form10k-2007.htm




 
UNITED STATES
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 September 30, 2007
Commission File Number 0-09115

MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
25-0644320
(State or other jurisdiction of
(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)
Identification No.)
   
TWO NORTHSHORE CENTER, PITTSBURGH, PA
15212-5851
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code
(412) 442-8200

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
 
Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A Common Stock, $1.00 par value
 
NASDAQ National Market System

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

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes x                      No o

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes o                      No x

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.  x

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405a of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of 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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer” and “large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer x                                                        Accelerated filer o                                            Non-accelerated filer o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes ¨    No x

The aggregate market value of the Class A Common Stock outstanding and held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based upon the closing sale price of the Class A Common Stock on the NASDAQ National Market System on March 30, 2007, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $1.3 billion.

As of  October 31, 2007, shares of common stock outstanding were: Class A Common Stock 31,014,646 shares
Documents incorporated by reference: Specified portions of the Proxy Statement for the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report.  The index to exhibits is on pages 70-72.



PART I

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

Any forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (specifically those contained in Item 1, "Business", Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations") are included in this report 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 Matthews International Corporation (“Matthews” or 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 changes in domestic or international economic conditions, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, changes in the cost of materials used in the manufacture of the Company’s products, changes in death rates, changes in product demand or pricing as a result of consolidation in the industries in which the Company operates, changes in product demand or pricing as a result of domestic or international competitive pressures, unknown risks in connection with the Company's acquisitions, an unfavorable outcome in any litigation claims or assessments involving the Company and technological factors beyond the Company's control.  In addition, although the Company does not have any customers that would be considered individually significant to consolidated sales, changes in the distribution of the Company’s products or the potential loss of one or more of the Company’s larger customers are also considered risk factors.


ITEM 1.
BUSINESS.

Matthews, founded in 1850 and incorporated in Pennsylvania in 1902, is a designer, manufacturer and marketer principally of memorialization products and brand solutions.  Memorialization products consist primarily of bronze memorials and other memorialization products, caskets and cremation equipment for the cemetery and funeral home industries.  Brand solutions include graphics imaging products and services, marking products, and merchandising solutions. The Company's products and operations are comprised of six business segments:  Bronze, Casket, Cremation, Graphics Imaging, Marking Products and Merchandising Solutions.  The Bronze segment is a leading manufacturer of cast bronze memorials and other memorialization products, cast and etched architectural products and is a leading builder of mausoleums in the United States.  The Casket segment is a leading casket manufacturer in North America and produces a wide variety of wood and metal caskets.  The Cremation segment is a leading designer and manufacturer of cremation equipment and cremation caskets primarily in North America. The Graphics Imaging segment manufactures and provides brand solutions, printing plates, pre-press services and imaging services for the primary packaging and corrugated industries.  The Marking Products segment designs, manufactures and distributes a wide range of marking and coding equipment and consumables, and industrial automation products for identifying, tracking and conveying various consumer and industrial products, components and packaging containers.  The Merchandising Solutions segment designs and manufactures merchandising displays and systems and provides creative merchandising and marketing solutions services.

At October 31, 2007, the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries had approximately 4,100 employees.  The Company's principal executive offices are located at Two NorthShore Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, its telephone number is (412) 442-8200 and its internet website is www.matw.com.

The following table sets forth reported sales and operating profit for the Company's business segments for the past three fiscal years.  Detailed financial information relating to business segments and to domestic and international operations is presented in Note 15 (Segment Information) to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

2


ITEM 1.
BUSINESS, continued

   
Years Ended September 30,
 
   
2007
   
2006
   
2005
 
   
Amount
   
Percent
   
Amount
   
Percent
   
Amount
   
Percent
 
   
(Dollars in Thousands)
 
Sales to unaffiliated customers:
                         
Memorialization:
                                   
Bronze
  $
229,850
      30.7 %   $
218,004
      30.4 %   $
205,675
      32.1 %
Casket
   
210,673
     
28.1
     
200,950
     
28.1
     
135,512
     
21.2
 
Cremation
   
25,166
     
3.3
     
25,976
     
3.6
     
21,497
     
3.4
 
     
465,689
     
62.1
     
444,930
     
62.1
     
362,684
     
56.7
 
Brand Solutions:
                                               
Graphics Imaging
   
146,049
     
19.5
     
140,886
     
19.7
     
143,159
     
22.4
 
Marking Products
   
57,450
     
7.7
     
52,272
     
7.3
     
45,701
     
7.1
 
Merchandising Solutions
   
80,164
     
10.7
     
77,803
     
10.9
     
88,278
     
13.8
 
     
283,663
     
37.9
     
270,961
     
37.9
     
277,138
     
43.3
 
Total
  $
749,352
      100.0 %   $
715,891
      100.0 %   $
639,822
      100.0 %
                                                 
Operating profit:
                                               
Memorialization:
                                               
Bronze
  $
66,298
      59.3 %   $
65,049
      57.1 %   $
59,722
      60.7 %
Casket
   
11,801
     
10.6
     
16,971
     
14.9
     
12,645
     
12.8
 
Cremation
   
3,631
     
3.2
     
3,372
     
3.0
     
701
     
.7
 
     
81,730
     
73.1
     
85,392
     
75.0
     
73,068
     
74.2
 
Brand Solutions:
                                               
Graphics Imaging
   
14,439
     
12.9
     
16,554
     
14.5
     
14,861
     
15.1
 
Marking Products
   
9,931
     
8.9
     
9,066
     
8.0
     
7,373
     
7.5
 
Merchandising Solutions
   
5,724
     
5.1
     
2,872
     
2.5
     
3,111
     
3.2
 
     
30,094
     
26.9
     
28,492
     
25.0
     
25,345
     
25.8
 
Total
  $
111,824
      100.0 %   $
113,884
      100.0 %   $
98,413
      100.0 %


In fiscal 2007, approximately 75% of the Company's sales were made from the United States, and 21%, 2%, 1% and 1% were made from Europe, Canada, Australia and China, respectively.  Bronze segment products are sold throughout the world with the segment's principal operations located in the United States, Italy, Canada, and Australia.  Casket segment products are primarily sold in the United States and Canada. Cremation segment products and services are sold primarily in North America, as well as Asia, Australia, and Europe.  Products and services of the Graphics Imaging segment are sold primarily in the United States and Europe.  The Marking Products segment sells equipment and consumables directly to industrial consumers and distributors in the United States and internationally through the Company's subsidiaries in Canada, Sweden, China and through other foreign distributors.  Matthews owns a minority interest in Marking Products distributors in Singapore, Australia, France, Germany and the Netherlands.  Merchandising Solutions segment products and services are sold principally in the United States.



3


ITEM 1.
BUSINESS, continued

MEMORIALIZATION PRODUCTS AND MARKETS:

Bronze:

The Bronze segment manufactures and markets products used primarily in the cemetery and funeral home industries.  The segment's products, which are sold principally in the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia, include cast bronze memorials and other memorialization products used primarily in cemeteries.  The segment also manufactures and markets cast and etched architectural products, that are produced from bronze, aluminum and other metals, which are used to identify or commemorate people, places, events and accomplishments.

Memorial products, which comprise the majority of the Bronze segment's sales, include flush bronze memorials, flower vases, crypt plates and letters, cremation urns, niche units, cemetery features and statues, along with other related products and services. Flush bronze memorials are bronze plaques which contain personal information about a deceased individual such as name, birth date, death date and emblems.  These memorials are used in cemeteries as an alternative to upright and flush granite monuments.  The memorials are even or "flush" with the ground and therefore are preferred by many cemeteries for easier mowing and general maintenance.  In order to provide products for the granite memorial and mausoleum markets, the Company's other memorial products include community and family mausoleums, granite monuments and benches, bronze plaques, letters, emblems, vases, lights and photoceramics that can be affixed to granite monuments, mausoleums, crypts and flush memorials. Matthews is a leading builder of mausoleums within North America.  Principal customers for memorial products are cemeteries and memorial parks, which in turn sell the Company's products to the consumer.

Customers of the Bronze segment can also purchase memorials and vases on a “pre-need” basis.  The “pre-need” concept permits families to arrange for these purchases in advance of their actual need.  Upon request, the Company will manufacture the memorial to the customer’s specifications (e.g., name and birth date) and place it in storage for future delivery.  All memorials in storage have been paid in full with title conveyed to each pre-need purchaser.

The Bronze segment manufactures a full line of memorial products for cremation, including urns in a variety of sizes, styles and shapes.  The segment also manufactures bronze and granite niche units, which are comprised of numerous compartments used to display cremation urns in mausoleums and churches.  In addition, the Company also markets turnkey cremation gardens, which include the design and all related products for a cremation memorial garden.

Architectural products include cast bronze and aluminum plaques, etchings and letters that are used to recognize, commemorate and identify people, places, events and accomplishments.  The Company's plaques are frequently used to identify the name of a building or the names of companies or individuals located within a building.  Such products are also used to commemorate events or accomplishments, such as military service or financial donations.  The principal markets for the segment's architectural products are corporations, fraternal organizations, contractors, churches, hospitals, schools and government agencies.  These products are sold to and distributed through a network of independent dealers including sign suppliers, awards and recognition companies, and trophy dealers.

Raw materials used by the Bronze segment consist principally of bronze and aluminum ingot, sheet metal, coating materials, photopolymers and construction materials and are generally available in adequate supply.  Ingot is obtained from various North American, European and Australian smelters.

