---------------------------------------------- SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 11-K (Mark One) [X] ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 [FEE REQUIRED] for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1993 or [ ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 [FEE REQUIRED] for the transition period from _____________ to ______________. Commission File Number ............... 1-5964 A. Full title of the plan and the address of the plan, if different from that of the issuer named below: Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan. B. Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the Plan and the address of its principal executive office: ALCO STANDARD CORPORATION P.O. BOX 834 VALLEY FORGE, PA 19482-0834 REQUIRED INFORMATION -------------------- a. Financial Statements. The following financial statements are furnished for -------------------- the Plan. 1. Audited Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits - December 31, 1993 and December 31, 1992. 2. Audited Statements of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits - for the years ended December 31, 1993 and December 31, 1992. 3. Notes to Financial Statements 4. Schedules (a) Assets Held for Investment (b) Transactions or Series of Transactions in Excess of 5% of the Current Value of Plan Assets b. Exhibits -------- Exhibit 23 Consent of Independent Auditors Financial Statements and Schedules Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan Years ended December 31, 1993 and 1992 with Report of Independent Auditors Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan Financial Statements and Schedules Years ended December 31, 1993 and 1992 CONTENTS Report of Independent Auditors.............................. 1 Audited Financial Statements Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits............. 2 Statements of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits.. 3 Notes to Financial Statements............................... 4 Schedules Assets Held for Investment.................................. 7 Transactions or Series of Transactions in Excess of 5% of the Current Value of Plan Assets..................... 8 Report of Independent Auditors Trustees of the Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan We have audited the accompanying statements of net assets available for benefits of the Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan as of December 31, 1993 and 1992, and the related statements of changes in net assets available for benefits for the years then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Plan's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the net assets available for benefits of the Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan at December 31, 1993 and 1992, and the changes in its net assets available for benefits for the years then ended, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. Our audits were made for the purpose of forming an opinion on the financial statements taken as a whole. The accompanying supplemental schedules of assets held for investment as of December 31, 1993 and transactions or series of transactions in excess of 5% of the current value of plan assets for the year then ended are presented for purposes of complying with the Department of Labor's Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and are not a required part of the financial statements. The supplemental schedules have been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in our audit of the 1993 financial statements and, in our opinion, are fairly stated in all material respects in relation to the 1993 financial statements taken as a whole. May 20, 1994 1 Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits December 31 1993 1992 ----------------------------- Assets Cash $ 256,564 $ 195,569 Investments at fair value: Alco Standard Corporation common stock: 1993--4,508,927 shares; cost--$127,279,793; 1992--4,423,450 shares; cost--$111,773,801; 246,863,753 160,902,994 Pre-retirement Fund 5,312,493 4,279,322 Interest income receivable 84,140 - Contributions receivable 2,686,575 2,080,518 ----------------------------- 255,203,525 167,458,403 Liabilities Benefits payable - 1,037,980 ----------------------------- Net assets available for benefits $255,203,525 $166,420,423 ============================= See accompanying notes. 2 Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan Statements of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits Year ended December 31 1993 1992 ----------------------------- Additions: Employee contributions $ 21,257,885 $ 17,570,849 Employer contributions 13,384,986 11,223,037 Dividend income 4,330,665 3,929,940 Interest income 350,197 303,187 ----------------------------- Total additions 39,323,733 33,027,013 Deductions: Benefits: Cash 953,876 656,010 Alco Standard Corporation common stock 31,951,633 20,169,297 Administrative expenses 170,707 167,729 ----------------------------- Total deductions 33,076,216 20,993,036 ----------------------------- 6,247,517 12,033,977 Realized and unrealized gain on investments 82,535,585 8,613,719 ----------------------------- Net increase for the year 88,783,102 20,647,696 Net assets available for benefits at beginning of year 166,420,423 145,772,727 ----------------------------- Net assets available for benefits at end of year $255,203,525 $166,420,423 ============================= See accompanying notes. 3 Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan Notes to Financial Statements December 31, 1993 1. Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The accounting records of the Plan are maintained on the accrual basis. Employee contributions and related employer required matching contributions are recognized when withheld from the employees' pay. Investments The cost of investments in Alco Standard Corporation common stock represents the amount paid less the average cost of stock distributions. The market value of the investments is determined by use of the last reported sales price on the last business day of the year, as reported on a national securities exchange. The Pre-retirement Fund consists of investments in investment contracts. This Fund is managed jointly by an insurance company and two trust companies. Investments in the Pre-retirement Fund are valued at contract value which represents investments made under the contract, plus interest at the contract rate, less funds used to pay retirement benefits and to pay for the manager's administrative expenses. Realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments represents the sum of the change in the difference between December 31 market value and cost of investments and the difference between the market value and cost of distributions of stock for withdrawals or terminated participants. Benefits Payable As required by the Internal Revenue Service, a $2,559,327 benefit payable and related expense is reported on Form 5500 for the plan year ended December 31, 1993. 