Exhibit
99.1
July
11,
2005 Steven F.
Nicola
CFO,
Secretary & Treasurer
412:442-8262
MATTHEWS
INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
ANNOUNCES
THE COMPLETION OF THE ACQUISITION OF MILSO INDUSTRIES
PITTSBURGH,
PA, July 11, 2005 -- Matthews International Corporation (NASDAQ NMS:
MATW) today announced that it has completed the purchase of the assets of Milso
Industries (“Milso”). Matthews initially announced on May 31, 2005 the signing
of the definitive agreement for the purchase, which was contingent upon
regulatory approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (“HSR”). Milso will operate
as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Matthews and will be reported as part of the
Company’s Casket Division. Harry Pontone has been named as President of
Matthews’ Casket Division, which includes both the Milso and York casket
products.
Milso
reported revenues of approximately $85 million in 2004 and has in excess of 400
employees nationwide. The Company intends to continue to actively use the brand
names of both York and Milso.
Matthews
International Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a
designer, manufacturer and marketer principally of memorialization products and
brand solutions. Memorialization products consist primarily of bronze memorials
and memorialization products, caskets and cremation equipment for the cemetery
and funeral home industries. Brand solutions include graphics imaging products
and services, merchandising solutions, and marking products. The Company’s
products and services include cast bronze memorials and other memorialization
products; caskets; cast and etched architectural products; cremation equipment
and cremation-related products; mausoleums; printing plates, pre-press services,
and imaging systems for the corrugated and primary packaging industries; marking
equipment and consumables for identifying various consumer and industrial
products, components and containers; and merchandising display systems and
marketing and design services.
Any
forward-looking statements contained in this release are included pursuant to
the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and
uncertainties that may cause the Company’s actual results in future periods to
be materially different from management’s expectations. Although the Company
believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are
reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove correct.
Factors that could cause the Company’s results to differ materially from the
results discussed in such forward-looking statements principally include
economic, competitive, and technological factors beyond the Company’s
control.