2022, we do not anticipate significant operating issuesreduced injuries 6%, and had a recordable incident rate of 0.51 per 100 full-time workers per year, compared to occurthe industry average of 3.40 in 2021. Not only did our injury incident rate decline last year, but the severity of those injuries also declined, down 31% from the prior year based on the average days away from work as a result of current negotiations, or whenan injury. Continual improvement and preventative risk reductions are key focus areas and, in 2022, one of our annual incentive plan metrics measured the engagement of our employees in safety activities. We also continue to be recognized as an American Chemistry Counsel Responsible Care® company and set high standards for our operations as we renegotiate collective bargaining agreements as they expire.strive to achieve our goal of zero recordable injuries.

We are subject to various environmental laws and regulations that apply to the production, use and sale of chemicals, emissions into the air, discharges into waterways and other releases of materials into the environment, and the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste material. We endeavor to ensurestrive for the safe and lawful operation of our facilities in the manufacture and distribution of products, and we believe we are in material compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

We maintain a disciplined environmental and occupational safety and health compliance program and conduct periodic internal and external regulatory audits at our facilities to identify and correctprevent potential environmental exposures, including compliance matters and operational risk reduction opportunities. This effort can result in process or operational modifications, the installation of pollution control devices or cleaning up grounds or facilities. We believe that we are in material compliance with all applicable requirements.

In our operations, we must comply with product-related governmental law and regulations affecting the plastics industry generally and also with content-specific law, regulations and non-governmental standards. We believe that compliance with current governmental laws and regulations and with non-governmental content-specific standards will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. The risk of additional costs and liabilities, however, is inherent in certain plant operations and certain products produced at

these plants, as is the case with other companies in the plastics industry. Therefore, we may incur additional costs or liabilities in the future. Other developments, such as increasingly strict environmental, safety and health laws, regulations and related enforcement policies, including those under the European Union Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS), Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (covering Conflict Minerals), and the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, the implementation of additional content-specific standards, discovery of unknown conditions, and claims for damages to property, persons or natural resources resulting from plant emissions or products, could also result in additional costs or liabilities.

The following are certain risk factors that could affect our business, results of operations, financial position or cash flows. Although the risks are organized by headings and each risk is described separately, many of the risks are interrelated. These risk factors should be considered along with the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K because these factors could cause our actual results or financial condition to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. You should not interpret the disclosure of any risk factor to imply that the risk has not already materialized. The following discussion is not an all-inclusive listing of risks, although we believe these are the more material risks that we face. If any of the following occur, our business, results of operations, financial position or cash flows could be adversely affected.

Any of these risks could have an adverse effect on our international operations by reducing demand for our products.

The results of our operations have been in the past and can be in the future affected, positively and negatively, by volatility in the cost and availability of energy, which is subject to global supply and demand and other factors beyond our control. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has impacted global energy markets, particularly in Europe, leading to high volatility and increasing prices for crude oil, natural gas electricity,and other energy supplies. In the event that the supply of natural gas from Russia stops or is significantly reduced, there may be supply disruptions, increased prices, temporary shutdowns or closures of our manufacturing facilities, or further rationing of energy supply within countries where we do business, which could have a material adverse impact on our business or results of operations in those countries. While we have developed contingency plans to flex and shift production in the case of temporary shutdowns or closures of our manufacturing facilities, we may be unable to shift all impacted operations to alternatives sites.

The cost of our natural gas, electricity, fuel, logistics and raw materials may not correlate with changes in the prices we receive for our products, either in the direction of the price change or in absolute magnitude. Natural gasElectricity and raw materials costs represent a substantial part of our manufacturing costs. Most of the raw materials we use are commodities and the price of each can fluctuate widely for a variety of reasons, including changes in availability because of major capacity additions or reductions or significant facility operating problems. Other external factors beyond our control can also cause fluctuations in raw materials prices, which could negatively impact demand for our products and cause volatility in our results.

We encounter competition in price, payment terms, delivery, service, performance, product innovation, product recognition and quality, depending on the product involved.

We expect that our competitors will continue to develop and introduce new and enhanced products, which could cause a decline in the market acceptance of our products. In addition, our competitors could cause a reduction in the selling prices of some of our products as a result of intensified price competition. Competitive pressures could also result in the loss of customers.

