Federal Signal
FSS
#2586
Rank
$6.84 B
Marketcap
$112.17
Share price
1.25%
Change (1 day)
-5.05%
Change (1 year)
Text size:
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K

[X] ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999
OR
[ ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from __________ to __________

Commission File Number 1-6003

FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION
(Exact name of the Registrant as specified in its charter)

DELAWARE 36-1063330
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization) Identification No.)

1415 West 22nd Street,
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

The Registrant's telephone number, including area code (630) 954-2000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Name of Each Exchange
Title of Each Class on Which Registered
------------------- -----------------------
Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share, New York Stock Exchange
with preferred share purchase rights

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required
to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was
required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes X No ___

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405
of Regulation S-K (ss.229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will
not be contained, to the best of the Registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy
or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form
10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [X]

State the aggregate market value of voting stock held by nonaffiliates of the
Registrant as of March 1, 2000.
Common stock, $1.00 par value -- $618,531,017

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the Registrant's classes of
common stock, as of March 1, 2000.
Common stock, $1.00 par value - 45,303,256 shares

Documents Incorporated by Reference
--------------------------------------
Portions of the Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended December 31,
1999 are incorporated by reference into Parts I & II. Portions of the proxy
statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 20, 2000
are incorporated by reference in Part III.
PART I

Item 1. Business.

Federal Signal Corporation, founded in 1901, was reincorporated as a
Delaware Corporation in 1969. The company is a manufacturer and worldwide
supplier of safety, signaling and communications equipment, hazardous area
lighting, fire rescue vehicles, vehicle-mounted aerial access platforms, street
sweeping and vacuum loader vehicles, high pressure water blasting systems,
parking revenue and access control equipment, custom on-premise signage, carbide
cutting tools, precision punches and related die components.

Products produced and services rendered by the Registrant and its
subsidiaries (referred to collectively as the "Registrant" herein, unless
context otherwise indicates) are divided into five identified groups: Safety
Products, Sign, Tool, Environmental Products and Fire Rescue. Business units are
organized under each segment because they share certain characteristics, such as
technology, marketing, and product application that create long-term synergies.
The Financial Review and Note M - Segment Information included in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements contained in the Annual Report to Shareholders
for the year ended December 31, 1999 are incorporated herein by reference.

Developments, including acquisitions and divestitures of businesses,
considered significant to the company or individual segments are described under
the following discussions of the applicable groups.

Safety Products Group

Significant subsidiaries or operations of the Safety Products Group include
the Signal Products Division, Aplicaciones Tecnologicas VAMA S.A. (VAMA), Victor
Industries Ltd. (Victor), Pauluhn Electric Mfg. Co., Justrite Manufacturing
Company (Justrite), and Federal APD. Virtually all of these businesses have the
leading position in their respective domestic markets. The group also includes a
number of other business units most of which have been acquired within the past
five years and which are described later below.

The group's products principally consist of: (1) a variety of visual and
audible warning, signaling, and communications devices used by private industry,
federal, state and local governments, building contractors, police, fire and
medical fleets, utilities and civil defense; (2) hazardous area lighting and
communications products used by mines, petrochemical plants, offshore oil
platforms and other hazardous industrial sites; (3) safety containment products
for handling and storing hazardous materials used by a wide variety of
industrial and laboratory customers as well as military agencies and municipal,
state and federal governments; and (4) parking, revenue control, and access
control equipment and systems for parking facilities, commercial businesses,
bridge and pier installation and residential developments.

Visual and audible warning and signaling devices include emergency vehicle
warning lights, electromechanical and electronic vehicle sirens and industrial
signal lights, sirens, horns, bells and solid state audible signals,
audio/visual emergency warning and evacuation systems, including weather and
nuclear power plant warning notification systems and industrial intercoms and
communications systems.

Hazardous area lighting and communications products include specialized
lights, control ballasts, connectors, and microprocessor-based public address
and multi-party paging systems.
Safety  containment  products  include  safety  cabinets for  flammables and
corrosives; safety and dispenser cans; waste receptacles and disposal cans;
spill control pallets and overpacks; and hazardous material storage buildings,
lockers, pallets and platforms.

