NATIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES INC
11-K, 1998-07-14
ELECTRIC LIGHTING & WIRING EQUIPMENT
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Page 1 of 12
Exhibit Index on Page 2

FORM 11-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


Annual Report Pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934




(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, 1997

  OR

  [     ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
        ACT OF 1934 [NO FEE REQUIRED].
             For the transition period from       to



Commission file number     1- 3208

  A.    Full title of the plan and the address of the plan, if
        different from that of the issuer named below:

        National Linen Service Retirement and 401(k)
        Plan for Eligible Management Associates

  B.    Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan and
        the address of the principal executive office:

        National Service Industries, Inc.
        1420 Peachtree Street, NE
        Atlanta, Georgia 30309

<PAGE>

Page 2

REQUIRED INFORMATION

The following documents are filed as a part of this report:

1.   Financial Statements


     Plan  financial  statements  prepared  in  accordance  with  the  financial
     reporting requirements of ERISA include the following:

     Report of Independent Public Accountants

     Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits as of December
     31, 1997 and 1996

     Statement  of Changes  in Net  Assets  Available  for  Benefits,  with Fund
     Information, for the Year Ended December 31, 1997

     Notes to Financial Statements

2.   Exhibits
                                                             Sequentially
                                                               Numbered
     The following exhibit is filed with this report:            Page

     23     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP                       12



SIGNATURES

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
trustees (or other persons who administer  the employee  benefit plan) have duly
caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto
duly authorized.

                              National Linen Service Retirement and 401(k)
                              Plan for Eligible Management Associates

Date: July 14, 1998           By:   National Service Industries, Inc.
                                    Plan Administrator

                              By:    /s/ James S. Balloun
                              Name:  James S. Balloun
                              Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
<PAGE>
Page 3



                        National Linen Service Retirement
                               and 401(k) Plan for
                         Eligible Management Associates

              Financial Statements as of December 31, 1997 and 1996
                                  Together With
                                Auditors' Report




                    REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS



To the Plan Administrator of
National Linen Service Retirement
and 401(k) Plan for
Eligible Management Associates:


We have audited the accompanying statements of net assets available for benefits
of NATIONAL  LINEN SERVICE  RETIREMENT  AND 401(k) PLAN FOR ELIGIBLE  MANAGEMENT
ASSOCIATES as of December 31, 1997 and 1996 and the related statement of changes
in net assets available for benefits, with fund information,  for the year ended
December 31, 1997.  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 Plan as of
December 31, 1997 and 1996 and the changes in net assets  available for benefits
for the year ended  December  31, 1997 in  conformity  with  generally  accepted
accounting principles.

Our audits  were  performed  for the  purpose of forming an opinion on the basic
financial  statements taken as a whole. The fund information in the statement of
changes in net assets  available  for benefits is  presented  for the purpose of
additional  analysis rather than to present the changes in net assets  available
for  benefits  of each fund.  The fund  information  has been  subjected  to the
auditing procedures applied in the audits of the basic financial statements and,
in our opinion,  is fairly  stated in all  material  respects in relation to the
basic financial statements taken as a whole.



Atlanta, Georgia
May 15, 1998


<PAGE>
Page 4


                        NATIONAL LINEN SERVICE RETIREMENT

                               AND 401(k) PLAN FOR

                         ELIGIBLE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES


                 STATEMENTS OF NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS

                           DECEMBER 31, 1997 AND 1996







                                                             1997         1996

INVESTMENT IN NSI DC TRUST, at fair value (Note 2):
    Balanced Fund ....................................   $1,215,917   $1,182,866
    Diversified Equity Fund ..........................    1,534,605    1,483,524
    Stable Value Fund ................................      499,722      621,231
    NSI Stock Fund--participant-directed .............      251,879      272,773
    Loan Fund ........................................       56,761       58,647
    International Fund ...............................       66,731       40,347
    Index Fund .......................................       50,051            0
    Small Company Fund ...............................       27,467            0
    NSI Stock Fund--nonparticipant-directed ..........      885,063      654,542
              Total investment .......................    4,588,196    4,313,930
CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVABLE:
    Employer .........................................       10,015        9,505
    Participant ......................................       65,431       68,588
              Total contributions receivable .........       75,446       78,093
NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS ....................   $4,663,642   $4,392,023








The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.