Competition from other bronze memorialization product manufacturers is on the basis of reputation, product quality, delivery, price and design availability. The Company also competes with upright granite monument and flush granite memorial providers. The Company believes that its superior quality, broad product lines, innovative designs, delivery capability, customer responsiveness, experienced personnel and consumer-oriented merchandising systems are competitive advantages in its markets.  Competition in the



4


ITEM 1.                      BUSINESS, continued

mausoleum construction industry includes various construction companies throughout North America and is on the basis of design, quality and price.  Competitors in the architectural market are numerous and include companies that manufacture cast and painted signs, plastic materials, sand-blasted wood and other fabricated products.

Casket:

The Casket segment is a leading manufacturer of caskets in North America.  The segment produces two types of caskets: metal and wood.  Caskets can be customized with many different options such as color, interior design, handles and trim in order to accommodate specific religious, ethnic or other personal preferences.

Metal caskets are made from various gauges of cold rolled steel, stainless steel, copper and bronze.  Metal caskets are generally categorized by whether the casket is non-gasketed or gasketed, and by material (i.e., bronze, copper, or steel) and in the case of steel, by the gauge, or thickness, of the metal.

The segment's wood caskets are manufactured from nine different species of wood, as well as from veneer.  The species of wood used are poplar, pine, ash, oak, pecan, maple, cherry, walnut and mahogany.  The Casket segment is a leading manufacturer of all-wood constructed caskets, which are manufactured using pegged and dowelled construction, and include no metal parts.  All-wood constructed caskets are preferred by certain religious groups.

The segment also produces casket components.  Casket components include stamped metal parts, metal locking mechanisms for gasketed metal caskets, adjustable beds, interior panels and plastic ornamental hardware for the exterior of the casket.  Metal casket parts are produced by stamping cold rolled steel, stainless steel, copper and bronze sheets into casket body parts.  Locking mechanisms and adjustable beds are produced by stamping and assembling a variety of steel parts.  Certain ornamental hardware styles are produced from injection molded plastic.  The segment purchases from sawmills and lumber distributors various species of uncured wood, which it dries and cures.  The cured wood is processed into casket components.

Additionally, the segment provides assortment planning and merchandising and display products to funeral service businesses. These products assist funeral service professionals in providing value and satisfaction to their client families.

The primary materials required for casket manufacturing are cold rolled steel and lumber. The segment also purchases copper, bronze, stainless steel, cloth, ornamental hardware and coating materials. Purchase orders or supply agreements are typically negotiated with large, integrated steel producers that have demonstrated timely delivery, high quality material and competitive prices.  Lumber is purchased from a number of sawmills and lumber distributors.  The Company purchases most of its lumber from sawmills within 150 miles of its wood casket manufacturing facility in York, Pennsylvania.

Prior to July 2005, the segment marketed its casket products primarily through independent distributors.  With the acquisition of Milso Industries Corporation in July 2005, the segment significantly expanded its internal casket distribution capabilities.  The segment now markets its casket products in the United States through a combination of Company-owned and independent casket distribution facilities.  The Company operates approximately 50 distribution centers in the United States.  Over 70% of the segment’s casket products are currently sold through Company-owned distribution centers.

The casket business is highly competitive. The segment competes with other manufacturers on the basis of product quality, price, service, design availability and breadth of product line.  The segment provides a line of casket products that it believes is as comprehensive as any of its major competitors.  There are a large number of casket industry participants operating in North America, and the industry has recently seen a few new foreign casket manufacturers, primarily from China, enter the North American market. The Casket segment and its two largest competitors account for a substantial portion of the finished caskets produced in North America.

5


ITEM 1.                      BUSINESS, continued

Historically, the segment's operations have experienced seasonal variations. Generally, casket sales are higher in the second quarter and lower in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year. These fluctuations are due in part to the seasonal variance in the death rate, with a greater number of deaths generally occurring in cold weather months.

Cremation:

The Cremation segment has four major groups of products and services: cremation equipment, cremation caskets, equipment service and repair, and supplies and urns.

The Cremation segment is the leading designer and manufacturer of cremation equipment in North America.  Cremation equipment includes systems for cremation of humans and animals, as well as equipment for processing the cremated remains and other related equipment such as handling equipment (tables, cooler racks, vacuums).  Cremation equipment and products are sold primarily to funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, animal disposers and veterinarians within North America, Asia, Australia and Europe.

Cremation casket products consist primarily of three types of caskets: cloth-covered wood, cloth-covered corrugated material and paper veneer-covered particleboard.  These products are generally used in cremation and are marketed principally to funeral homes through independent distributors in the United States.

Service and repair consists of maintenance work performed on various makes and models of cremation equipment.  This work can be as simple as routine maintenance or as complex as complete on-site reconstruction.  The principal markets for these services are the owners and operators of cremation equipment.  These services are marketed principally in North America through Company sales representatives.

Supplies and urns are consumable items associated with cremation operations.  Supplies distributed by the segment include operator safety equipment, identification discs and combustible roller tubes.  Urns distributed by the segment include products ranging from plastic containers to bronze urns for cremated remains.  These products are marketed primarily in North America.

Raw materials used by the Cremation segment consist principally of structural steel, sheet metal, electrical components, cloth, wood, particleboard, corrugated materials, paper veneer and masonry materials and are generally available in adequate supply from numerous suppliers.

The Company competes with several manufacturers in the cremation equipment market principally on the basis of product quality and price.  The Cremation segment and its three largest competitors account for a substantial portion of the U.S. cremation equipment market.  The cremation casket business is highly competitive. The segment competes with other cremation casket manufacturers on the basis of product quality, price and design availability.  Although there are a large number of casket industry participants, the Cremation segment and its two largest competitors account for a substantial portion of the cremation caskets sold in the United States.

Historically, the segment’s cremation casket operations have experienced seasonal variations.  These fluctuations are due in part to the seasonal variance in the death rate, with a greater number of deaths generally occurring in cold weather months.

6


ITEM 1.                      BUSINESS, continued

BRAND SOLUTIONS PRODUCTS AND MARKETS:

Graphics Imaging:

The Graphics Imaging segment provides brand management, pre-press services, printing plates and creative design services to the primary packaging and corrugated industries. The primary packaging industry consists of manufacturers of printed packaging materials such as boxes, flexible packaging, folding cartons and bags commonly seen at retailers of consumer goods. The corrugated packaging industry consists of manufacturers of printed corrugated containers.

The principal products and services of this segment include brand management, pre-press graphics services, printing plates, print process assistance, print production management, digital asset management, content management, and package design.  These products and services are used by brand owners and packaging manufacturers to develop and print packaging graphics that identify and help sell the product in the marketplace.  Other packaging graphics can include nutritional information, directions for product use, consumer warning statements and UPC codes. The primary packaging manufacturer produces printed packaging from paper, film, foil and other composite materials used to display, protect and market the product. The corrugated packaging manufacturer produces printed containers from corrugated sheets.  Using the Company's products, this sheet is printed and die cut to make a finished container.

The segment offers a wide array of value-added services and products.  These include print process and print production management services; pre-press preparation, which includes computer-generated art, film and proofs; plate mounting accessories and various press aids; and rotary and flat cutting dies used to cut out intricately designed containers and point-of-purchase displays.  The segment also provides creative digital graphics services to brand owners and packaging markets.

The Company works closely with manufacturers to provide the proper printing plates and tooling used to print the packaging to the user's specifications.  The segment's printing plate products are made principally from photopolymer resin and sheet materials.  Upon customer request, plates can be pre-mounted press-ready in a variety of configurations that maximize print quality and minimize press set-up time.

The Graphics Imaging segment customer base consists primarily of brand owners and packaging industry converters.  Brand owners are generally large, well-known consumer products companies and retailers with a national or global presence.  These types of companies tend to purchase their graphics needs directly and supply the printing plates, or the electronic files to make the printing plates, to the packaging printer for their products.  The Graphics Imaging segment serves customers primarily in the United States and Europe.  In Europe, Matthews has subsidiaries principally in the U.K., Germany and Austria.  Products and services of these operations include pre-press packaging, digital and analog flexographic printing plates, design, artwork, lithography and color separation.

Major raw materials for this segment's products include photopolymers, film and graphic art supplies.  All such materials are presently available in adequate supply from various industry sources.

The Graphics Imaging segment is one of several manufacturers of printing plates and providers of pre-press services with an international presence in the United States and Europe.  The segment competes in a fragmented industry consisting of a few multi-plant regional printing plate suppliers and a large number of local single-facility companies located across the United States and Europe.  The combination of the Company's Graphics Imaging business in the United States and Europe is an important part of Matthews’ strategy to become a worldwide leader in the graphics industry and service multinational customers on a global basis.  Competition is on the basis of product quality, timeliness of delivery, price and value-added services.  The Company differentiates itself from the competition by consistently meeting customer demands, its ability to service customers nationally and globally, and its ability to provide value-added services.

