Annual Report (Form 10-K), fiscal year 1993

ITEM 1. BUSINESS.
A. M. Castle & Co. is one of North America's largest, independent metals service center companies. The registrant (Company) provides a complete range of inventories as well as preprocessing services to a wide variety of customers.
In the last three years, sales mix was approximately as follows:
These metals are inventoried in many forms including round, hexagon, square and flat bars; plates; tubing; shapes; and sheet and coil.
Depending on the size of the facility and the nature of the markets it serves, each of the Company's service centers is equipped as needed with Bar Saws, Tubing Cut-off Lathes, Close Tolerance Plate Saws, Oxygen and Plasma Arc Flame Cutting Machinery, Stress Relieving and Annealing Furnaces, Surface Grinding Equipment, Edge Conditioning Equipment, Sheet Shears and Coil Processing Equipment. The Company also does specialized fabrications for customers through pre-qualified subcontractors.
Emphasis on the more highly engineered grades and alloys of metals, supported by strong service commitments, has earned the Company a leadership role in filling the needs of users of those metals.
The Company has its main office, and largest distribution center, in Franklin Park, Illinois. This center serves metropolitan Chicago and, approximately, a nine state area. In addition, there are distribution centers in various other cities (see Item 2). The Chicago, Los Angeles and Cleveland distribution centers together account for approximately one-half of all sales.
The customer base in the Eastern part of the county includes heavy and light machine tool industries, construction equipment, mining, textile manufacturing machinery and plastic extrusion machinery. The aerospace market is also served both directly and through subcontractors.
The Midwest Region serves manufacturers of hydrocarbon processing equipment, farm implement and construction equipment, food processing equipment and machine tools. The automotive, marine and aerospace markets are also included in the Midwest Region customer base.
In the Western area of the country, the Company serves the metal needs of a wide variety of industries as well as the subcontractors and manufacturers who serve those industries. The major markets include aircraft and aerospace, both military and commercial, oil and gas, chemical, petrochemical, farm equipment, electronics, lumber, and mining.
In Canada, the Company serves a wide range of businesses including aerospace, pulp and paper, and machinery equipment manufacturing. These markets are serviced by the Company's Canadian subsidiary A. M. Castle & Co. (Canada) Inc.
The Company's specialized operating unit is the Hy-Alloy Steels Co., located in Bedford Park, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. Hy-Alloy is a distributor of alloy bars stocked as rounds, squares, hexes, and flats; and of alloy tubing. It serves a nationwide market, which includes aircraft and aerospace, oil field equipment, gears and power train components, machine tools, screw machine products, bearings, construction equipment and agricultural equipment. In 1993 a value-added bar processing center, H-A Industries, was added. From this facility, the Company ships quench and tempered alloy bar products to its customers throughout the United States and Canada.
In general, the Company purchases metals from many producers. In the case of nickel alloys and titanium, each is single sourced. Satisfactory alternative sources, however, are available for all metals that the
Company buys and its business would not be materially adversely affected by the loss of any one supplier. Purchases are made in large lots and held in the distribution centers until sold, usually in smaller quantities. The Company's ability to provide quick delivery, frequently overnight, of a wide variety of metal products allows customers to reduce inventory investment because they do not need to order the large quantities required by producing mills.
The major portion of 1993 net sales were from materials owned by the Company. The materials required to fill the balance of such sales were obtained from other sources, such as direct mill shipments to customers or purchases from other metals distributors. Sales are primarily through the Company's own sales organization and are made to many thousands of customers in a wide variety of industries. No single customer is significant to the Company's sales volume. Deliveries are made principally by leased trucks. Common carrier delivery is used in areas not serviced directly by the Company's fleet.
The Company encounters strong competition both from other independent metals distributors and from large distribution organizations, some of which have substantially greater resources.
The Company has approximately 1200 full-time employees in its operations throughout the United States and Canada. Approximately 300 of these are represented by collective bargaining units, principally the United Steelworkers of America.
ITEM 2.



ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.
The Company's principal executive offices are at its Franklin Park plant near Chicago, Illinois. All properties and equipment are well maintained and in good operating condition and sufficient for the current level of activities. Metals distribution centers and sales offices are maintained at each of the following locations, all of which are owned in fee, except as indicated:
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(1) Leased: See Note 5 in the 1993 Annual Report to Stockholders, incorporated herein by this specific reference, for information regarding lease agreements.
ITEM 3.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
There are no material legal proceedings other than the ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business of the Company.
ITEM 4.

ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.
None.
PART II
ITEM 5.

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.
ITEM 6.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.
ITEM 7.