<PAGE>
Page 5

                                                         



                        NATIONAL LINEN SERVICE RETIREMENT

                               AND 401(k) PLAN FOR

                         ELIGIBLE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES


           STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS,

                             WITH FUND INFORMATION,

                      FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997


<TABLE>
                                       Participant-Directed                                         Nonparticipant
                                  Diversified  Stable      NSI                                Small   Directed
                         Balanced    Equity     Value     Stock   Loan International Index    Company NSI Stock  Other
                          Fund        Fund      Fund      Fund    Fund      Fund      Fund     Fund     Fund               Total
<S>                      <C>       <C>        <C>       <C>       <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>      <C>       <C>      <C>       
CONTRIBUTIONS:

   Employer ........... $       0  $       0  $      0  $      0  $     0  $     0  $     0  $     0  $220,786  $   510  $ 221,296
   Participant ........   223,893    333,004   162,493    90,440        0   48,435   17,676    7,119         0   (3,157)   879,903
   Total contributions    223,893    333,004   162,493    90,440        0   48,435   17,676    7,119   220,786   (2,647) 1,101,199

NET GAIN (LOSS)
   FROM INVESTMENT IN
    NSI DC TRUST ......   281,979    412,797    38,489    85,536        0   (3,295)   2,661      425   229,302        0  1,047,894

BENEFITS PAID
    TO PARTICIPANTS ...  (467,332)  (713,591) (281,090) (167,033) (17,600) (10,590)    (667)      (4) (219,567)       0  (1,877,474)

INTRAPLAN TRANSFERS ...    (5,489)    18,871   (41,401)  (29,837)  15,714   (8,166)  30,381   19,927         0        0          0

NET INCREASE (DECREASE)    33,051     51,081  (121,509)  (20,894)  (1,886)  26,384   50,051   27,467   230,521   (2,647)   271,619

NET ASSETS AVAILABLE
   FOR BENEFITS,
     December 31, 1996  1,182,866  1,483,524   621,231   272,773   58,647   40,347        0        0   654,542   78,093  4,392,023

NET ASSETS AVAILABLE
   FOR BENEFITS,
    December 31, 1997 . $1,215,917 $1,534,605  499,722  $251,879  $56,761  $66,731  $50,051  $27,467  $885,063  $75,446  $4,663,642

</TABLE>


The accompanying notes are an integral part of this statement.


<PAGE>
Page 6

                        NATIONAL LINEN SERVICE RETIREMENT

                               AND 401(k) PLAN FOR

                         ELIGIBLE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES


                          NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                           DECEMBER 31, 1997 AND 1996



     1. PLAN DESCRIPTION

     The  following  is a  brief  description  of  the  National  Linen  Service
     Retirement and 401(k) Plan for Eligible Management  Associates (the "Plan")
     of the National Linen Service  Division (the "Company") of National Service
     Industries,  Inc. of Georgia, a wholly owned subsidiary of National Service
     Industries,  Inc.  ("NSI").  This description is provided for informational
     purposes  only.  Participants  should refer to the plan  agreement for more
     complete information.

     General

     The Plan is a defined  contribution  plan established  effective January 1,
     1994 under the  provisions of Section  401(a) of the Internal  Revenue Code
     ("IRC").  The Plan covers all nonunion management  employees of the Company
     who have  attained the age of 20.5 and have at least six months of service.
     The Plan is subject to the  provisions  of the Employee  Retirement  Income
     Security Act of 1974, as amended.

     Effective  July 13,  1997,  all of the assets and  liabilities  of the Plan
     attributable  to those  participants  employed  by the Company who were not
     working in dedicated  uniform  servicing  operations were transferred via a
     trustee-to-trustee  transfer to the G&K Services  401(k) Savings  Incentive
     Plan and trust  established  thereto.  The total amount of the transfer was
     $218,949  and  is  included  in  benefits  paid  to   participants  in  the
     accompanying  statement of changes in net assets  available  for  benefits.
     These participants became fully vested in the matching contribution portion
     of their accounts.