7


ITEM 1.                      BUSINESS, continued

Marking Products:

The Marking Products segment designs, manufactures and distributes a wide range of marking and coding products and related consumables, as well as industrial automation products.  The Company’s products are used by manufacturers and suppliers to identify, track and convey their products and packaging.  Marking products can range from a simple hand stamp to microprocessor-based ink-jet printing systems.  Coding systems often integrate into the customer’s manufacturing, inventory tracking and conveyance control systems.  The Company manufactures and markets products and systems that employ the following marking methods to meet customer needs:  contact printing, indenting, etching and ink-jet printing.  Customers will often use a combination of these methods in order to achieve an appropriate mark.  These methods apply product information required for identification and traceability as well as to facilitate inventory and quality control, regulatory compliance and brand name communication.

The segment’s industrial automation products are based upon embedded control architecture to create innovative custom solutions which can be “productized.”  Industries that products are created for include oil exploration, material handling and security scanning.  The material handling industry customers include the largest automated assembly and mail sorting companies in the United States.

A significant portion of the revenue of the Marking Products segment is attributable to the sale of consumables and replacement parts in connection with the marking, coding and tracking hardware sold by the Company.  The Company develops inks, rubber and steel consumables in harmony with the marking equipment in which they are used, which is critical to assure ongoing equipment reliability and mark quality.  Many marking equipment customers also use the Company's inks, solvents and cleaners.

The principal customers for the Company's marking products are consumer goods manufacturers, including food and beverage processors, producers of pharmaceuticals, and manufacturers of durable goods and building products.  The Company also serves a wide variety of industrial markets, including metal fabricators, manufacturers of woven and non-woven fabrics, plastic, rubber and automotive products.

A portion of the segment's sales are outside the United States and are distributed through the Company's subsidiaries in Canada, Sweden and China in addition to other international distributors.  Matthews owns a minority interest in distributors in Singapore, Australia, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The marking products industry is diverse, with companies either offering limited product lines for well-defined specialty markets, or similar to the Company, offering a broad product line and competing in various product markets and countries.  In the United States, the Company has manufactured and sold marking products and related consumable items since 1850.

Major raw materials for this segment's products include precision components, electronics, printing components, tool steels, rubber and chemicals, all of which are presently available in adequate supply from various sources.

Competition for marking products is intense and based on product performance, integration into the manufacturing process, service and price.  The Company normally competes with specialty companies in specific brand marking solutions and traceability applications.  The Company believes that, in general, it offers the broadest line of marking products to address a wide variety of industrial marking applications.

8


ITEM 1.                      BUSINESS, continued

Merchandising Solutions:

The Merchandising Solutions segment provides merchandising and printing solutions for manufacturers and retailers.  The segment designs, manufactures and installs merchandising and display systems, and also provides creative merchandising and marketing solutions services.

The majority of the segment’s sales are derived from the design, engineering, manufacturing and installation of merchandising and display systems.  These systems include permanent and temporary displays, custom store fixtures, brand concept shops, interactive kiosks, custom packaging, and screen and digitally printed promotional signage.  Design and engineering services include concept and model development, graphics design and prototyping.  Merchandising and display systems are manufactured to specifications developed by the segment in conjunction with the customer.  These products are marketed and sold primarily in the United States.

The segment operates in a fragmented industry consisting primarily of a number of small, locally operated companies.  Industry competition is intense and the segment competes on the basis of reliability, creativity and providing a broad array of merchandising products and services.  The segment is unique in its ability to provide in-depth marketing and merchandising services as well as design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities.  These capabilities allow the segment to deliver complete turnkey merchandising solutions quickly and cost effectively.

Major raw materials for the segment’s products include wood, particleboard, corrugated materials, structural steel, plastic, laminates, inks, film and graphic art supplies.  All of these raw materials are presently available in adequate supply from various sources.

PATENTS, TRADEMARKS AND LICENSES:

The Company holds a number of domestic and foreign patents and trademarks.  However, the Company believes the loss of any or a significant number of patents or trademarks would not have a material impact on consolidated operations or revenues.

BACKLOG:

Because the nature of the Company's Bronze, Graphics Imaging and Merchandising Solutions businesses are primarily custom products made to order with short lead times, backlogs are not generally material except for mausoleums. Backlogs vary in a range of approximately one year of sales for mausoleums. Backlogs for the Casket segment and the cremation casket businesses are not material. Cremation equipment sales backlogs vary in a range of eight to ten months of sales.  Backlogs generally vary in a range of up to four weeks of sales in the Marking Products segment.

REGULATORY MATTERS:

The Company's operations are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment.  These laws and regulations impose limitations on the discharge of materials into the environment and require the Company to obtain and operate in compliance with conditions of permits and other government authorizations.  As such, the Company has developed environmental, health and safety policies and procedures that include the proper handling, storage and disposal of hazardous materials.

The Company is party to various environmental matters.  These include obligations to investigate and mitigate the effects on the environment of the disposal of certain materials at various operating and non-operating sites.  The Company is currently performing environmental assessments and remediation at these sites, as appropriate.  In addition, prior to its acquisition, The York Group, Inc. was identified, along with others, by the Environmental Protection Agency as a potentially responsible party for remediation of a


9


ITEM 1.                      BUSINESS, continued

landfill site in York, Pennsylvania.  At this time, the Company has not been joined in any lawsuit or administrative order related to the site or its clean-up.

At September 30, 2007, an accrual of approximately $8.7 million had been recorded for environmental remediation (of which $865,000 was classified in other current liabilities), representing management's best estimate of the probable and reasonably estimable costs of the Company's known remediation obligations.  The accrual does not consider the effects of inflation and anticipated expenditures are not discounted to their present value.  While final resolution of these contingencies could result in costs different than current accruals, management believes the ultimate outcome will not have a significant effect on the Company's consolidated results of operations or financial position.

ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS.

Risk factors specific to the Company relate primarily to the legal proceedings described more fully in Item 3 “Legal Proceedings” of this Form 10-K. Other general risk factors that could affect the Company’s future results principally include changes in domestic or international economic conditions, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, changes in the cost of materials used in the manufacture of the Company’s products, changes in death rates, changes in product demand or pricing as a result of consolidation in the industries in which the Company operates, changes in product demand or pricing as a result of domestic or international competitive pressures, unknown risks in connection with the Company's acquisitions, and technological factors beyond the Company's control.  In addition, although the Company does not have any customers that would be considered individually significant to consolidated sales, changes in the distribution of the Company’s products or the potential loss of one or more of the Company’s larger customers are also considered risk factors.  These factors are also included in this Form 10-K under the caption “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information.”


ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

Not Applicable.





10


ITEM 2.
PROPERTIES.

Principal properties of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries as of October 31, 2007 were as follows (properties are owned by the Company except as noted):

Location
 
Description of Property
 
Square Feet
Bronze:
       
Pittsburgh, PA
 
Manufacturing / Division Offices
 
97,000    
Kingwood, WV
 
Manufacturing
 
121,000    
Melbourne, Australia
 
Manufacturing
 
26,000(1)
Parma, Italy
 
Manufacturing / Warehouse
 
231,000(1)
Searcy, AR
 
Manufacturing
 
113,000    
Seneca Falls, NY
 
Manufacturing
 
21,000    
         
Casket (3):
       
Monterrey, Mexico
 
Manufacturing
 
178,000(1)
Richmond, IN
 
Manufacturing
 
55,000(1)
Richmond, IN
 
Manufacturing / Metal Stamping
 
92,000    
Richmond, IN
 
Injection Molding
 
18,000(1)
York, PA
 
Manufacturing
 
307,000    
         
Cremation:
       
Apopka, FL
 
Manufacturing / Division Offices
 
40,000    
Richmond, IN
 
Manufacturing
 
129,000(1)
         
Graphics Imaging:
       
Pittsburgh, PA
 
Manufacturing / Division Offices
 
56,000    
Julich, Germany
 
Manufacturing / Division Offices
 
24,000    
Atlanta, GA
 
Manufacturing
 
16,000    
Beverly, MA
 
Manufacturing
 
14,500(1)
Dallas, TX
 
Manufacturing
 
15,000(1)
Denver, CO
 
Manufacturing
 
12,000(1)
Goslar, Germany
 
Manufacturing
 
39,000(1)
Kansas City, MO
 
Manufacturing
 
42,000(1)
Leeds, England
 
Manufacturing
 
64,000(1)
Munich, Germany
 
Manufacturing
 
10,000(1)
Nuremberg, Germany
 
Manufacturing
 
27,000(1)
Oakland, CA
 
Manufacturing
 
21,000(1)
St. Louis, MO
 
Manufacturing
 
25,000    
Vienna, Austria
 
Manufacturing
 
38,000(1)
         
Marking Products:
       
Pittsburgh, PA
 
Manufacturing / Division Offices
 
85,000    
Gothenburg, Sweden
 
Manufacturing / Distribution
 
28,000(1)
    Tualatin, OR
 
Manufacturing
 
15,000(1)
    Beijing, China
 
Manufacturing
 
100,000(1)
         
Merchandising Solutions:
       
East Butler, PA
 
Manufacturing / Division Offices
 
630,000(2)
         
Corporate Office:
       
Pittsburgh, PA
 
General Offices
 
48,000    

(1)  
These properties are leased by the Company under operating lease arrangements. Rent expense incurred by the Company for all leased facilities was approximately $12.4 million in fiscal 2007.
(2)  
Approximately ten percent of this building is leased to unrelated parties.
(3)  
In addition to the properties listed, the Casket division leases warehouse facilities totaling approximately 789,000 square feet in 21 states under operating leases.

