Stepan Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and sale of specialty and intermediate chemicals to manufacturers in various industries worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Surfactants, Polymers, and Specialty Products. The Surfactants segment offers surfactants that are used as principal ingredients in consumer and industrial cleaning products, such as detergents for washing clothes, dishes, carpets, floors, and walls; shampoos, body washes, toothpastes, and fabric softeners; and germicidal quaternary compounds, lubricating ingredients, emulsifiers, plastics and composites, biodiesel, and enhanced oil recovery. The Polymers segment provides polyols that are used in the manufacture of rigid laminate insulation board and panels for thermal insulation in the construction industry, as well as a base raw material for flexible foams, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers; and phthalic anhydride, which is used in unsaturated polyester resins, alkyd resins, and plasticizers for applications in construction materials, as well as components of automotive, boating, and other consumer products. The Specialty Products segment offers flavors, emulsifiers, and solubilizers that are used in the food and pharmaceutical industries; and a portfolio of nutritional fats for the food, supplement, and nutrition industries. Stepan Company was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in Northfield, Illinois.