     Contributions

     Participants  may  elect to  contribute  between  1% and 10% of  before-tax
     compensation,  as defined in the Plan, subject to certain limitations under
     the IRC. Matching  contributions are made by the Company in an amount equal
     to 50% of the  participant's  contribution,  up to 4% of the  participant's
     annual compensation or $1,000, whichever is less, in a plan year. Effective
     January 1, 1998,  the  $1,000  limitation  on  matching  contributions  was
     eliminated. Additional discretionary matching amounts, as determined by the
     board of  directors  of NSI,  may be  contributed  by the  Company  and are
     allocated  to  participants  employed  by the  Company  and who were making
     deferrals  on the last  day of the plan  year  based on  relative  elective
     deferrals.

     Additional discretionary profit-sharing amounts, as determined by the board
     of directors of NSI, may be contributed by the Company and are allocated to
     participants employed by the Company on the last day of the plan year based
     on relative compensation.

     Vesting

     Participants  are always  fully vested in their  individual  contributions.
     Vesting of employer  contributions  occurs on an increasing scale,  ranging
     from 10% vesting  after two years of service,  as defined,  to 100% vesting
     after seven years of service. Effective January 1, 1998, vesting occurs 20%
     for each year of service,  with 100%  vesting  after five years of service.
     Nonvested  employer   contributions  are  forfeited  upon  a  participant's
     withdrawal   from  the  Plan  and  are  used  to  reduce  future   employer
     contributions.
<PAGE>
Page 7

     Administration

     All administrative expenses of the Plan were paid by the Company during the
     year ended December 31, 1997.

     Participants' Accounts

     Individual  accounts are maintained for each of the Plan's  participants to
     reflect the particular  participant's  contributions  and related  employer
     contributions as well as the  participant's  share of the Plan's income and
     any related investment management fees and expenses.

     The Plan's investment fund balances are expressed in units. At December 31,
     1997 and 1996,  318,456 and 352,869 units,  respectively,  were assigned to
     plan participants.  Unit values for each investment fund were as follows at
     December 31, 1997 and 1996:

                                                                1997        1996

                Balanced Fund...............................   $33.18     $26.40
                Diversified Equity Fund.....................    14.04      12.05
                Stable Value Fund...........................    12.07      11.31
                NSI Stock Fund..............................    19.61      14.52
                International Fund..........................     4.82       5.01
                Index Fund..................................    89.56        N/A
                Small Company Fund..........................    11.21        N/A
                

     Investment in Master Trust

     Under a trust agreement dated September 1, 1993, as amended,  Wachovia Bank
     of Georgia,  N.A.  was  appointed  trustee of the NSI Defined  Contribution
     Plan's  Master  Trust  (the "NSI DC  Trust").  Effective  January  1, 1998,
     INVESCO Trust Company has been appointed trustee of the NSI DC Trust.

     The Plan's  assets are  commingled  in the NSI DC Trust  together  with the
     assets of certain defined  contribution  plans of other NSI divisions.  The
     investments  of the NSI DC Trust  are  subject  to  certain  administrative
     guidelines  and  limitations  as to type and  amount  of  securities  held.
     Certain  fund  assets are  allocated  to  selected  independent  investment
     managers to invest under these general guidelines.

     Investment Options

     The  separate  investment  options  made  available  under  the Plan may be
     changed,  eliminated,  or  modified  from  time to  time by the  investment
     committee of the NSI DC Trust. Participants make their investment elections
     in 5% increments,  with changes allowed on a daily basis.  Participants may
     not  direct  the   investment   of  company   matching  or   profit-sharing
     contributions. These are invested in the NSI Stock Fund discussed below.
<PAGE>
Page 8

     The separate investment options offered by the Plan are as follows:

     o    Diversified  Equity  Fund.  This  fund  is a  diversified  stock  fund
          designed to invest in a broad range of common stocks providing capital
          growth.

     o    Stable Value Fund.  This is a fixed income fund  designed to provide a
          steady  level of current  income  while  focusing on  preservation  of
          principal.

     o    Balanced Fund. This fund is invested in a changing mix of high-quality
          stocks and bonds.  The fund is designed to provide  capital growth and
          current income while limiting the risk of principal loss.

     o    NSI Stock Fund. This fund is invested in NSI common stock, although it
          may hold other short-term investments from time to time. A participant
          may not direct more than 50% of his/her account balance to be invested
          in this fund.

     o    International  Fund.  This fund is  invested  in the stock of non-U.S.
          companies and is designed to provide long-term growth.

     o    Index Fund.  This fund offered  beginning June 1997 is invested in all
          of the  stocks in the  Standard  & Poor's 500  Composite  Stock  Price
          Index.

     o    Small Company Fund. This fund offered  beginning June 1997 is invested
          in small or emerging  companies that show potential for increased size
          and profitability. The fund seeks little or no current income.