11


ITEM 2.
PROPERTIES, continued

All of the owned properties are unencumbered.  The Company believes its facilities are generally well suited for their respective uses and are of adequate size and design to provide the operating efficiencies necessary for the Company to be competitive.  The Company's facilities provide adequate space for meeting its near-term production requirements and have availability for additional capacity.  The Company intends to continue to expand and modernize its facilities as necessary to meet the demand for its products.


ITEM 3.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

In August 2005, The York Group, Inc. (“York”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, was served with Civil Investigative Demands (“CIDs”) from the Attorneys General in Maryland and Florida.  Thereafter, in October 2005, York was also served with a CID from the Attorney General in Connecticut.  The pending CIDs are part of a multi-state investigation in which the Attorneys General from Maryland, Florida and Connecticut have requested information from various sources, including several national owners and operators of funeral homes, as well as several manufacturers of caskets, regarding alleged anti-competitive practices in the funeral service industry.  As one of many potential sources of information, York has already timely responded to the document production request communicated through the CIDs.  Presently, the investigation continues to remain in the preliminary stages and the scope of the investigation has been limited to evaluating the sale of caskets in the funeral service industry.

On May 30, 2007, York resolved the legal claim filed by Harry Pontone and Scott Pontone (the “Pontones”) concerning their employment agreements.  Under the resolution, York agreed to accelerate the timing of scheduled payments totaling $8.0 million as originally contemplated at the time of the acquisition of Milso Industries and consistent with the earn-out provisions of the Pontones’ employment agreements.

On July 20, 2007, York reached a settlement agreement with Yorktowne Caskets, Inc. (“Yorktowne”) and its shareholders finally resolving all outstanding litigation between the parties.  In exchange for the mutual releases, the principal terms of the settlement included the assignment by Yorktowne of certain customer and employment-related contracts to York Distribution Company (“YDC”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of York, and the purchase by YDC of certain assets, including York-product inventory, of Yorktowne.  The purchase price for the assets was $7.7 million, plus the value of the inventory.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, York’s lawsuit against the additional co-defendant, Batesville Casket Company, Inc. (“Batesville”), filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, remains pending.

On July 30, 2007, Batesville filed a complaint against York for damages and injunctive relief in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio alleging, in part, that York’s settlement with Yorktowne resulted in the commission of the tort of intentional interference of Batesville’s supply agreement with Yorktowne dated April 15, 2007 (the “Complaint”).  York has preliminarily filed a responsive pleading to the allegations pled by Batesville in the Complaint.  The Company intends to vigorously defend against the allegations set forth in the pending Complaint and does not presently believe that the ultimate resolution of this matter will have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

On September 12, 2007, York reached a settlement agreement with Horizon Casket Group, Inc. (“Horizon”), Delta Casket Enterprises, Inc., Delta Casket Company, Inc., Delta-Southern Casket Company, William W. Grubbs, Jr. and Gerald Kilpatrick (collectively the “Delta Defendants”) addressing litigation previously pending in the United Stated District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.  In exchange for mutual releases, Horizon and the Delta Defendants agreed to pay York the lump sum payment of $3.5 million. In connection with the same claims, York reached a settlement agreement with York Southern, Inc. and affiliates earlier in fiscal 2007.


ITEM 4.                      SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.

No matters were submitted to a vote of the Company's security holders during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007.

12


OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE REGISTRANT

The following information is furnished with respect to officers and executive management as of October 31, 2007:

Name
 
Age
 
Positions with Registrant
         
Joseph C. Bartolacci
 
47
 
President and Chief Executive Officer
         
David F. Beck
 
55
 
Controller
         
David J. DeCarlo
 
62
 
Vice Chairman
         
C. Michael Dempe
 
51
 
Chief Operating Officer, Cloverleaf Group, Inc.
         
James P. Doyle
 
56
 
Group President, Memorialization
         
Brian J. Dunn
 
50
 
Group President, Graphics and Marking Products
         
Steven F. Nicola
 
47
 
Chief Financial Officer, Secretary
       
and Treasurer
         
Timothy S. O’Brien
 
43
 
President, Bronze Division
         
Paul F. Rahill
 
50
 
President, Cremation Division
         
Franz J. Schwarz
 
59
 
President, Graphics Europe
         

Joseph C. Bartolacci was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer effective October 1, 2006.  He had been President and Chief Operating Officer since September 1, 2005.  Mr. Bartolacci was elected to the Board of Directors on November 15, 2005.  He had been President, Casket Division since February 2004 and Executive Vice President of Matthews since January 1, 2004.  He had been President, Matthews Europe since April 2002. Prior thereto, he was President, Caggiati, S.p.A. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Matthews International Corporation) and served as General Counsel of Matthews.

David F. Beck was appointed Controller effective September 15, 2003.  Prior thereto, he was Vice President, Finance for the Company’s Casket segment.

David J. DeCarlo, a Director of the Company since 1987, was appointed Vice Chairman effective September 1, 2005.  Mr. DeCarlo had been Group President, Bronze and Casket Divisions since February 2004 and prior thereto had been President, Bronze Division.

C. Michael Dempe joined the Company as Chief Operating Officer of Cloverleaf Group, Inc. (“Cloverleaf”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Matthews International Corporation, in July 2004.  Cloverleaf was acquired by Matthews in July 2004.  Prior thereto, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of iDL, Inc., a predecessor company to Cloverleaf.

James P. Doyle joined the Company as Group President, Memorialization in December 2006.  Prior to joining Matthews, he served as President, Kohler Engine Business, (a manufacturer of air and liquid-cooled four cycle engines), a division of Kohler Company, from 2004 to 2006.  From 2000 to 2004, Mr. Doyle served as President of Fasco Industries, Inc., a division of Invensys PLC, which manufactured custom blowers, motors and gear-motors for global markets.

13


OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE REGISTRANT, continued

Brian J. Dunn was appointed Group President, Graphics and Marking Products effective September 1, 2007.  Prior thereto, Mr. Dunn had been President, Marking Products Division.

Steven F. Nicola was appointed Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer effective December 1, 2003.  Prior thereto, he was Vice President, Accounting and Finance.

Timothy S. O’Brien joined the Company in October 2007 as President, Bronze Division.  Prior to joining the Company, Mr. O’Brien served in senior management positions in the Cooper Lighting Division of Cooper Industries, a public company that produces and markets electrical products, tools, hardware and metal support products, since 2002.

Paul F. Rahill was appointed President, Cremation Division in October 2002.

Franz J. Schwarz was named President, Graphics Europe in May 2006.  He has been Managing Director of Matthews International GmbH (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Matthews International Corporation) since 2000. He was a partial owner of S+T Gesellschaft fur Reprotechnik GmbH (“S+T GmbH”), a provider of printing plates and print services located in Julich, Germany, until September 30, 2005.  Matthews International GmbH owns an 80% interest in S+T GmbH as of September 30, 2007.

14


PART II


ITEM 5.
MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.

Market Information:

The authorized common stock of the Company consists of 70,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, $1 par value.  The Company's Class A Common Stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market System under the symbol “MATW”.  The following table sets forth the high, low and closing prices as reported by NASDAQ for the periods indicated:

   
High
   
Low
   
Close
 
Fiscal 2007:
                 
Quarter ended:   September 30, 2007
  $
48.22
    $
36.76
    $
43.80
 
 June 30, 2007
   
44.97
     
37.61
     
43.61
 
 March 31, 2007
   
42.35
     
38.13
     
40.70
 
 December 31, 2006
   
41.75
     
35.13
     
39.35
 
                         
Fiscal 2006:
                       
Quarter ended:      September 30, 2006
  $
38.25
    $
31.02
    $
36.79
 
June 30, 2006
   
38.32
     
33.21
     
34.47
 
March 31, 2006
   
39.98
     
35.03
     
38.26
 
December 31, 2005
   
40.49
     
34.25
     
36.41
 


The Company has a stock repurchase program, which was initiated in 1996.  Under the program, the Company's Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of a total of 12,500,000 shares of Matthews’ common stock, of which 10,501,443 shares have been repurchased as of September 30, 2007.  The buy-back program is designed to increase shareholder value, enlarge the Company's holdings of its common stock, and add to earnings per share.  Repurchased shares may be retained in treasury, utilized for acquisitions, or reissued to employees or other purchasers, subject to the restrictions of the Company’s Restated Articles of Incorporation.

All purchases of the Company’s common stock during fiscal 2007 were part of this repurchase program.

15


ITEM 5.
MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS (continued)

The following table shows the monthly fiscal 2007 stock repurchase activity:

Period
 
Total number of shares purchased
   
Average price paid per share
   
Total number of shares purchased as part of a publicly announced plan
   
Maximum number of shares that may yet be purchased under the plan (1)
 
                         
October 2006
   
-
    $
-
     
-
     
864,854
 
November 2006
   
60,000
     
38.00
     
60,000
     
804,854
 
December 2006
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
804,854
 
January 2007
   
11,500
     
39.64
     
11,500
     
793,354
 
February 2007
   
8,300
     
40.30
     
8,300
     
785,054
 
March 2007
   
271,900
     
39.54
     
271,900
     
513,154
 
April 2007
   
130,000
     
41.95
     
130,000
     
2,883,154
 
May 2007
   
335,604
     
43.22
     
335,604
     
2,547,550
 
June 2007
   
96,747
     
43.28
     
96,747
     
2,450,803
 
July 2007
   
210,000
     
39.28
     
210,000
     
2,240,803
 
August 2007
   
205,196
     
40.91
     
205,196
     
2,035,607
 
September 2007
   
37,050
     
42.09
     
37,050
     
1,998,557
 
    Total
   
1,366,297
    $
41.11
     
1,366,297
         


(1) In April 2007, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the purchase of an additional 2,500,000 shares of Matthews common stock, bringing the total authorization for stock repurchases to 12,500,000 shares.