Parking, revenue control, and access control equipment and systems include
parking and security gates, card access readers, ticket issuing devices, coin
and token units, fee computers, automatic paystations, various forms of
electronic control units and personal computer-based revenue and access control
systems.

During the period 1995 through 1999, the following businesses were acquired and
became part of the Safety Products Group:

Principal
Entity Headquarters Acquired Principal
Products/Services

Millbank England January 1999 Commercial and
industrial
communications systems

Atkinson Dynamics Illinois August 1998 Industrial intercoms,
communications systems

Stinger Spike California September 1998 Tire deflation products
for the law enforcement
industry

Citicomp Brazil October 1998 Parking equipment -
Brazil

NRL Corp. Canada November 1998 Explosion-proof
lighting for land based
oil and gas rigs

Extec Ltd. England December 1998 Explosion-proof
telephone housing

Akusta IFE England October 1997 Heavy duty and
explosion-proof
communications equipment

Pauluhn Electric Texas July 1997 Hazardous area and
explosion-proof
electrical products

Victor England June 1996 Hazardous area
industrial lighting
products

Target Tech Illinois December 1995 Amber signaling
products for
construction and work
vehicles

Warning and signaling products, which account for the principal portion of
the group's business, are marketed to both industrial and governmental users.
Many of the group's products are designed in accordance with various regulatory
codes and standards, and meet agency approvals such as Factory Mutual (FM) and
Underwriters Laboratory (UL). Products are sold to industrial customers through
manufacturers' representatives who sell to approximately 1,500 wholesalers.
Products are also sold to governmental customers through more than 900 active
independent distributors as well as through original equipment manufacturers and
direct sales. International sales are made through the group's independent
foreign distributors or on a direct basis.
Because of the large number of the group's products, the group competes with
a variety of manufacturers and suppliers and encounters varying competitive
conditions among its different products and different classes of customers.
Because of the variety of such products and customers, no meaningful estimate of
either the total number of competitors or the group's overall competitive
position within the global market can be made. Generally, competition is intense
as to all of the group's products and, as to most such products, is based on
price, including competitive bidding, product reputation and performance, and
product servicing.

The backlog of orders of the Safety Products Group products believed to be
firm at December 31, 1999 and 1998 was $27.3 million and $25.7 million,
respectively. Almost all of the backlog of orders at December 31, 1999, are
reasonably expected to be filled within the current fiscal year.

Sign Group

The Sign Group, operating principally under the name "Federal Sign",
designs, engineers, manufactures, installs and maintains sign displays for both
sale and lease. The group additionally provides sign repair services and also
enters into maintenance service contracts for signs it manufactures as well as
signs produced by other manufacturers. Its operations are oriented to custom
designing and engineering of commercial and industrial signs or groups of signs
for its customers.

The sale and lease of signs and the sale of maintenance contracts are
conducted primarily through the group's direct sale organization that operates
from its twenty-four principal sales and manufacturing facilities located
strategically throughout the continental U.S. Customers for sign products and
services consist of local commercial businesses, as well as major national and
multi-national companies.

Some of the group's displays are leased to customers for terms of typically
three to five years, with both the lease and the maintenance portions of many
such contracts then renewed for successive periods.

The group is nationally a principal producer of high-end custom and
custom-quantity signs. The group's marketing strategies focus on market segments
to which it can provide a unique set of services. The group has multiple
regional and national competitors. Competition for sign products and services is
intense and competitive factors are largely quality, price, project and program
management capabilities, aesthetic and design considerations, and
lease/maintenance services.

Total backlog at December 31, 1999, applicable to sign products and services
was approximately $49.2 million compared to approximately $54.7 million at
December 31, 1998. A significant part of the group's sign products and services
backlog relates to sign maintenance contracts since such contracts are usually
performed over long periods of time. At December 31, 1999, the Sign Group had a
backlog of in-service sign maintenance contracts of approximately $28.2 million
compared to approximately $32.4 million at December 31, 1998. With the exception
of the sign maintenance contracts, most of the backlog orders at December 31,
1999, are reasonably expected to be filled within the current fiscal year.

