BUSINESS MEMO: SPARTECH EARNINGS

Spartech Corp. has announced record sales and earnings for its fiscal year, which ended Oct. 31.

Sales for fiscal 1999 were $767.9 million, up 17 percent from the $653.9 million, reported in fiscal year 1997.

Operating earnings improved to $897.7 million, or 11.4 percent of sales, and net earnings for the fiscal year were $43.1 million, or $1.48 per diluted share, up from the respective totals of $33.7 million land $1.18 of a year ago.

Spartech officials cited strategic acquisitions, new product transformations and ongoing production efficiency improvement efforts for the increases.

Spartech, a producer of engineered thermoplastic materials, polymeric compounds and molded products headquartered in St. Louis, has two operations in Cape Girardeau -- Spartech Plastics at 2500 Spartech Drive and Spartech Compounding on Nash Road.