Holders:

Based on records available to the Company, the number of registered holders of the Company's common stock was 500 at October 31, 2007.

Dividends:

A quarterly dividend of $.06 per share was paid for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 to shareholders of record on October 31, 2007. The Company paid quarterly dividends of $.055 per share for the first three quarters of fiscal 2007 and the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006.   The Company paid quarterly dividends of $.05 per share for the first three quarters of fiscal 2006 and the fourth quarter of fiscal 2005.  The Company paid quarterly dividends of $.045 per share for the first three quarters of fiscal 2005.

Cash dividends have been paid on common shares in every year for at least the past forty years.  It is the present intention of the Company to continue to pay quarterly cash dividends on its common stock.  However, there is no assurance that dividends will be declared and paid as the declaration and payment of dividends is at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Company and is dependent upon the Company's financial condition, results of operations, cash requirements, future prospects and other factors deemed relevant by the Board.

16


ITEM 5.                      MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS, continued

Performance Graph:

During fiscal 2007, the Company’s common stock was added to the Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) MidCap 400 Index.  Accordingly, the performance graph includes the S&P MidCap 400 Index as well as the S&P 500 Index and S&P SmallCap 600 Index included in the prior year performance graph

COMPARISON OF FIVE-YEAR CUMULATIVE RETURN *
AMONG MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION,
S&P 500 INDEX, S&P MIDCAP 400 INDEX AND S&P SMALLCAP 600 INDEX **

 


Note: Performance graph assumes $100 invested on October 1, 2002 in Matthews International Corporation Common Stock, Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, S&P MidCap 400 Index and S&P SmallCap 600 Index.  The results are not necessarily indicative of future performance.

17


ITEM 6.
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.



   
Years Ended September 30,
 
   
2007(1)
   
2006 (2)
   
2005
   
2004
   
2003 (3)
 
   
(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)
 
   
(Not Covered by Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm)
 
Net sales
  $
749,352
    $
715,891
    $
639,822
    $
508,801
    $
458,865
 
                                         
Gross profit
   
280,457
     
271,933
     
223,075
     
193,754
     
170,302
 
                                         
Operating profit
   
111,824
     
113,884
     
98,413
     
95,078
     
77,816
 
                                         
Interest expense
   
8,119
     
6,995
     
2,966
     
1,998
     
2,852
 
                                         
Income before income taxes
   
103,716
     
105,408
     
93,056
     
89,117
     
71,086
 
                                         
Income taxes
   
38,990
     
38,964
     
34,985
     
34,584
     
27,582
 
                                         
Net income
  $
64,726
    $
66,444
    $
58,071
    $
54,533
    $
43,504
 
                                         
                                         
Earnings per common share:
                                       
Diluted
   
$2.04
     
$2.06
     
$1.79
     
$1.68
     
$1.35
 
Basic
   
2.05
     
2.08
     
1.81
     
1.69
     
1.37
 
                                         
Weighted-average common
                                       
shares outstanding:
                                       
Basic
   
31,566
     
31,999
     
32,116
     
32,217
     
31,686
 
Diluted
   
31,680
     
32,252
     
32,381
     
32,542
     
32,147
 
                                         
Cash dividends per share
   
$.225
     
$.205
     
$.185
     
$.165
     
$.123
 
                                         
Total assets
  $
771,069
    $
716,090
    $
665,455
    $
533,432
    $
443,294
 
Long-term debt, non-current
   
142,273
     
120,289
     
118,952
     
54,389
     
57,023
 

(1)
Fiscal 2007 included a net pre-tax charge of approximately $8,765 which consisted of a pre-tax charge of approximately $9,373 related to the acceleration of earn-out payments in the resolution of employment agreements from the Milso Industries acquisition and pre-tax charges of $3,515 primarily related to severance costs incurred in several of the Company’s segments, partially offset by a pre-tax gain of $1,322 on the sale of the merchandising consulting business in the Merchandising Solutions segment and favorable legal settlements, net of related legal costs incurred, of approximately $2,801.
(2)
Fiscal 2006 included a net pre-tax gain of $1,016 which consisted of a pre-tax gain of $2,670 from the sale of a facility and a pre-tax charge of approximately $1,654 related to asset impairments and related costs.
(3)
Fiscal 2003 included a net pre-tax charge of approximately $1,000 which consisted of a pre-tax gain of $2,600 on the sale of a facility and a goodwill impairment charge of $3,600.


18


ITEM 7.
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of Matthews International Corporation and related notes thereto.  In addition, see "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information" included in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.


RESULTS OF OPERATIONS:

The following table sets forth certain income statement data of the Company expressed as a percentage of net sales for the periods indicated and the percentage change in such income statement data from year to year.

   
Years Ended
             
   
September 30,
   
Percentage Change
 
                       
2007-
     
2006-
 
   
2007
   
2006
   
2005
   
 2006
   
 2005
 
Sales
    100.0 %     100.0 %     100.0 %     4.7 %     11.9 %
Gross profit
   
37.4
     
38.0
     
34.9
     
3.1
     
21.9
 
Operating profit
   
14.9
     
15.9
     
15.4
      (1.8 )    
15.7
 
Income before taxes
   
13.8
     
14.7
     
14.5
      (1.6 )    
13.3
 
Net income
   
8.6
     
9.3
     
9.1
      (2.6 )    
14.4
 


Comparison of Fiscal 2007 and Fiscal 2006:

Sales for the year ended September 30, 2007 were $749.4 million, compared to $715.9 million for the year ended September 30, 2006.  The increase reflected higher sales in five of the Company’s six segments, and included the effect of higher foreign currency values against the U.S. dollar.  For the year ended September 30, 2007, changes in foreign currency values against the U.S. dollar had a favorable impact of approximately $13.6 million on the Company’s consolidated sales compared to the year ended September 30, 2006.

In the Memorialization businesses, Bronze segment sales for fiscal 2007 were $229.8 million compared to $218.0 million for fiscal 2006.  The increase primarily reflected higher selling prices and increases in the value of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar.  The higher selling prices were generally related to increases in the cost of bronze ingot.  Sales for the Casket segment were $210.7 million for fiscal 2007 compared to $201.0 million for the same period in fiscal 2006. The increase mainly resulted from the segment’s transition to Company-owned distribution in certain territories.  Unit sales through Company-owned distribution are at higher price levels than sales to independent distributors.  Sales for the Cremation segment were $25.2 million for fiscal 2007 compared to $26.0 million a year ago.  The decrease primarily reflected lower sales volume of cremation equipment units, which was partially due to the timing of delivery of several units at the end of fiscal 2007.  In the Company’s Brand Solutions businesses, sales for the Graphics Imaging segment in fiscal 2007 were $146.0 million, compared to $140.9 million a year ago.  The increase was mainly due to an increase in the value of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar and higher sales in the German markets, partially offset by lower sales in the U.S. and U.K. markets. Marking Products segment sales for the year ended September 30, 2007 were $57.5 million, compared to $52.3 million for fiscal 2006.  The increase primarily reflected higher domestic and international sales volume, the acquisition of an interest in a Chinese ink-jet equipment manufacturer in June 2007 and an increase in the value of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar.  Sales for the Merchandising Solutions segment were $80.2 million for fiscal 2007, compared to $77.8 million a year ago.  The increase is attributable to a significant project completed in the second quarter for one of the segment’s customers.  Excluding this project, sales declined from a year ago, reflecting lower demand.


19


ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS, continued

Gross profit for the year ended September 30, 2007 was $280.5 million, compared to $271.9 million for the year ended September 30, 2006.  The increase in consolidated gross profit primarily reflected the impact of higher sales, higher foreign currency values against the U.S. dollar, productivity improvements in the Casket segment’s manufacturing facility in Mexico, and other manufacturing and cost reduction initiatives. These gains were partially offset by the impact of lower sales in the U.K. graphics market, the higher cost of bronze ingot in fiscal 2007 compared to fiscal 2006 and the impact of special charges incurred by several of the Company’s segments. Consolidated gross profit as a percent of sales decreased from 38.0% for fiscal 2006 to 37.4% for fiscal 2007, principally resulting from the factors noted above.

Selling and administrative expenses for the year ended September 30, 2007 were $168.6 million, compared to $158.0 million for fiscal 2006.  Consolidated selling and administrative expenses as a percent of sales were 22.5% for the year ended September 30, 2007, compared to 22.1% last year.  The increases in costs and percentage of sales primarily resulted from the expansion of the Casket segment’s distribution capabilities and special charges incurred in several of the Company’s segments, the most significant of which was a Casket segment charge related to the acceleration of earn-out payments in the resolution of employment agreements from the fiscal 2005 acquisition of Milso Industries (“Milso”).  These increases were partially offset by settlements of several Casket segment legal claims during fiscal 2007.

