SPEEDFAM INTERNATIONAL INC
8-K, 1997-05-27
SPECIAL INDUSTRY MACHINERY, NEC
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20579


                          -----------------------------


                                    FORM 8-K
                                 CURRENT REPORT



                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)-- May 22, 1997


                          SPEEDFAM INTERNATIONAL, INC.
             ------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



          Illinois                      0-26784                   36-2421613
- ----------------------------   ------------------------      ------------------
(State or other jurisdiction   (Commission File Number)        (IRS Employer
      of incorporation)                                      Identification No.)



 7406 West Detroit, Chandler, Arizona                              85226
- ----------------------------------------                         ----------
(Address of principal executive offices)                         (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (602) 961-2175


<PAGE>


ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS

         Pursuant to Instruction F to Form 8-K, the information contained in the
press release filed as Exhibit 99.1 hereto is hereby  incorporated  by reference
in answer to Item 5 of this Form 8-K.



ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS

        99.1  Press Release, dated May 23, 1997.









                                       -2-

<PAGE>
                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the  requirements  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.

                                   SPEEDFAM INTERNATIONAL, INC.


Date:  May 23, 1997                By: /s/ ROGER K. MARACH
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                   Name:   Roger K. Marach
                                   Title:  Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer











                                       -3-

<PAGE>


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



EXHIBIT                             DESCRIPTION

 99.1                     Press Release, dated May 23, 1997.









                                       -4-



EXHIBIT 99.1

                                      For more information, contact:

                                     Roger K. Marach, Chief Financial Officer
                                     (602) 961-2175

                                     Karen A. Silva, Manager, Investor Relations
                                     (602) 961-5567         Fax: (602) 961-2171


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

               SPEEDFAM INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT CHANGE

               FARLEY REMAINS AS CHAIRMAN; KOUZUMA PROMOTED TO CEO

CHANDLER, Ariz. -- May 23,1997 - SpeedFam International,  Inc. (NASDAQ:SFAM),  a
leading supplier of high-throughput  chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems
for the semiconductor and disk media industries worldwide,  today announced that
Makoto  Kouzuma,  president and chief  operating  officer,  has been promoted to
chief executive officer, effective immediately.  James N. Farley, formerly chief
executive officer, remains as chairman of the board.

         "This move executes our logical succession plan and recognizes the many
significant  contributions  of Makoto  Kouzuma  to the  growth  and  success  of
SpeedFam," said Farley. "Among other accomplishments, he has led the development
of our Far East Joint Venture as a powerful source of technology and profit, and
the establishment of SpeedFam as a truly global  enterprise.  Having Mr. Kouzuma
as CEO will enable me to focus  full-time on long-term  business  strategies for
maintaining  our  leadership of the CMP industry and for optimizing the value of
our Company to shareholders."

         Both Farley,  68, and Kouzuma,  57, have been  affiliated with SpeedFam
since its formative years.

         Farley joined the Company in 1960 as business manager,  was promoted to
vice  president of sales,  and then became  president in 1967.  In 1993,  he was
elected chairman and chief executive officer.  Farley has served on the SpeedFam
board since 1961.

                                  -- more --
<PAGE>

SPEEDFAM ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT CHANGE                                      PAGE 2


         Kouzuma opened a liaison office for SpeedFam in Japan in 1969. In 1971,
he helped to establish  SpeedFam Co., Ltd, -- the Far East Joint Venture -- and,
as executive vice president and general manager,  has successfully  directed its
operations  since that time.  From 1990 to 1993,  he was  president  of SpeedFam
Corporation,  the U.S.  subsidiary.  Kouzuma was  appointed  president and chief
operating officer of SpeedFam  International  Inc., the parent company, in 1993.
He has served on the board of directors since 1982.

         "I am honored  by the faith and trust that Mr.  Farley has shown in me,
and I will do my best to perform as he expects,"  said  Kouzuma.  "I welcome his
continuation  as chairman and value his advice.  Our 28 years of joint effort in
the SpeedFam group have shown that, as a team, we are able to operate and grow a
successful company."

         "I intend to be an active chairman, providing advice and counsel to Mr.
Kouzuma and the rest of the management  team," Farley added.  "Our new CEO is an
extremely capable individual,  ready for the challenges and opportunities that
lie ahead for SpeedFam."

THE COMPANY

         SpeedFam International,  Inc. designs, develops, manufactures,  markets
and services chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) systems used in the fabrication
of semiconductor devices and other high-throughput precision systems used in the
fabrication  of thin film memory disk  media,  semiconductor  wafers and general
industrial  components.   In  addition,  the  Company  markets  and  distributes
polishing  liquids  (slurry),  parts  and  expendables  used  in its  customers'
manufacturing processes. SpeedFam International, Inc. owns a 50-percent interest
in each of two joint ventures, SpeedFam Co., Ltd. and Fujimi Corporation.

         Certain  statements  in this news release  constitute  'forward-looking
statements' within the meaning of the Private  Securities  Litigation Reform Act
of 1995.  Such  forward-looking  statements  involve  known and  unknown  risks,
uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results,  performance
or  achievements  of the  Company  to be  materially  different  from any future
results,   performance   or   achievements   expressed   or   implied   by  such
forward-looking  statements.  The aforementioned risks,  uncertainties and other
factors are discussed in the Company's  filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC).

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