BUSINESS MEMO: SPARTECH: A RECORD YEAR

Spartech Corp., which includes two operations in Cape Girardeau -- Spartech Plastics, 2500 Spartech Drive, and Spartech Compounding on Nash Road -- reported record sales and earnings for its fiscal year which ended Nov. 1.

Sales for fiscal 1997 were $502.7 million, up 28 percent from the $391.3 million recorded in 1996. Operating earnings were $49.7 million for 1997, an increase of 44 percent from the $34.5 million of a year ago.

The increase resulted in record net earnings of $25.5 million, or 91 cents per fully diluted share for fiscal 1997, compared to $18.3 million or 73 cents per fully diluted share a year ago.

"Fiscal 1997 was an excellent year for the company," said Bradley B. Buechler, Spartech president and chief executive officer. "In addition to the acquisition of Preferred Plastic Sheet Division of Echlin Inc., we entered into a strategic sales and marketing alliance with Japan-based Takiron Co. Ltd. and produced our sixth consecutive year of record sales and earnings."

Spartech is a leading manufacturer of engineered thermoplastic material and polymeric compounds, producing more than 625 million pounds of extruded sheet and rollstock, specialty plastic alloys, compounds and color concentrates and molded products.