Operating profit for fiscal 2007 was $111.8 million, compared to $113.9 million for fiscal 2006.  Fiscal 2007 operating profit included unusual items which had a net unfavorable impact of $8.8 million.  The most significant portion of these charges (approximately $9.4 million) related to the acceleration of earn-out payments in the resolution of employment agreements from the Milso acquisition.  Fiscal 2006 operating profit included unusual items which had a net favorable impact of $1.0 million.

Operating profit reflected the positive impact of higher sales, increases in the values of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar, and productivity improvements and cost reduction initiatives in several of the Company’s segments.  Bronze segment operating profit for fiscal 2007 was $66.3 million, compared to $65.0 million for fiscal 2006.  The increase reflected the impact of higher sales and an increase in the value of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar, partially offset by the higher cost of bronze ingot in fiscal 2007.  Operating profit for the Casket segment for fiscal 2007 was $11.8 million, compared to $17.0 million for fiscal 2006.  Casket segment operating profit reflected special charges of approximately $10.0 million, including costs related to the resolution of employment agreements from the Milso acquisition and severance costs related to cost reduction initiatives in certain operations.  These charges were partially offset by favorable litigation settlements ($2.8 million net of legal costs incurred) in the fiscal 2007 fourth quarter. In addition, the segment’s results reflected additional selling and administrative costs related to the expansion of the segment’s distribution capabilities in certain territories.  Cremation segment operating profit for the year ended September 30, 2007 was $3.6 million, compared to $3.4 million a year ago.  The increase was mainly attributable to the impact of improved price realization and cost reduction initiatives.  The Graphics Imaging segment operating profit for fiscal 2007 was $14.4 million, compared to $16.6 million for 2006.  The decrease primarily reflected the impact of lower sales in the U.K. market and special charges (mainly severance costs) of approximately $2.2 million related to cost reduction initiatives in the segment’s U.S. and U.K. operations, partially offset by higher sales in the German markets and an increase in foreign currency values against the U.S. dollar.  Operating profit for the Marking Products segment for fiscal 2007 was $9.9 million, compared to $9.1 million a year ago.  The increase resulted principally from higher sales and the acquisition made in June 2007, partially offset by higher overhead costs during fiscal 2007.  The Merchandising Solutions segment operating profit was $5.7 million for fiscal 2007, compared to $2.9 million for fiscal 2006.  The increase primarily reflected the impact of higher sales attributable to a significant project completed in the second quarter for one of the segment’s customers, a net gain of $1.3 million recognized on the sale of the segment’s merchandising consulting business in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 and the favorable effects of the segment’s facilities consolidation program.  Excluding the gain on the


20


ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS, continued

sale of the consulting business, the Merchandising Solutions segment reported an operating loss during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, compared to an operating profit of $1.3 million for fiscal 2006. The decline principally reflected lower sales during the fiscal 2007 fourth quarter compared to the same period a year ago.  For the year ended September 30, 2007, changes in foreign currency values against the U.S. dollar had a favorable impact of approximately $2.4 million on the Company’s consolidated operating profit compared to the year ended September 30, 2006.

Investment income for the year ended September 30, 2007 was $2.4 million, compared to $1.4 million for the year ended September 30, 2006.  The increase reflected higher average levels of invested funds and higher rates of return. Interest expense for fiscal 2007 was $8.1 million, compared to $7.0 million last year.  The increase in interest expense primarily reflected a higher average level of debt and higher average interest rates during fiscal 2007 compared to fiscal 2006.

Other income, net, for year ended September 30, 2007 was $354,000, compared to other income of $70,000 last year.  Minority interest deduction was $2.7 million for fiscal 2007, compared to $3.0 million in fiscal 2006.  The reduction reflected the Company’s purchase of the remaining ownership interest in one of its less than wholly-owned German subsidiaries in September 2006.

The Company's effective tax rate for fiscal 2007 was 37.6%, compared to 37.0% for fiscal 2006.  The fiscal 2006 effective tax rate reflected the favorable tax impact from the sale of property in the fourth quarter.  The difference between the Company's effective tax rate and the Federal statutory rate of 35.0% primarily reflected the impact of state and foreign income taxes.


Comparison of Fiscal 2006 and Fiscal 2005:

Sales for the year ended September 30, 2006 were $715.9 million and were $76.1 million, or 11.9%, higher than sales of $639.8 million for the year ended September 30, 2005.  The increase resulted principally from the acquisition of Milso in July 2005, and higher sales in the Cremation, Marking Products and Bronze segments.  These increases were partially offset by the effect of lower sales in the Merchandising Solutions segment and lower foreign currency values against the U.S. dollar.  Bronze segment sales for fiscal 2006 were $218.0 million, compared to $205.7 million for fiscal 2005.  The higher level of Bronze segment sales principally reflected an increase in memorial sales (which included price surcharges related to increases in the cost of bronze ingot) and higher mausoleum sales.  Sales for the Casket segment were $201.0 million for fiscal 2006, compared to $135.5 million for fiscal 2005.  The increase reflected the acquisition of Milso.  Excluding Milso, fiscal 2006 sales volume was lower than fiscal 2005, partially attributable to the transition to Company-owned distribution in certain territories and a lower death rate for the year.  Sales for the Cremation segment were $26.0 million for the year ended September 30, 2006, compared to $21.5 million for fiscal 2005.  The increase primarily reflected higher sales of cremation equipment and cremation caskets.  Sales for the Graphics Imaging segment in fiscal 2006 were $140.9 million, compared to $143.2 million in fiscal 2005.  The decrease primarily reflected a lower value of the Euro against the U.S. dollar and a decline in volume in certain German markets.  Marking Products segment sales for the year ended September 30, 2006 were $52.3 million, compared to $45.7 million for the year ended September 30, 2005.  The increase of $6.6 million was principally due to higher worldwide ink-jet coating business and domestic sales volume, particularly in the segment’s industrial automation business.  Sales for the Merchandising Solutions segment were $77.8 million for fiscal 2006, compared to $88.3 million for fiscal 2005.  The decline was attributable to lower sales of merchandising systems and displays.  Additionally, fiscal 2005 included sales for several promotional programs that did not repeat in fiscal 2006.  Lower foreign currency values against the U.S. dollar had an unfavorable impact of approximately $2.6 million on the Company’s consolidated sales compared to the prior year.

21


ITEM 7.                      MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS, continued

Gross profit for the year ended September 30, 2006 was $271.9 million, compared to $223.1 million for the year ended September 30, 2005. The increase in consolidated gross profit primarily reflected the Milso acquisition, higher sales in the Cremation, Marking Products and Bronze segments and the effects of manufacturing improvements and cost reduction initiatives.  These gains were partially offset by lower Casket segment sales excluding Milso and lower sales in the Merchandising Solutions segment.  Consolidated gross profit as a percent of sales increased from 34.9% for fiscal 2005 to 38.0% for fiscal 2006.  The gross margin percentage improvement principally related to the acquisition of Milso and the transition to Company-owned casket distribution in certain territories formerly served through independent distribution.  Sales through Company-owned distribution generally result in higher gross margin and selling and administrative costs as a percent of sales compared to sales through independent distribution.  Gross margin percentages also improved in the Cremation, Graphics Imaging, Marking Products and Merchandising Solutions segments.  These increases were partially offset by a decline in Bronze segment gross margin, reflecting the significant rise in bronze ingot cost.

Selling and administrative expenses for the year ended September 30, 2006 were $158.0 million, compared to $124.7 million for fiscal 2005.  The increase primarily reflected the acquisition of Milso, the expansion of the Casket segment’s distribution capabilities and a charge  of $1.7 million in the Casket segment for the impairment of redundant assets and related costs.  These increases were partially offset by a decrease in Bronze segment selling and administrative costs due to cost containment efforts intended to mitigate some of the increase in bronze metal cost, a reduction in Merchandising Solutions segment costs reflecting the effects of the segment’s facilities consolidation program and a gain of $2.7 million on the sale of a Bronze segment facility.  Consolidated selling and administrative expenses as a percent of sales were 22.1% for the year ended September 30, 2006, compared to 19.5% for fiscal 2005.  The increase reflected the acquisition of Milso, the expansion of the Casket segment’s casket distribution capabilities and the impairment charge, partially offset by the gain on the sale of a Bronze facility.

Operating profit for fiscal 2006 was $113.9 million, representing an increase of $15.5 million over operating profit of $98.4 million for the year ended September 30, 2005.  Bronze segment operating profit for fiscal 2006 was $65.0 million, compared to $59.7 million for the year ended September 30, 2005.  The increase reflected higher sales and cost reduction initiatives.  In addition, the segment’s fiscal 2006 operating profit included a gain of $2.7 million on the sale of a facility.  Operating profit for the Casket segment for the year ended September 30, 2006 was $17.0 million, compared to $12.6 million for fiscal 2005.  The increase primarily reflected the Milso acquisition, partially offset primarily by lower sales in several territories, and a fourth quarter 2006 charge of $1.7 million for the impairment of redundant assets and related costs. Cremation segment operating profit was $3.4 million for fiscal 2006, compared to $701,000 for fiscal 2005.  The increase primarily reflected higher sales of cremation equipment and caskets, improved pricing and
cost reduction initiatives.  Graphics Imaging operating profit for the year ended September 30, 2006 was $16.6 million, compared to $14.9 million for the year ended September 30, 2005.  The increase primarily reflected the effects of cost structure initiatives implemented in the segment’s U.S. and U.K. operations in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2005, partially offset by lower foreign currency values against the U.S. dollar.  Operating profit for the Marking Products segment for fiscal 2006 was $9.1 million, compared to $7.4 million for fiscal 2005.  The increase resulted from the benefit of higher sales.  Merchandising Solutions segment operating profit for the year ended September 30, 2006 was $2.9 million, compared to $3.1 million for fiscal 2005.  The decrease primarily reflected lower sales volume.  However, Merchandising Solutions operating margin as a percent of sales improved during the second six months of fiscal 2006, reflecting the effects of the facilities consolidation program and other cost reduction initiatives.

