BUSINESS MEMO: SHARES TO BE REPURCHASED

The Spartech Corporation Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to 5 percent of the company's outstanding common shares.

The company will repurchase the stock from time-to-time in the open market, depending on market conditions over the next two years, said Bradley B. Buechler, Spartech president and CEO.

With 23.4 million shares of common stock outstanding, Spartech could purchase up to 1.2 million shares under the program.

The St. Louis-based company, which has two large operations in Cape Girardeau -- Spartech Plastics, 2500 Spartech Drive, and Spartech Compounding on Nash Road -- is a producer of engineer thermoplastic materials and polymeric compounds.

Earlier this month, Spartech announced record fiscal 1995 sales of $352.3 million and net earnings of $14.5 million, or 60 cents per fully diluted share.