In January 2000, the Registrant announced it is seeking buyers for the Sign
Group due to the company focusing its growth strategies into its other groups.
Tool Group

Tool Group products are produced by the group's wholly-owned subsidiaries.
The die components and precision tooling operations include: Dayton Progress
Corporation, Schneider Stanznormalien GmbH (Schneider), Jamestown Precision
Tooling, Inc., Technical Tooling, Inc. (TTI), and M.J. Industries (MJI). The
cutting tool operations include Manchester Tool Company, Clapp & Haney Tool
Company and Dico Corporation. During the period 1995 to 1996, sales and revenue
were also generated by Bassett Rotary Tool Company, a manufacturer of rotary
carbide cutting tools, which was sold at the end of 1996.

The die components and precision tooling operations manufacture and purchase
for resale an extensive variety of consumable standard and special die
components for the metal stamping industry. These components consist of piercing
punches, matched die matrixes, punch holders or retainers, can and body punches,
precision ground high alloy parts and many other products related to a metal
stamper's needs. The die components and precision tooling operations also
produce a large variety of consumable precision metal products for customers'
nonstamping needs, including special heat exchanger tools, beverage container
tools, powder compacting tools and molding components.

During the period 1995 through 1999, the die components and precision
tooling operations continued to broaden the markets they serve through the
following acquisitions:

Principal
Entity Headquarters Acquired Principal Products/Services

MJI France August 1996 Precision punch and die
components

TTI Minnesota July 1996 Body punch tooling

The acquisitions of these businesses provide manufacturing capabilities on
the European continent and greater access to European markets and complement and
broaden the operations' can and body punch product lines.

The carbide cutting tool operations manufacture consumable carbide and
superhard insert tooling for cutoff and deep grooving metal cutting
applications. In July 1999, the company acquired Clapp & Haney Tool Company
("Clapp & Haney"). Located near Toledo, Ohio, Clapp & Haney is the leading U.S.
manufacturer and marketer of polycrystalline diamond and cubic boron nitride
consumable tooling.

Because of the nature of and market for the group's products, competition is
keen at both domestic and international levels. Many customers have some ability
to produce certain products themselves, but at a cost disadvantage. Major market
emphasis is placed on quality of product, delivery and level of service.

Tool Group products are capital intensive with the only significant outside
cost being the purchase of the tool steel, carbide, cubic boron nitride and
polycrystalline diamond material, as well as items necessary for manufacturing.
Inventories are maintained to assure prompt service to the customer with the
average order for standard tools filled in less than one week for domestic
shipments and within two weeks for international shipments.

Tool Group customers include metal and plastic fabricators and tool and die
shops throughout the world. Because of the nature of the products, volume
depends mainly on repeat orders from customers numbering in the thousands. These
products are used in the manufacturing process of a broad range of items such as
automobiles, appliances, construction products, electrical motors, switches and
components and a wide variety of other household and industrial goods.
Almost all business is done with private industry.

The group's products are marketed in the United States, and many
international markets, principally through industrial distributors.
Foreign-owned manufacturing, sales and distribution facilities are located in
Weston, Ontario; Tokyo, Japan; Warwickshire, England; Frankfurt, Germany; and
Meaux, France.
The group competes with several U.S. and non-U.S.  manufacturers  and due to
the diversity of products offered, no meaningful estimate of either the number
of competitors or the group's relative position within the global market can be
made, although the group does believe it is a major supplier within these
product lines. The group competes with numerous non-U.S manufacturers,
principally in non-U.S markets.

The order backlogs of the Tool Group as of December 31, 1999 and December
31, 1998 were $13.1 million and $9.4 million, respectively. All of the backlog
of orders at December 31, 1999 is expected to be filled within the current
fiscal year.

Fire Rescue Group

The Fire Rescue Group manufactures fire/emergency apparatus, rescue vehicles
and aerial access platforms and is composed of Emergency One, Inc., Bronto
Skylift Oy Ab (Bronto), Superior Emergency Vehicles, Ltd., and Saulsbury Fire
Equipment Corp.

Emergency One, Inc. (E-One) is a leading manufacturer of fire rescue
vehicles including pumpers, tankers, aerial ladder trucks, custom chassis, and
airport rescue and fire fighting vehicles (each of aluminum construction for
rust-free operation and energy efficiency).

Superior Emergency Vehicles, Ltd. manufactures and distributes a full range
of fire truck bodies primarily for the Canadian market. It is the leading
manufacturer of these products in Canada. Superior also manufactures products
for the U.S. market sold by the group's U.S. dealerships.