Investment income for the year ended September 30, 2006 was $1.4 million, compared to $1.7 million for fiscal 2005.  The decrease from the prior year primarily reflected lower levels of invested cash. Interest expense for the year ended September 30, 2006 was $7.0 million, compared to $3.0 million for the prior year.  The increase in interest expense primarily reflected higher borrowings under the Company’s domestic Revolving Credit Facility (see “Liquidity and Capital Resources”) and higher interest rates during fiscal 2006.

22


ITEM 7.                      MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS, continued

Other income (deductions), net, for the year ended September 30, 2006 represented an increase in pre-tax income of $70,000, compared to an increase in pre-tax income of $1.7 million for fiscal 2005.  Other income in fiscal 2005 primarily reflected foreign currency exchange gains on intercompany advances to foreign affiliates.  Minority interest deduction for fiscal 2006 was $3.0 million, compared to $5.8 million for fiscal 2005.  The lower minority interest deduction for fiscal 2006 resulted principally from the Company’s acquisition of an additional 30% interest in S+T Gesellschaft fur Reprotechnik GmbH (“S+T”) on September 30, 2005.

The Company's effective tax rate for the year ended September 30, 2006 was 37.0% compared to 37.6% for fiscal 2005.  The decrease in the effective tax rate resulted primarily from the favorable tax impact of the sale of a Bronze facility.  The difference between the Company's effective tax rate and the Federal statutory rate of 35% primarily reflected the impact of state and foreign income taxes.


LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES:

Net cash provided by operating activities was $74.6 million for the year ended September 30, 2007, compared to $66.3 million and $70.9 million for fiscal 2006 and 2005, respectively.  Operating cash flow for fiscal 2007 primarily reflected net income adjusted for depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense, an increase in minority interest and an increase in deferred taxes, partially offset by a $5.0 million cash contribution to the Company’s principal pension plan and an increase in working capital.  The increase in working capital is mainly attributable to higher inventory levels resulting from the Casket segment’s further expansion of its distribution capabilities.  Operating cash flow for fiscal 2006 primarily reflected net income adjusted for depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense and an increase in minority interest, partially offset by an increase in working capital.  The lower level of cash provided by operating activities in fiscal 2006 was attributable to an increase in working capital primarily resulting from higher levels of accounts receivable and inventories with the Casket segment’s expansion of its distribution capabilities.  Operating cash flow for fiscal 2005 primarily reflected net income adjusted for depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense and an increase in minority interest, partially offset by an increase in working capital, primarily accounts receivable and inventory.

Cash used in investing activities was $38.7 million for the year ended September 30, 2007, compared to $48.8 million and $139.0 million for fiscal years 2006 and 2005, respectively.  Investing activities for fiscal 2007 primarily reflected payments (net of cash acquired) of $23.8 million for acquisitions, capital expenditures of $20.6 million, net purchases of  investments of $1.1 million and proceeds of $6.9 million from the sale of assets.  Investing activities for fiscal 2006 primarily reflected payments (net of cash acquired) of $32.3 million for acquisitions, capital expenditures of $19.4 million, and proceeds of $3.1 million from the sale of assets.    Investing activities for fiscal 2005 primarily included payments (net of cash acquired) of $109.4 million for acquisitions, capital expenditures of $28.1 million, net purchases of investments of $2.6 million and proceeds of $1.1 million from the sale of assets.  See “Acquisitions” for further discussion of the Company’s acquisitions.

Capital expenditures were $20.6 million for the year ended September 30, 2007, compared to $19.4 million and $28.1 million for fiscal 2006 and 2005, respectively. The higher level of capital spending in fiscal 2005 reflected capital expenditures in connection with establishment of the casket manufacturing facility in Mexico and the acquisition of production facilities for the Merchandising Solutions segment and a European graphics business.  Capital expenditures in each of the last three fiscal years reflected reinvestment in the Company's business segments and were made primarily for the purchase of new manufacturing machinery, equipment and facilities designed to improve product quality, increase manufacturing efficiency, lower production costs and meet regulatory requirements.  Capital expenditures for the last three fiscal years were primarily financed through operating cash.

Capital spending for property, plant and equipment has averaged $22.7 million for the last three fiscal years.  The capital budget for fiscal 2008 is $25.2 million.  The Company expects to generate sufficient cash from operations to fund all anticipated capital spending projects.


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ITEM 7.                      MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS, continued

Cash used in financing activities for the year ended September 30, 2007 was $27.1 million, reflecting treasury stock purchases of $56.5 million, net proceeds of long-term debt of $17.7 million, proceeds of $16.5 million from the sale of treasury stock (stock option exercises), a tax benefit of $3.8 million from exercised stock options, dividends of $7.1 million ($0.225 per share) to the Company’s shareholders and distributions of $1.6 million to minority interests.  Cash used in financing activities for the year ended September 30, 2006 was $29.0 million, reflecting treasury stock purchases of $17.5 million, net repayments of long-term debt of $2.1 million, proceeds of $2.0 million from the sale of treasury stock (stock option exercises), a tax benefit of $637,000 from exercised stock options, dividends of $6.6 million ($0.205 per share) to the Company’s shareholders and distributions of $5.5 million to minority interests.  Cash provided by financing activities for the year ended September 30, 2005 was $44.8 million, reflecting proceeds, net of repayments, from long-term debt of $75.7 million, treasury stock purchases of $27.9 million, proceeds of $5.9 million from the sale of treasury stock (stock option exercises), a tax benefit of $2.5 million from exercised stock options, dividends of $5.9 million ($0.185 per share) to the Company’s shareholders and distributions of $5.5 million to minority interests.

The Company has a domestic Revolving Credit Facility with a syndicate of financial institutions.  In September 2007, the maximum amount of borrowings available under the facility was increased from $175.0 million to $225.0 million and the facility’s maturity was extended to September 10, 2012. Borrowings under the amended facility bear interest at LIBOR plus a factor ranging from .40% to .80% based on the Company’s leverage ratio.  The leverage ratio is defined as net indebtedness divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization).  The Company is required to pay an annual commitment fee ranging from .15% to .25% (based on the Company’s leverage ratio) of the unused portion of the facility.  The Revolving Credit Facility, as amended, requires the Company to maintain certain leverage and interest coverage ratios.  A portion of the facility (not to exceed $10.0 million) is available for the issuance of trade and standby letters of credit. Outstanding borrowings on the Revolving Credit Facility at September 30, 2007 and 2006 were $147.8 million and $123.2 million, respectively.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings at September 30, 2007 and 2006 was 5.08% and 4.88%, respectively.

The Company has entered into the following interest rate swaps:

Date
Initial Amount
 
Fixed Interest Rate
   
Interest Rate Spread at September 30, 2007
   
Equal Quarterly Payments
 
Maturity Date
April 2004
$50 million
    2.66 %     .40 %  
$2.5 million
 
April 2009
September 2005
 50 million
   
4.14
     
.40
   
  3.3 million
 
April 2009
August 2007
 15 million
   
5.07
     
.40
     
-
 
April 2009
August 2007
 10 million
   
5.07
     
.40
     
-
 
April 2009
September 2007
 25 million
   
4.77
     
.40
     
-
 
September 2012

The interest rate swaps have been designated as cash flow hedges of the future variable interest payments under the Revolving Credit Facility which are considered probable of occurring.  Based on the Company’s assessment, all the critical terms of each of the hedges matched the underlying terms of the hedged debt and related forecasted interest payments, and as such, these hedges were considered highly effective.

The fair value of the interest rate swaps reflected an unrealized gain of $292,000 ($178,000 after tax) at September 30, 2007 that is included in equity as part of accumulated other comprehensive income.  Assuming market rates remain constant with the rates at September 30, 2007, approximately $122,000 of the $178,000 gain included in accumulated other comprehensive income is expected to be recognized in earnings as an adjustment to interest expense over the next twelve months.

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ITEM 7.                      MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS, continued

The Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Matthews International GmbH (“MIGmbH”), has a credit facility with National Westminster Bank Plc for borrowings up to 10.0 million Euros ($14.3 million).  Outstanding borrowings under the credit facility totaled 8.0 million Euros ($11.4 million) and 8.5 million Euros ($10.8 million) at September 30, 2007 and 2006, respectively.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding MIGmbH related borrowings at September 30, 2007 and 2006 was 4.90% and 3.69%, respectively.

The Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Matthews International S.p.A., has several loans with various Italian banks.  Outstanding borrowings on these loans totaled 5.1 million Euros ($7.3 million) and 8.0 million Euros ($10.2 million) at September 30, 2007 and 2006, respectively.  Matthews International S.p.A. also has three lines of credit totaling 8.4 million Euros ($11.9 million) with the same Italian banks.  Outstanding borrowings on these lines were 1.4 million Euros ($2.0 million) and 2.3 million Euros ($3.0 million) at September 30, 2007 and 2006, respectively.  The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding Matthews International S.p.A. related borrowings at September 30, 2007 and 2006 was 3.26% and 3.17%, respectively.