     Loans to Participants

     The Plan  permits  loans to  participants  up to the  lesser  of 50% of the
     participant's  vested account  balance or $50,000.  A participant has up to
     five years to repay the principal and interest,  unless the loan is for the
     purchase of a primary residence, in which case the repayment period will be
     established  at the time the loan is  approved.  Loan  processing  fees are
     charged directly to the participant's  account.  Interest rates on loans to
     participants  are  based  on  market  rates,  as  determined  by  the  plan
     administrator. The interest rate as of December 31, 1997 was 9.5%.

     Loan issuances and  repayments  are included in intraplan  transfers in the
     accompanying  statement of changes in net assets  available  for  benefits.
     Interest  on loans is included  in the net gain from  investment  in NSI DC
     Trust and is  allocated  to each  investment  fund  based on  participants'
     investment elections.

     Benefits

     A participant  is entitled to receive the  distribution  of his/her  vested
     account  balance upon death,  disability,  or  retirement  (age 65).  These
     benefits are payable in a lump-sum amount or can be paid in installments at
     the participant's election if his/her vested balance is greater than $3,500
     and he/she is age 55 or older. A participant who terminates employment with
     the  Company for  reasons  other than these is entitled to receive  his/her
     contributions in a lump sum as soon as administratively feasible.

     Benefits  are payable in cash,  except that any portion of a  participant's
     account  balance which is invested in the NSI Stock Fund is  distributed in
     the form of shares of NSI common  stock,  with  fractional  shares  paid in
     cash. If the equivalent number of shares to be distributed to a participant
     is less than 100, then the participant may elect to receive cash instead of
     shares as his/her distribution.

     Hardship  withdrawals  may be made  upon  proven  financial  hardship  of a
     participant, as defined in the plan agreement and as approved by the Plan's
     retirement committee.

     Plan Termination

     Although  the  Company  intends  for the  Plan to be  permanent,  the  Plan
     provides that the Company has the right to discontinue  contributions or to
     terminate  the Plan at any  time.  In the event of plan  termination,  each
     participant  shall be vested in the balance of his/her  account and his/her
     proportionate share of any future adjustments.
<PAGE>
Page 9


2.   SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

     Basis of Accounting

     The accounts of the Plan are maintained by the trustee on the cash basis of
     accounting.  The accompanying financial statements have been prepared using
     the accrual method of accounting by application of memorandum entries.  The
     preparation of financial  statements in conformity with generally  accepted
     accounting  principles  requires the Plan's management to use estimates and
     assumptions   that  affect  the  accompanying   financial   statements  and
     disclosures. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

     Investment Valuation

     Investments  of the NSI DC  Trust,  except  for the  guaranteed  investment
     contracts ("GICs"),  are stated at fair value, as determined by the trustee
     from quoted market  prices.  Securities  traded on a national  exchange are
     valued at the last  reported  sales price on the last  business  day of the
     plan year;  investments  traded in the  over-the-counter  market and listed
     securities  for which no sale was reported on the last day of the plan year
     are valued at the last reported bid price.

     GICs  included  in the NSI DC Trust  are fully  benefit-responsive  and are
     therefore  carried at contract  value (cost plus  accrued  interest) in the
     accompanying  financial statements in accordance with Statement of Position
     94-4.  At December  31, 1997 and 1996,  contract  value  approximates  fair
     value. At December 31, 1997, the weighted average  crediting  interest rate
     was 7.0%.  For the year ended  December 31,  1997,  the annual yield on the
     GICs held by the NSI DC Trust was 6.9%. For certain of the GICs held by the
     NSI DC Trust,  crediting  interest  rates may be changed if certain  events
     occur, such as early retirements,  plant closings, etc., but in no case are
     adjusted  to a rate less than 0%.  