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
The information required to be filed in Part II (Items 5, 6, and 7) in Form 10-K has been included in the 1993 Annual Report to Stockholders, as required by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and is included elsewhere in the filing. Accordingly, the following items required under Items 5, 6, and 7 are incorporated herein by this specific reference to the 1993 Annual Report to Stockholders: "Common Stock Information", page 20, "Eleven-Year Financial and Operating Summary", pages 18 and 19, and "Financial Review", pages 7 and 8.
ITEM 8.


ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.
See Part IV, Item 14. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules, and Reports on Form 8-K.
ITEM 9.

ITEM 9. DISAGREEMENTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.
None.
PART III
ITEM 10.



ITEM 10. DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
All additional information required to be filed in Part III, Item 10, Form 10-K, has been included in the Definitive Proxy Statement dated March 11, 1994 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, pursuant to Regulation 14A entitled "Information Concerning Nominees for Directors" and is hereby incorporated by this specific reference.
ITEM 11.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.
All information required to be filed in Part III, Item 11, Form 10-K, has been included in the Definitive Proxy Statement dated March 11, 1994, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, pursuant to Regulation 14A entitled "Management Remuneration" and is hereby incorporated by this specific reference.
ITEM 12.

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT.
The information required to be filed in Part I, Item 4, Form 10-K, has been included in the Definitive Proxy Statement dated March 11, 1994, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A, entitled "Information Concerning Nominees for Directors" and "Stock Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management" is hereby incorporated by this specific reference.
Other than the information provided above, Part III has been omitted pursuant to General Instruction G for Form 10-K and Rule 12b-23 since the Company will file a Definitive Proxy Statement not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Form 10-K pursuant to Regulation 14A, which involves the election of Directors.
ITEM 13.

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS.
None.
PART IV
ITEM 14.

ITEM 14. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES, AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K.
Financial statements (incorporated by reference to the 1993 Annual Report to Stockholders) and exhibits are set forth in the accompanying index to Financial Statements and Schedules. No reports on Form 8-K were filed in the fourth quarter of 1993.
A. M. CASTLE & CO.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SCHEDULES
All schedules and exhibits, other than those listed above are omitted as the information is not required or is furnished elsewhere in the financial statements or the notes thereto.
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS ON SCHEDULES
To A. M. Castle & Co.:
We have audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, the financial statements included in the A. M. Castle & Co. 1993 Annual Report to Stockholders incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K, and have issued our report thereon dated February 4, 1994. Our audit was made for the purpose of forming an opinion on those statements taken as a whole. The schedules listed in the accompanying index are the responsibility of the company's management and are presented for purposes of complying with the Securities and Exchange Commission's rules and are not part of the basic financial statements. These schedules have been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in the audit of the basic financial statements and, in our opinion, fairly state in all material respects the financial data required to be set forth therein in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole.
Chicago, Illinois, February 4, 1994.
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS WITH RESPECT TO FORM S-8
As independent public accountants, we hereby consent to the incorporation of our report, incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K, into the Company's previously filed Registration Statement File No. 2-83884 on Form S-8.
Chicago, Illinois, March 4, 1994
SCHEDULE V
A. M. CASTLE & CO.
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1992, AND 1991 (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)
SCHEDULE VI
A. M. CASTLE & CO.
ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1992, AND 1991 (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)
SCHEDULE VIII
A. M. CASTLE & CO.
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE -- ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993, 1992, AND 1991 (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
A. M. Castle & Co. (Registrant)
By: /s/ James A. Podojil ------------------------------- James A. Podojil, Treasurer and Controller
(Mr. Podojil is the Chief Accounting Officer and has been authorized to sign on behalf of the registrant.)
Date: March 4, 1994
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
/s/ Michael Simpson - ------------------------------------- Michael Simpson, Chairman of the Board March 4, 1994
/s/ Richard G. Mork - ------------------------------------- Richard G. Mork, President-- Chief Executive Officer, and Director March 4, 1994
/s/ Edward F. Culliton - ------------------------------------- Edward F. Culliton, Vice President-- Chief Financial Officer, and Director March 4, 1994
/s/ William K. Hall - ------------------------------------- William K. Hall, Director March 4, 1993
/s/ Robert S. Hamada - ------------------------------------- Robert S. Hamada, Director Chairman, Audit Committee March 4, 1994
/s/ John W. McCarter, Jr. - ------------------------------------- John W. McCarter, Jr., Director March 4, 1994
/s/ William J. McDermott - ------------------------------------- William J. McDermott, Director March 4, 1994