Acquired in August 1995 and headquartered in Tampere, Finland, Bronto
manufactures vehicle-mounted aerial access platforms. Bronto is the leading
manufacturer of such platforms for fire rescue markets in the world and a
leading manufacturer of heavy-duty industrial platforms.

Acquired in January 1998 and located in Tully, NY, Saulsbury Fire Equipment
Corp. ("Saulsbury") is the leading manufacturer of stainless steel-bodied fire
trucks and rescue vehicles in the United States. Saulsbury's steel-bodied
products complement E-One's aluminum-bodied fire apparatus and custom fire
chassis. In addition, Saulsbury provides the group with additional distribution,
as well as a service center in the northeast United States.

All of the Fire Rescue Group companies also sell accessories and replacement
parts for their products.

Some products and components thereof are not manufactured by the group but
are purchased for incorporation with products of the group's manufacture.

The majority of Fire Rescue Group sales are made primarily to municipal
customers, volunteer fire departments and government customers both domestic and
overseas.

The group competes with several U.S. and non-U.S. manufacturers and due to
the diversity of products offered, no meaningful estimate of either the number
of competitors or the group's relative position within the global market can be
made, although the group does believe it is a major supplier within these
product lines. The group competes with numerous non-U.S manufacturers,
principally in non-U.S markets.

At December 31, 1999, Fire Rescue Group backlog was $246.5 million compared
to $207.4 million at December 31, 1998. A substantial majority of the orders in
the backlog at December 31, 1999, are reasonably expected to be filled within
the current fiscal year.
Environmental Products

Environmental Products manufactures street sweeping, industrial vacuuming
and municipal catch basin/sewer cleaning vehicles and high-pressure water
blasting equipment. Environmental Products is composed of Elgin Sweeper Company,
Vactor Manufacturing, Inc. (Vactor), Guzzler Manufacturing, Inc. (Guzzler), Ravo
International, Five Star Manufacturing and Jetstream of Houston, Inc.

Environmental Products manufactures a variety of self-propelled street
cleaning vehicles, vacuum loader vehicles and municipal catch basin/sewer
cleaning vacuum trucks as well as high pressure water blasting equipment. Most
sales are made to municipal customers, private contractors and government
customers.

Elgin Sweeper Company is the leading manufacturer in the United States of
self-propelled street cleaning vehicles. Utilizing three basic cleaning methods
(mechanical sweeping, vacuuming and recirculating air), Elgin's products are
primarily designed for large-scale cleaning of curbed streets and other paved
surfaces.

Ravo International is a leading European manufacturer and marketer of
self-propelled street and sewer cleaning vehicles. Utilizing the vacuuming
cleaning method, Ravo's products are primarily designed for cleaning of curbed
streets and other paved surfaces.

Guzzler is the leading manufacturer in the United States of waste removal
vehicles using vacuum-based technology, for worldwide industrial and
environmental markets. The acquisition of Guzzler complemented Elgin Sweeper
Company's product distribution and provided for increased exposure to the
industrial marketplace for both Elgin and Guzzler.

Vactor is the leading U.S. manufacturer of municipal combination catch
basin/sewer cleaning vacuum trucks. The acquisition of Vactor provided a
significant expansion of municipal equipment and enhanced the domestic and
international dealer networks of both Elgin Sweeper and Vactor.

Acquired in January 1998, and based in Youngsville, North Carolina, Five
Star Manufacturing began in 1996 with a unique design concept for street
sweepers: the Broom Bear four-wheeled mechanical street sweeper and the Air Bear
four-wheeled recirculating air street sweeper. This acquisition accelerates
Federal's entry into a market niche where the potential for substantial growth
opportunities exist.

Jetstream of Houston, Inc. ("Jetstream"), acquired in August 1998, is a
Houston-based manufacturer of water blasting equipment. Jetstream sells its
products predominately to the industrial vacuum loader customer base. This
provides product and service cross-selling opportunities for the previously
existing industrial customer base as well as the customer set already being
served by Jetstream.

All of the Environmental Products Group companies also sell accessories and
replacement parts for their products.