We depend on integrated information systems to conduct our business, including communicating with employees and customers, ordering and managing materials from suppliers, shipping products to customers, and analyzing and reporting results of operations. In addition, we store sensitive data, including proprietary business information, intellectual property and confidential employee or other personal data, on our servers and databases. Cybersecurity breaches, global information systems security threats and more sophisticated and targeted computer crime pose a risk to the security of our systems and networks and the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our data and communications. We continue to update our infrastructure, security tools, employee training and processes to protect against security incidents, including both external and internal threats, and to prevent their recurrence; however, our systems, networks and products may nevertheless be vulnerable to advanced persistent threats or other types of system failures. Depending on their nature and scope, such threats and system failures could potentially lead to the compromising of confidential information and communications, improper use of our systems and networks, manipulation and destruction of data, defective products, production downtimes and operational disruptions, which in turn could cause customers to cancel orders or otherwise adversely affect our reputation, competitiveness and results of operations. We have experienced cybersecurity incidents in the past and we could experience similar incidents in the future. To date, no cybersecurity incident or attack has had a material impact on our business or consolidated financial statements.

Global credit and financial markets experience volatility, including volatility in security prices, liquidity and credit availability, declining valuations of certain investments and significant changes in the capital and organizational structures of certain financial institutions. Market conditions may limit our ability to access the capital necessary to grow and maintain our business. Accordingly, we may be forced to delay raising capital, issue shorter tenors than we prefer or pay unattractive interest rates, which could increase our interest expense, decrease our profitability and significantly reduce our financial flexibility.

debt or liens, consolidate or merge with any entity or transfer or sell all or substantially all of our assets, pay dividends or make certain other restricted payments, make investments, enter into transactions with affiliates, create dividend or other payment restrictions with respect to subsidiaries, make capital investments and alter the business we conduct.

In addition, depending on our level of borrowing, our revolving credit facility requires us to comply under certain circumstances with specific financial tests, under which we are required to achieve certain or specific financial and operating results. Our ability to comply with these provisions may be affected by events beyond our control. A breach of any of these covenants would result in a default under such agreements and instruments, which in certain circumstances could be a default under all of these agreements and instruments. In the event of any default, our lenders could elect to declare all amounts borrowed under the agreements, together with accrued interest thereon, to be due and payable. In such event, we cannot assure that we would have sufficient assets to pay debt then outstanding under the agreements governing our debt.

Furthermore, certain of these agreements condition our ability to obtain additional borrowing capacity, engage in certain transactions or take certain other actions, on our achievement of certain or specific financial and operating results, although our failure to achieve such results would not result in a default under such agreements. Any future refinancing of our senior secured revolving credit facility or other debt may contain similar restrictive covenants.

The COVID-19 pandemic has in the past and could in the future negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations in a number of ways, including, but not limited to:

The extent to which our business, results of operations, are conducted by our subsidiaries. Ourfinancial position or cash flows may ultimately be adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will depend largely on these future developments, which are highly uncertain and our ability to service our indebtedness, including our ability to pay the interest on and principal of our debt when due, maycannot be dependent upon cash dividends and other distributions or other transfers from our subsidiaries. Our ability to generate cash, to a certain extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control.

Headquartered in Avon Lake, Ohio, we operate globally with principal locations consisting of 61104 manufacturing sites and eight distribution facilities in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Asia.Africa. We own the majority of our manufacturing sites and lease our distribution facilities.sites. We believe that the quality and production capacity of our facilities is sufficient to maintain our competitive position for the foreseeable future. The following table identifies the principal facilities of our segments:

Not applicable.

Executive officers are elected by our Board of Directors to serve one-year terms. The following table lists the name of each person serving as an executive officer of the Company, their age, and position with the Company as of February 7, 2020.6, 2023.

thermoset rubber and thermoplastic elastomer materials) in market development and product management positions, culminating in a regional commercial leadership role for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Our common shares, $0.01 par value per share, are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “POL.“AVNT.” 

As of February 7, 2020,6, 2023, there were 1,7041,493 holders of record of our common shares.

We currently have an authorized common share repurchase program. For the full year 2019,2022, we repurchased 10.8 million common shares at a weighted average share price of $26.91.$45.53. During the three months ended December 31, 2019,2022, we repurchased zerono common shares as shown in the table below.