2. Description of Plan The Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan is a defined contribution plan. With certain exceptions, participation is limited to full-time and part-time personnel of Alco Standard Corporation and its domestic subsidiaries which adopt the Plan. 4 Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan Notes to Financial Statements (continued) 2. Description of Plan (continued) Participants may elect to contribute on a pretax basis an amount which is not less than 2% nor more than 6% of annual regular salaries or wages paid, so long as such amount does not exceed the maximum allowable under the Internal Revenue Code. Sponsoring units of Alco (employers) contribute an amount equal to two-thirds of the participants' before-tax contributions. The employers' contribution vests with the participant at 25% per year beginning with the participant's second year of service so that full vesting occurs after five years of service. The participant is also fully vested upon retirement, position termination due to permanent shutdown of plant and department, total and permanent disability, or death. All contributions (and any dividends thereon) will be invested in Alco Standard Corporation common stock except for the purpose of temporary investment pending either the purchase of Alco Standard Corporation stock, the distribution of cash from the Plan, or the elimination of fractional shares. For this purpose, contributions not invested in Alco Standard Corporation stock can be invested in cash equivalents. Once the participant reaches the age of 55, the participant has the option to exchange a portion of the value of common stock for an investment in a guaranteed investment contract. The Company has the right to amend or terminate the Plan at any time. In the event of Plan termination, the rights of affected participants shall be 100% vested. Administrative expenses of the Plan are paid by the Plan. As of December 31, 1993 and 1992, there were 14,626 and 12,182 individuals participating in the Plan, respectively. Information about the Plan, including vesting and withdrawal provisions, is contained in the Summary Plan Description, which is available from the Plan Administrator. 5 Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan Notes to Financial Statements (continued) 3. Income Tax Status The Internal Revenue Service has ruled that the Plan qualifies under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and is, therefore, not subject to tax under present income tax laws. Once qualified, the Plan is required to operate in conformity with the IRC to maintain its qualification. The trustees are not aware of any course of action or series of events that have occurred that might adversely affect the Plan's qualified status. 4. Transactions with Parties in Interest During 1993 and 1992, respectively, the Plan purchased from Alco Standard Corporation 816,560 shares (cost $36,414,787) and 924,116 shares (cost $33,614,751) of its common stock. Amounts paid for these shares approximated the average market price in the month of purchase. 6 Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan Assets Held for Investment December 31, 1993 Description Current Identity of Issue of Investment Cost Value - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alco Standard Corporation* Common stock--4,508,927 shares Common stock $127,279,793 $246,863,753 Connecticut General Life Insurance Guaranteed Company Guaranteed Long-Term Fund Investment Contracts 2,718,091 2,718,091 La Salle National Trust Company Income Guaranteed Plus Fund Investment Contracts 1,299,774 1,299,774 Fidelity Management Trust Company Guaranteed Managed Income Portfolio Investment Contracts 1,294,628 1,294,628 ----------------------------------- $132,592,286 $252,176,246 =================================== * Party-in-interest. 7 Alco Standard Corporation Stock Participation Plan Transactions or Series of Transactions in Excess of 5% of the Current Value of Plan Assets Year ended December 31, 1993 Selling Price Identity of Description or Maturity Net Gain Party Involved of Assets Purchase Price Value Cost or (Loss) - - - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Category III--A series of transactions in a security issue aggregating 5% of plan assets - - - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alco Standard Common stock--purchased 816,560 Corporation* shares in 12 transactions; distributed 731,083 shares in 12 transactions $36,414,787 $32,989,613 $20,908,795 $12,080,818 Pursuant to DOL Regulation Section 2520.103-6, there were no category I, II, or IV reportable transactions during 1993. * Party-in-interest. 8 SIGNATURES ---------- Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Plan has duly caused this annual report to be signed by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. ALCO STANDARD CORPORATION STOCK PARTICIPATION PLAN ------------------------ By: /s/Donna G. Yurick --------------------------- Dated: June 22, 1994 Donna G. Yurick Plan Administrator SIGNATURES ---------- Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Plan has duly caused this annual report to be signed by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. ALCO STANDARD CORPORATION STOCK PARTICIPATION PLAN ------------------------ By: --------------------------- Dated: June 22, 1994 Donna G. Yurick Plan Administrator FORM 11-K ALCO STANDARD CORPORATION STOCK PARTICIPATION PLAN FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1993 INDEX TO EXHIBIT ---------------- Exhibit Number Description - - - -------------- ----------- Exhibit 23 Consent of Independent Auditors