Some products and components thereof are not manufactured by the group but
are purchased for incorporation with products of the group's manufacture.

A majority of the group's sales are made primarily to municipal customers
and government customers both domestic and overseas.
The group competes with several U.S. and  non-U.S.  manufacturers and due to
the diversity of products offered, no meaningful estimate of either the number
of competitors or the group's relative position within the global market can be
made, although the group does believe it is a major supplier within these
product lines. The group competes with numerous non-U.S. manufacturers,
principally in non-U.S. markets.

At December 31, 1999, Environmental Products Group backlog was $57.2 million
compared to $62.5 million at December 31, 1998. A substantial majority of the
orders in the backlog at December 31, 1999 are reasonably expected to be filled
within current fiscal year.

Additional Information

The Registrant's sources and availability of materials and components are
not materially dependent upon either a single vendor or very few vendors.

The Registrant owns a number of patents and possesses rights under others to
which it attaches importance, but does not believe that its business as a whole
is materially dependent upon any such patents or rights. The Registrant also
owns a number of trademarks which it believes are important in connection with
the identification of its products and associated goodwill with customers, but
no material part of the Registrant's business is dependent on such trademarks.

The Registrant's business is not materially dependent upon research
activities relating to the development of new products or services or the
improvement of existing products and services, but such activities are of
importance as to some of the Registrant's products. Expenditures for research
and development by the Registrant were approximately $15.8 million in 1999,
$11.9 million in 1998 and $12.0 million in 1997. Fire Rescue, Environmental
Products and Safety Products each had sizeable increases in 1999.

Note M - Segment Information, presented in the Registrant's Annual Report to
Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 1999, contains information
concerning the Registrant's foreign sales, export sales and operations by
geographic area, and is incorporated herein by reference.

Certain of the Registrant's businesses are susceptible to the influences of
seasonal buying or delivery patterns. The Registrant's businesses which tend to
have lower sales in the first calendar quarter compared to other quarters as a
result of these influences are signage, street sweeping, outdoor warning, other
municipal emergency signal products, parking systems and aerial access platform
manufacturing operations.

No material part of the business of the Registrant is dependent either upon
a single customer or very few customers. The Registrant is in substantial
compliance with federal, state and local provisions which have been enacted or
adopted regulating the discharge of materials into the environment, or otherwise
relating to the protection of the environment. These provisions have had no
material adverse impact upon capital expenditures, earnings or competitive
position of the Registrant and its subsidiaries. The Registrant employed over
7,000 people in ongoing businesses at the close of 1999. The Registrant believes
relations with its employees have been good.

Item 2. Properties.

As of December 31, 1999, the Registrant utilized thirty-four principal
manufacturing plants located throughout North America, as well as fourteen in
Europe, one in South Africa, one in South America, and one in the Far East. In
addition, there were forty-five sales and service/warehouse sites, with
thirty-six being U.S.-based and nine located overseas.
In total,  the Registrant  devoted  approximately  1,962,000  square feet to
manufacturing and 1,009,000 square feet to service, warehousing and office space
as of December 31, 1999. Of the total square footage, approximately 39% is
devoted to the Safety Products Group, 8% to the Sign Group, 11% to the Tool
Group, 24% to the Fire Rescue Group and 18% to the Environmental Products Group.
Approximately 65% of the total square footage is owned by the Registrant, with
the remaining 35% being leased.

All of the Registrant's properties, as well as the related machinery and
equipment, are considered to be well-maintained, suitable and adequate for their
intended purposes. In the aggregate, these facilities are of sufficient capacity
for the Registrant's current business needs.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

The Registrant is subject to various claims, other pending and possible
legal actions for product liability and other damages and other matters arising
out of the conduct of the Registrant's business. The Registrant believes, based
on current knowledge and after consultation with counsel, that the outcome of
such claims and actions will not have a material adverse effect on the
Registrant's consolidated financial position or the results of operations.


Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders through the
solicitation of proxies or otherwise during the three months ended December 31,
1999.


PART II

Item 5. Market for the Registrant's Common Stock and Related
Security Holder Matters.

Federal Signal Corporation's Common Stock is listed and traded on the New
York Stock Exchange under the symbol FSS. Market price range and dividend per
share data listed in Note P - Selected Quarterly Data (Unaudited) contained in
the Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 1999 is
incorporated herein by reference. As of March 1, 2000, there were 4,489 holders
of record of the Registrant's common stock.

