BUSINESS MEMO: SPARTECH EARNINGS UP

Spartech Corp. has announced increased sales and earnings for the 24th consecutive quarter.

Net earnings for the third quarter were $6.7 million, or $.24 per fully diluted share, a 34 percent increase from the $5 million, or $.20 per fully diluted share, reported for the same period last year. Sales rose by 22 percent to $123.2 million for the three months ended Aug. 2 from the $101.2 million reported in the comparable quarter of 1996.

For the first nine months, net earnings were $18.9 million, or $.68 per fully diluted share, a 39 percent increase from the $13.6 million, or $.55 per fully diluted share, reported for the first three quarters of 1996. Sales for the first nine months were $366.4 million, compared to $287 million for the same period in 1996.

Spartech also announced the completion of its purchase of the net assets of Preferred Plastic Sheet Division of Echlin Inc., a manufacturer of extruded sheet and profile products with annual sales of $75 million to $80 million. The acquisition price was about $65 million.

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.