We are a premier providerformulator of specialized and sustainable polymer materials and polymer services and solutions.material solutions that transform customer challenges into opportunities, bringing new products to life for a better world. Our products include specialty engineered materials, performance fibers, advanced composites, and color and additive systems and polymer distribution.systems. We are also a highly specialized developer and manufacturer of performance enhancing additives, liquid colorants and fluoropolymer and silicone colorants. Headquartered in Avon Lake, Ohio, with 20192022 sales of $2.9$3.4 billion from continuing operations, we have manufacturing sites and distribution facilities across North America, South America, Europe and Asia. We currently employ approximately 5,600 people and offer more than 35,000 polymer solutions to over 10,000 customers acrosswarehouses around the globe.globe, with 61% of our sales outside the United States. We provide value to our customers through our ability to link our knowledge of polymers and formulation technology with our manufacturing and supply chain capabilities to provide value-added solutions to designers, assemblers and processors of plastics (our customers).

To address these challenges and achieve our vision, we have implemented a strategy with four core components: specialization, globalization, operational excellence and commercial excellence. Specialization differentiates us through products, services, technology and solutions that add value. Globalization allows us to service our customers with consistency wherever their operations might be around the world. Operational excellence empowers us to respond to the voice of the customer while focusing on continuous improvement. Commercial excellence enables us to deliver value to customers by supporting their growth and profitability with superior customer service.

We are also committedAs Avient has evolved into a specialty materials company, we’ve continued to refine and increase our commitment to sustainability. Like all that we do, we start by putting our customers first, then look inward to make a difference. Our guiding principle of sustainability is to enable our customers’ innovation and sustainability goals through ourproducts and services. Our four cornerstones of people, products, planet,People, Products, Planet and performance. We have invested inPerformance guide our investments and actions, and we are making importantsignificant contributions in each. Examples of how our material science is enabling sustainability for our customers include developing unique technologies that improve the recyclability of products and allow recycled content to each,be incorporated, thus advancing a more circular economy; light-weighting solutions that replace heavier traditional materials like metal, glass and wood, which are discussedcan improve fuel efficiency in depth in our most recent Annual Reportall modes of transportation and Sustainability Report.reduce carbon footprint; and sustainable infrastructure solutions that increase energy efficiency, renewable energy, natural resource conservation and fiber optic / 5G network accessibility.

In addition, we continue to engage and invest in the short term,Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW). Avient joined the AEPW, as a founding member, along with 29 other member companies, in January 2019. The AEPW has thus far committed over $1.5 billion to help end plastic waste in the environment through investment in infrastructure, innovation, education, and clean-up activities. Our commitment to AEPW is yet another example of the importance we willplace on being a global leader in all aspects of how we define sustainability: People, Products, Planet and Performance.

We maintain our focus on sales growth with expanding margins, with a goal of offsetting economic headwinds in certain end markets and geographies, raw material volatility and logistics cost inflation. Longer term, we will continue toWe also focus on

accelerating the launch of new products and collaborating with our customers to develop new and unique solutions for their benefit while focusing on our four cornerstones of sustainability - people, products, planet and performance -named above to ensure the growth we achieve is sustainable for us

We will continue our enterprise-wide Lean Six Sigma program directed at improving margin, profitability and cash flow by applying proven management techniques and strategies to key areas of the business, such as pricing, supply chain and operations management, productivity and quality. Long-term trends that currently provide opportunities to leverage our strategy and commitment to sustainability include improving health and wellness, protecting the environment, globalizing and localizing and increasing energy efficiency. Examples of how our strategy supports these trends can be found in numerous initiatives: active participation in the medical device market, leveraging our global footprint to deliver consistent solutions globally, light weighting and metal replacement and development of solutions that respond to ever-changing market needs by offering alternatives to traditional materials.

On October 25, 2019, PolyOne completed the divestitureNovember 1, 2022, Avient sold its Distribution business to an affiliate of its Performance Products and Solutions business segment (PP&S)H.I.G. Capital (the "Purchaser") for $775$950.0 million in cash, subject to a customary working capital adjustment. Previously, PP&S was included as a separate operating segment. As a resultThe results of the sale, the PP&S operating segment resultsDistribution business are now reportedpresented as discontinued operations. Historical information has been retrospectively adjusted to reflect these changes.

Sales decreased $18.3increased $81.4 million, or 0.6%2.5%, in 20192022 compared to 2018, as growth provided2021. Acquisitions increased sales by acquisitions of 4.3% was offset by organic sales decline of 3.4% and unfavorable4.0%, while foreign exchange negatively impacted sales 5.6%. The remaining increase was primarily a result of 1.5%.price increases associated with inflation, which more than offset lower global demand.

As a percent of sales, cost of sales decreasedincreased from 78.3%71.5% in 20182021 to 77.0%74.0% in 2019,2022, primarily as a result of improved mixraw material inflation, restructuring costs and lower environmental remediation costs.$34.4 million of inventory step-up amortization associated with the APM Acquisition.

