CHAMBER NAMES SPARTECH AREA'S INDUSTRY OF THE YEAR

An industry that made its appearance on the Cape Girardeau manufacturing scene a decade ago has been honored as the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's 1995 industry of the year."

Spartech of St. Louis, a familiar name nationally in the processing of thermoplastics, was recognized Wednesday night with the "Commitment to Excellence" award during the chamber's annual industrial appreciation dinner, held at the Show Me Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

Spartech, which has 14 plants nationwide, joined the local industrial scene in late 1986 when it purchased Atlas Plastics and Resin Exchange.

Spartech's local operation includes Spartech Plastics, which is adjacent to Arena Park at 2500 Spartech Drive, and Spartech Compounding, which formerly was Resin Exchange on Nash Road.

"This is a great honor," said Johnnie Sepulvado, general manager of the Central Region of Spartech Plastics. "It's a great place to live, and we enjoy being here."

Joining Sepulvado in accepting the giant Commitment of Excellence trophy from Dennis Marchi, chairman-elect of the chamber board of directors, was John Edward. Edward is general manager of Spartech Compounding.

The award was presented following remarks by Grady Jim Robinson, a humorist who addressed a crowd of about 800.

Spartech employs more than 200 people in its two operations here. The company became the eighth manufacturer in the area to receive the award since it was inaugurated in 1988.

Previous winners are General Sign Co., Lone Star Industries, Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co., BioKyowa Inc., Concord Publishing House Inc., Dana Corporation-Spicer Axle Division, and Florsheim Shoe Co.

The Spartech story is one of growth since the late 1970s.

Founded as Spartan Showcase, the company was a small, struggling company until the early 1980s, when St. Louis lawyer Lawrence M. Powers joined the company and began its reorganization.

Within five years, the new Spartech increased sales from Spartan's $2.5 million to $125 million.

Bradley B. Buechler, who served as vice resident and chief operating officer under Lawrence, became president and CEO, and has led the company to its present 14 operations.

Those operations netted more than $175 million in sales the first half of 1995. Spartech officials expect sales and earnings to increase by 14 percent through the final half of the year.

Spartech's consists of:

-- Spartech Plastics, the nation's largest custom rigid-sheet and roll-stock extruder, with eight plants and 50 extrusion lines. The Cape Girardeau plant has nine extrusion lines.

-- Spartech Compounds, which includes the Cape Girardeau plant and produces about 250,000 pounds of PVC and thermoplastic compounds.

-- Spartech Vy-Cl Plastics, a PVC film operation near Philadelphia.

In the past year, Spartech has acquired two companies -- Pawnee Industries Inc., a Wichita, Kan., manufacturer of rigid-plastic-sheet and color concentrates, and Penda Corp.'s custom extrusion division.

The Penda deal increased Spartech's market share of the $850 million domestic custom sheet market to 17 percent.