Certain long-term debt agreements impose restrictions on the Registrant's
ability to pay cash dividends on its common stock. All of the retained earnings
at December 31, 1999 were free of any restrictions.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

Selected Financial Data contained in the Registrant's Annual Report to
Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 1999 is incorporated herein by
reference.

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations.

The Financial Review contained in the Registrant's Annual Report to
Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 1999 is incorporated herein by
reference.
Item 7a.   Qualitative and Quantitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

The Financial Review caption "Market Risk Management" contained in the
Registrant's Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 1999
is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

The consolidated financial statements and accompanying footnotes of the
Registrant and the report of the independent auditors set forth in the
Registrant's Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 1999
are incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting
and Financial Disclosure.

None.


PART III

Item 10. Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant.

The information under the caption "Election of Directors" contained in the
Registrant's Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held
on April 20, 2000 is incorporated herein by reference.

The following is a list of the Registrant's executive officers, their ages,
business experience and positions and offices as of March 1, 1999:

Joseph J. Ross, age 54, was elected Chairman, President and Chief Executive
Officer in February 1990.

John A. DeLeonardis, age 52, was elected Vice President-Taxes in January
1992.

Duane A. Doerle, age 44, was elected Vice President-Corporate Development in
July 1996. Previously, he served as Director-Corporate Development since April
1992.

Henry L. Dykema, age 60, was appointed as Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer in January 1995.

Richard G. Gibb, age 56, was appointed Executive Vice President in January
1998. Previously, Mr. Gibb was President of the Safety Products Group and the
Signal Products Division, having served in those capacities since April 1995 and
February 1985, respectively.

Robert W. Racic, age 51, was elected Vice President and Treasurer in April
1984.

Richard L. Ritz, age 46, was elected Vice President and Controller in
January 1991.

Kim A. Wehrenberg, age 48, was elected Vice President, General Counsel and
Secretary effective October 1986.

These officers hold office until the next annual meeting of the Board of
Directors following their election and until their successors shall have been
elected and qualified.
There  are no family  relationships  among  any of the  foregoing  executive
officers.

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

The information contained under the caption "Executive Compensation" of the
Registrant's Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held
April 20, 2000 is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and
Management.

The information contained under the caption "Security Ownership of Certain
Beneficial Owners" of the Registrant's Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of
Shareholders to be held April 20, 2000 is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions.

The information contained under the caption "Executive Compensation" of the
Registrant's Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held
April 20, 2000 is incorporated herein by reference.


PART IV

Item 14. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules and Reports on Form
8-K.

(a)1. Financial Statements

The following consolidated financial statements of Federal Signal
Corporation and Subsidiaries included in the Registrant's Annual Report to
Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 1999 are filed as a part of
this report and are incorporated by reference in Item 8:

Consolidated Balance Sheets -- December 31, 1999 and 1998

Consolidated Statements of Income -- Years ended December
31, 1999, 1998 and 1997

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income -- Years
ended
December 31, 1999, 1998 and 1997

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows -- Years ended December 31,
1999, 1998 and 1997

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

2. Financial Statement Schedules

The following consolidated financial statement schedule of Federal Signal
Corporation and Subsidiaries, for the three years ended December 31, 1999
is filed as a part of this report in response to Item 14(d):

Schedule II -- Valuation and qualifying accounts

All other schedules for which provision is made in the applicable
accounting regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission are not
required under the related instructions or are inapplicable, and
therefore, have been omitted.
3.  Exhibits

3. a. Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, filed as
Exhibit (3)(a) to the Registrant's Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1996 is incorporated herein by reference.

b. By-laws of the Registrant, filed as Exhibit (3)(b) to the
Registrant's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1996 is
incorporated herein by reference.

4. a. Rights Agreement dated 7/9/98, filed as Exhibit (4) to the
Registrant's Form 8-A dated July 28, 1998 is incorporated herein by
reference.

b. The Registrant has no long-term debt agreements for which the
related outstanding debt exceeds 10% of consolidated total assets as
of December 31, 1998. Copies of debt instruments for which the
related debt is less than 10% of consolidated total assets will be
furnished to the Commission upon request.