These costs include selling, technology, administrative functions, corporate and general expenses. Selling and administrative expense in 2019 increased $54.22022 decreased $24.7 million compared to 2018, primarily driven2021, as the impact from the APM Acquisition of $27.8 million was more than offset by costs associated with earnout adjustmentsweaker foreign exchange and acquisitions.lower compensation cost.

The Company is subject to taxation in the U.S. and numerous foreigninternational jurisdictions. In determining the effective income tax rate, the Company analyzes various factors, including annual earnings, the laws of taxing jurisdictions in which the earnings were generated, the impact of state and local income taxes, the ability to use tax credits, net operating loss carryforwards, and available tax planning alternatives. Discrete items, including the effect of changes in tax laws, statutory tax rates, and valuation allowances or other non-recurring tax adjustments are reflected in the period in which they occur as an addition to, or reduction from, the income tax provision.

Sales increased $99.9by $132.8 million, or 15.5%14.6%, in 20192022 compared to 2018. Acquisitions contributed 19.0% growth while North America composites, healthcare,2021, driven by a 14.6% increase from the APM Acquisition. Weaker foreign exchange rates and the wire and cable end markets contributed as well. These gains were partiallylower demand was offset by unfavorable foreign exchange of 2.4% and weakness in the transportation and electronic end markets.price increases associated with raw material inflation.

Operating income increased by $14.5$14.6 million in 20192022 compared to 2018 as a result2021, driven primarily by the acquisition of acquisitionsAPM. The impacts of weaker foreign exchange rates and margin expansion from improved mix, which were partiallylower demand was largely offset by unfavorable foreign exchange.price increases associated with inflation and lower compensation costs.

Sales decreased $73.2Costs increased $48.9 million or 5.8%, in 20192022 compared to 20182021 primarily due to lower volumehigher acquisition related expense, including a $34.4 million amortization of inventory step-up associated with APM purchase accounting and average selling prices, reflecting raw material deflation.

Our objective is to finance our business through operating cash flow and an appropriate mix of debt and equity. By laddering the maturity structure, we avoid concentrations of debt maturities, reducing liquidity risk. We may from time to time seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt with cash and/or exchanges for equity securities, in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. We may also seek to repurchase our

outstanding common shares. Such repurchases, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved have been and may continue to be material.

The following table summarizes our liquidity as of December 31, 2019:2022:

As of December 31, 2019,2022, approximately 29%57% of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents resided outside the United States.

Based on current projections, we believe that we will be able to continue to manage and control working capital, discretionary spending and capital expenditures and that cash provided by operating activities, along with available borrowing capacity under our revolving credit facilities, will allow us to maintain adequate levels of available capital to fund our operations, meet debt service obligations, continue paying dividends, and opportunistically repurchase outstanding common shares.

Expected sources of cash needed to satisfy cash requirements in 2020 outside of the Clariant Acquisition2023 include our cash on hand, cash from operations and available liquidity under our revolving credit facility, if needed. Outside of the Clariant Acquisition, expectedExpected uses of cash in 20202023 include select specialty acquisitions, interest payments, cash taxes, dividend payments, share repurchases, environmental remediation costs, restructuring costs and capital expenditures. Capital expenditures are currently estimated to be approximately $65.0$150 million in 2020,2023, primarily to support sales growth, our continued investment in recent acquisitions and other strategic investments.

In 2019,2022, net cash provided by operating activities was $300.8increased to $398.4 million as compared to $253.7$233.8 million in 2018. This increase was primarily2021, as a result of a reduction in working capital, improvements.

Net cash used by investing activities during 20182022 of $170.3$504.0 million primarily reflects acquisitions of $98.6$1,426.1 million related to the APM Acquisition and capital expenditures of $76.0$105.5 million, which were offset by the net proceeds from the Distribution divestiture of $928.2 million and the settlement of foreign exchange derivatives of $93.3 million.

Net cash usedprovided by financing activities in 20192022 primarily reflects $60.3$1,300.0 million related to debt offering proceeds, which was offset by the repayment of long-term debt of $956.8 million, $86.8 million in dividends paid, $49.3 million of dividends paid, repurchasesdebt financing costs and the repurchase of our outstanding common shares of $26.9 million, net repayments of $120.5 million under our senior secured revolving credit facility, and from proceeds received from the sale of PP&S.

The following table summarizes debt as presented at December 31, 20192022 and 2018.2021.