     GICs are  subject  to credit  risk based on the  ability  of the  insurance
     company to meet  interest or principal  payments,  or both,  as they become
     due.
<PAGE>
Page 10

     Certain GICs included in the NSI DC Trust are  synthetic;  that is, the NSI
     DC Trust owns certain  fixed  income  securities,  and the contract  issuer
     provides a "wrapper"  that  guarantees  a fixed rate of return and provides
     benefit  responsiveness.  At  December  31,  1997,  the  fair  value of the
     underlying  assets of the  synthetic  GICs  (determined  from quoted market
     prices) and the value of the related wrapper contracts were $42,945,334 and
     $(825,875), respectively.


3. NSI DC TRUST

     Investment Income

     Investment  income of the NSI DC Trust for the year ended December 31, 1997
     is summarized as follows:

                Dividends on common stock......................... $     454,559
                Interest income...................................     4,303,571
                Net appreciation in fair value of NSI common stock     4,046,711
                Net income from common/collective trust...........    18,537,212
                Net income from mutual funds......................    14,708,000
                Net loss from pooled separate account.............     (104,200)
                              Total investment income.............   $41,945,853



     The  investment  income of the NSI DC Trust for the year ended December 31,
     1997 is allocated among participating plans as follows:

                National Linen Service Retirement
                   and 401(k) Plan for Eligible
                    Management Associates........................   $  1,047,894
                All other NSI plans..............................     40,897,959
                              Total..............................    $41,945,853


     Net Assets

     The net assets of the NSI DC Trust are as follows at December  31, 1997 and
     1996:

                                                          1997           1996

                Mutual funds......................  $  79,312,170  $  63,411,122
                Common/collective trust...........     79,112,333     57,558,795
                Guaranteed investment contracts...     52,443,357     55,187,898
                NSI common stock..................     18,045,789     11,279,289
                Loans receivable from participants      7,564,684      6,828,607
                Money market fund.................      1,740,602      3,704,985
                Pooled separate account...........      2,385,857      2,723,094
                                                      240,604,792    200,693,790
                Cash..............................          9,476         13,342
                                                      240,614,268    200,707,132
                Accrued investment income.........        112,870        100,534
                Adjustments for pending trades....      (199,191)      (223,542)
                Other.............................       (47,759)       (54,239)
                Net assets........................   $240,480,188   $200,529,885

<PAGE>
Page 11
                
     The allocation of the net assets of the NSI DC Trust to participating plans
     is based on participant units and is as follows as of December 31, 1997 and
     1996:

                                                1997                   1996
                                           Amount   Percent     Amount   Percent
       National Linen Service Retirement
           and 401(k) Plan for Eligible          
           Management Associates.....  $  4,588,196  1.91%   $  4,313,930   2.2%
       All other plans...............   235,891,992  98.09    196,215,955   97.8
                     Total...........  $240,480,188 100.00%  $200,529,885 100.0%
     
     Investment in NSI Common Stock

     As  of  December   31,  1997  and  1996,   approximately   7.5%  and  5.6%,
     respectively,  of the NSI DC Trust's net assets were invested in the common
     stock of NSI, a party in interest to the Plan.


4.   TAX STATUS

     The Plan has  received a favorable  determination  letter from the Internal
     Revenue  Service dated  December 5, 1996 stating that the Plan was designed
     in accordance  with plan design  requirements as of that date. The Plan has
     been amended since receiving the determination  letter.  However,  the plan
     administrator  believes  that the Plan is  currently  designed and is being
     operated  in  compliance  with  the  applicable  requirements  of the  IRC.
     Therefore,  the plan administrator believes that the Plan was qualified and
     that the related trust was tax-exempt as of December 31, 1997 and 1996.








<PAGE>

Page 12

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS








As independent public accountants, we hereby consent to the incorporation of our
report  included  in this Form 11-K into  National  Service  Industries,  Inc.'s
previously  filed  Registration  Statement  covering the National  Linen Service
Retirement and 401(k) Plan for Eligible Management Associates.



/s/ Arthur Andersen LLP
    Arthur Andersen LLP



Atlanta, Georgia
July 10, 1998



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