ST. LOUIS, April 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Spartech Corporation
(NYSE: SEH) was one of three companies honored at the tenth annual Invest in
France Automotive Awards during the Society of Automotive Engineers World
Congress. Along with GM Powertrain and Magna International, Spartech was
recognized as a leading North American supplier to the automotive industry
that has made significant investments in new or expanded facilities in
France. Spartech was recognized for its commitment to invest more than $15
million over the past two years to develop new technology for manufacturing
highly engineered multi-layer barrier plastic sheet used in the production of
fuel tanks at its Donchery facility in the Ardennes region of France.
Spartech Chairman, President, and CEO, Bradley B. Buechler, accepting the
award for the company, stated, "It is truly an honor to receive this award for
our investment in France that supports our continued effort to expand
technology for our automotive customers. The long-term program awarded by
Visteon Corporation in late 2003 to manufacture multi-layer plastic sheet was
the first important step in this decision to expand our investment in France.
We believe our commitment to strategic investments in new product capabilities
and growing manufacturing regions such as this will increase our opportunities
to be a valued supplier to all of our customer base."
Spartech Executive Vice President - Color & Specialty Compounds and
International, George A. Abd, added, "The expanded Donchery France facility
provides our first custom extruded sheet capabilities in Europe. We tripled
our square footage within the facility to accommodate these new capabilities
with the first extrusion line starting production last fall and the second
line scheduled to become fully operational by the end of May. In addition to
this capital investment, the expansion will create approximately 50 new jobs
over the next three years. We expect our custom extruded sheet capabilities
to continue to expand through this investment in Europe."
Finally, Mr. Buechler stated, "We are extremely grateful for the
significant support received from the French government including the efforts
of Mr. Jean-Paul Bachy, President Champagne-Ardenne, and his team during the
recent expansion of our Donchery facility. We look forward to the growth and
continuing technology advancements afforded by this operation in the future."
Spartech Corporation is a leading producer of engineered thermoplastic
materials, polymeric compounds, and molded & profile products, which following
its recently announced plant restructuring plan, will have 47 facilities
located throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe, with annual
production capacity of more than 1.4 billion pounds and sales of approximately
$1.2 billion, annually.
Safe Harbor For Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained herein which are not historical facts are forward-
looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 which are intended to be covered by the safe
harbors created thereby. For a summary of important facts, which could cause
the Company's actual results to differ materially from those included in, or
inferred by, the forward-looking statements, refer to the Company's Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended October 30, 2004, which is on file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE Spartech Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.spartech.com
http://www.sae.org/congress
CONTACT:
Bradley B. Buechler, Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer, +1-314-721-4242, or George A. Abd,
Executive Vice President - Color & Specialty Compounds,
+1-314-721-4242, both of Spartech Corporation
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