BUSINESS MEMO: SPARTECH RECORD SALES

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. 2.

Sales for fiscal 1996 were $391.3 million, up 11 percent from the $352.3 million recorded in 1995. Operating earnings were $34.5 million for 1996, an increase of 40 percent from the $24.6 million of a year ago.

The increase resulted in record net earning of $18.3 million, or 73 cents per fully diluted share for fiscal 1996, compared to $14.5 million or 60 cents per fully diluted share a year ago.

"Fiscal 1996 was an exceptional year for the company," said Bradley B. Buechler, Spartech president and chief executive officer. "In addition to two strategic acquisitions, we successfully completed a common stock offering land produced our fifth consecutive year of record sales and earnings."

Spartech is a leading manufacturer of engineered thermoplastic material and polymeric compounds, producing more than 400 million pounds of extruded sheet and rollstock, specialty plastic alloys, compounds and color concentrates and molded products.