10.a. The amended 1996 Stock Benefit Plan, filed as Exhibit (10)(a) to the
Registrant's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998 is
incorporated herein by reference.

b. Corporate Management Incentive Bonus Plan, filed as Exhibit (10)(b)
to the Registrant's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998
is incorporated herein by reference.

c. Supplemental Pension Plan, filed as Exhibit (10)(c) to the
Registrant's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995 is
incorporated herein by reference.

d. Executive Disability, Survivor and Retirement Plan, filed as Exhibit
(10)(d) to the Registrant's Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 1995 is incorporated herein by reference.

e. Supplemental Savings and Investment Plan, filed as Exhibit (10)(f)
to the Registrant's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1993
is incorporated herein by reference.

f. Employment Agreement with Joseph J. Ross, filed as Exhibit (10)(g)
to the Registrant's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1994
is incorporated herein by reference.

g. Change of Control Agreement with Kim A. Wehrenberg, filed as Exhibit
(10)(h) to the Registrant's Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 1994 is incorporated herein by reference.

h. Director Deferred Compensation Plan, filed as Exhibit (10)(h) to the
Registrant's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997 is
incorporated herein by reference.

i. Retirement Plan for Outside Directors (applies only to individuals
who became a director prior to October 9, 1997), filed as Exhibit
(10)(I) to the Registrant's Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 1997 is incorporated herein by reference.

13.Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 1999.
Such report, except for those portions thereof which are expressly
incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K, is furnished for the
information of the Commission only and is not to be deemed "filed" as
part of this filing.
21.Subsidiaries of the Registrant

23.Consent of Independent Auditors

27.Financial Data Schedule

(b) Reports on Form 8-K

No reports on Form 8-K were filed for the three months ended December 31,
1999.

(c) and (d)

The response to this portion of Item 14 is being submitted as a separate
section of this report.

Other Matters

For the purposes of complying with the amendments to the rules governing
Form S-8 (effective July 13, 1990) under the Securities Act of 1933, the
undersigned, the Registrant, hereby undertakes as follows, which undertaking
shall be incorporated by reference into the Registrant's Registration Statements
on Form S-8 Nos. 33-12876, 33-22311, 33-38494, 33-41721, 33-49476, 33-14251 and
33-89509 dated April 14, 1987, June 26, 1988, December 28, 1990, July 15, 1991,
June 9, 1992, October 16, 1996 and October 22, 1999, respectively:

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses
incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.
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.


FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION



By: /s/ Joseph J. Ross
Chairman, President, Chief Executive
Officer and Director




Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report
has been signed below, as of March 30, 2000, by the following persons on behalf
of the Registrant and in the capacities indicated.



/s/ Henry L. Dykema /s/ Charles R. Campbell
Vice President and Chief Director
Financial Officer


/s/ Richard L. Ritz /s/ James C. Janning
Vice President and Controller Director


/s/ Paul W. Jones
Director


/s/ James A. Lovell, Jr.
Director


/s/ Thomas N. McGowen, Jr.
Director


/s/ Richard R. Thomas
Director
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>


SCHEDULE II



FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

For the Years Ended December 31, 1999, 1998 and 1997



<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Deductions
Additions Accounts
Balance at Charged to written off Balance
beginning costs and net of at end
Description of year expenses recoveries of year
---------- ----------- ----------- ----------
Year ended December 31, 1999:

Deducted from asset accounts:

Allowance for doubtful accounts
Manufacturing activities $2,499,000 $3,321,000
Financial service activities 1,607,000 1,849,000
---------- ----------
Total $4,106,000 $3,111,000 $2,047,000 $5,170,000



Year ended December 31, 1998:

Deducted from asset accounts:

Allowance for doubtful accounts
Manufacturing activities $2,527,000 $2,499,000
Financial service activities 1,772,000 1,607,000
---------- ----------
Total $4,299,000 $1,358,000 $1,551,000 $4,106,000



Year ended December 31, 1997:

Deducted from asset accounts:

Allowance for doubtful accounts
Manufacturing activities $2,602,000 $2,527,000
Financial service activities 1,348,000 1,772,000
---------- ----------
Total $3,950,000 $2,421,000 $2,072,000 $4,299,000

</TABLE>