The Company has a stock repurchase program, which was initiated in 1996.  As of September 30, 2007, the Company's Board of Directors had authorized the repurchase of a total of 12,500,000 shares of Matthews’ common stock under the program, of which 10,501,443 shares had been repurchased as of September 30, 2007.  The buy-back program is designed to increase shareholder value, enlarge the Company's holdings of its common stock, and add to earnings per share.  Repurchased shares may be retained in treasury, utilized for acquisitions, or reissued to employees or other purchasers, subject to the restrictions of the Company’s Restated Articles of Incorporation.

Consolidated working capital of the Company was $143.1 million at September 30, 2007, compared to $105.6 million and $86.6 million at September 30, 2006 and 2005, respectively.  Working capital at September 30, 2007 reflected higher levels of inventories resulting primarily from the Casket segment’s expansion of its distribution capabilities. Working capital at September 30, 2006 reflected higher levels of accounts receivable and inventories resulting primarily from the Casket segment’s expansion of its distribution capabilities. Cash and cash equivalents were $44.0 million at September 30, 2007, compared to $29.7 million and $39.6 million at September 30, 2006 and 2005, respectively.  The Company's current ratio at September 30, 2007 was 2.2, compared to 1.8 and 1.6 at September 30, 2006 and 2005, respectively.


ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS:

The Company's operations are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment.  These laws and regulations impose limitations on the discharge of materials into the environment and require the Company to obtain and operate in compliance with conditions of permits and other government authorizations.  As such, the Company has developed environmental, health, and safety policies and procedures that include the proper handling, storage and disposal of hazardous materials.

The Company is party to various environmental matters.  These include obligations to investigate and mitigate the effects on the environment of the disposal of certain materials at various operating and non-operating sites.  The Company is currently performing environmental assessments and remediation at these sites, as appropriate.  In addition, prior to its acquisition, The York Group, Inc. (“York”) was identified, along with others, by the Environmental Protection Agency as a potentially responsible party for remediation of a landfill site in York, Pennsylvania.  At this time, the Company has not been joined in any lawsuit or administrative order related to the site or its clean-up.

At September 30, 2007, an accrual of approximately $8.7 million had been recorded for environmental remediation (of which $865,000 was classified in other current liabilities), representing management's best estimate of the probable and reasonably estimable costs of the Company's known remediation obligations.  The accrual, which reflects previously established reserves assumed with the acquisition of York and additional reserves recorded as a purchase accounting adjustment, does not consider the effects of inflation and anticipated expenditures are not discounted to their present value.  Changes in the accrued environmental remediation obligation

25


ITEM 7.                      MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS, continued

from the prior fiscal year reflect payments charged against the accrual.  While final resolution of these contingencies could result in costs different than current accruals, management believes the ultimate outcome will not have a significant effect on the Company's consolidated results of operations or financial position.


ACQUISITIONS:

Fiscal 2007:

Acquisition spending, net of cash acquired, during the year ended September 30, 2007 totaled $23.8 million, and primarily included the following:

In July 2007, York reached a settlement agreement with Yorktowne Caskets, Inc. and its shareholders (collectively “Yorktowne”) with respect to all outstanding litigation between the parties.  In exchange for the mutual release, the principal terms of the settlement included the assignment by Yorktowne of certain customer and employment-related contracts to York and the purchase by York of certain assets, including York-product inventory, of Yorktowne.

In June 2007, the Company acquired a 60% interest in Beijing Kenuohua Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., (“Kenuohua”), an ink-jet equipment manufacturer, headquartered in Beijing, China.  The acquisition was structured as a stock purchase.  The acquisition was intended to expand Matthews’ marking products manufacturing and distribution capabilities in Asia.

In December 2006, the Company paid additional purchase consideration of $7.0 million under the terms of the Milso  acquisition agreement.


Fiscal 2006:

Acquisition spending, net of cash acquired, during the year ended September 30, 2006 totaled $32.3 million, and primarily included the following:

In March 2006, the Company acquired Royal Casket Company, a distributor of primarily York brand caskets in the Southwest region of the United States. The transaction was structured as an asset purchase with potential additional consideration payable contingent upon the operating performance of the acquired operations during the next five years.  The Company expects to account for this consideration as additional purchase price.  The acquisition was intended to expand Matthews’ casket distribution capabilities in the Southwestern United States.

In February 2006, the Company acquired The Doyle Group, a provider of reprographic services to the packaging industry, located in Oakland, California.  The transaction was structured as an asset purchase, with potential additional consideration payable contingent upon the operating performance of the acquired operations during the next three years.  The Company expects to account for this consideration as additional purchase price.  The acquisition was intended to expand the Company’s graphics business in the Western United States.

In September 2005, the Company acquired an additional 30% interest in S+T which was paid in October 2005.  The Company had acquired a 50% interest in S+T in 1998.

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ITEM 7.                      MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS, continued

Fiscal 2005:

Acquisition spending, net of cash acquired, during the year ended September 30, 2005 totaled $109.4 million, and primarily included the following:

In July 2005, the Company acquired Milso, a leading manufacturer and marketer of caskets in the United States.  Milso, headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, has manufacturing operations in Richmond, Indiana and maintains distribution centers throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Southwest regions of the United States.  The transaction was structured as an asset purchase, at an initial purchase price of approximately $95.0 million.  In connection with the contingent consideration provisions of the acquisition agreement, the Company paid additional purchase consideration in
December 2006.  The additional consideration was recorded as additional purchase price as of September 30, 2006.  The acquisition was intended to expand Matthews’ products and services in the United States casket market.

In June 2005, the Company paid additional consideration to the minority owner of Rudolf Reproflex GmbH (“Rudolf”) under the terms of the original acquisition agreement.  The Company had acquired a 75% interest in Rudolf in 2001.


DISPOSITION:

In August 2007, the Company sold the consulting services portion of its Merchandising Solutions segment. The transaction resulted in a pre-tax gain of $1.3 million, which was recorded as a reduction in administrative expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Income.


FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

The Company’s objective with respect to operating performance is to increase annual earnings per share in the range of 12% to 15% over the long term.  For the past ten fiscal years, the Company has achieved an average annual increase in earnings per share of 13.8%.

Matthews has a three-pronged strategy to attain the annual growth rate objective, which has remained unchanged from the prior year.  This strategy consists of the following:  internal growth (which includes productivity improvements, new product development and the expansion into new markets with existing products), acquisitions and share repurchases under the Company’s stock repurchase program (see "Liquidity and Capital Resources").

The significant factors impacting the Company’s fiscal 2007 results were the high level of bronze metal costs, continued transition to Company-owned casket distribution in certain territories in the Casket segment and difficult market conditions in the U.S. and U. K. Graphics markets.  The Company expects to continue to face several of these same issues in fiscal 2008.  Bronze metal costs are expected to remain high. The Casket segment will continue in its efforts to effectively integrate newly-established Company-owned distribution operations.  Additionally, fiscal 2007 cost structure initiatives in the Graphics Imaging segment (particularly in the U.K.) should position this business for improved profitability in fiscal 2008.

Based on the Company’s growth strategy and factors discussed above, the Company currently expects to achieve fiscal 2008 diluted earnings per share in the range of $2.48 to $2.54, which represents growth in the 12% to 15% range over fiscal 2007 earnings per share on an adjusted basis.  This earnings expectation excludes the net impact of the unusual items incurred in fiscal 2007, and the impact of unusual items, if any, which may occur in fiscal 2008.


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ITEM 7.                      MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS, continued

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES:

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Therefore, the determination of estimates requires the exercise of judgment based on various assumptions and other factors such as historical experience, economic conditions, and in some cases, actuarial techniques.  Actual results may differ from those estimates.  A discussion of market risks affecting the Company can be found in Item 7A, "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk," of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The Company's significant accounting policies are included in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.  Management believes that the application of these policies on a consistent basis enables the Company to provide useful and reliable financial information about the Company's operating results and financial condition.  The following accounting policies involve significant estimates, which were considered critical to the preparation of the Company's consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2007.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts:

The allowance for doubtful accounts is based on an evaluation of specific customer accounts for which available facts and circumstances indicate collectibility may be uncertain.  In addition, the allowance includes a reserve for all customers based on historical collection experience.

Long-Lived Assets:

Property, plant and equipment, goodwill and other intangible assets are carried at cost.  Depreciation on property, plant and equipment is computed primarily on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets.  Property, plant and equipment are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable.  Recoverability of assets is determined by evaluating the estimated undiscounted net cash flows of the operations to which the assets relate.  An impairment loss would be recognized when the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value which generally is a discounted cash flow analysis.

Goodwill is not amortized, but is subject to periodic review for impairment.  In general, when the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its implied fair value, an impairment loss must be recognized.  For purposes of testing for impairment, the Company uses a combination of valuation techniques, including discounted cash flows.  Intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives, unless such lives are considered to be indefinite.  A significant decline in cash flows generated from these assets may result in a write-down of the carrying values of the related assets.  The Company performed its annual impairment reviews in the second quarters of fiscal 2007 and fiscal 2006 and determined that no adjustments to the carrying values of goodwill or other intangibles were necessary at those times.

Share-Based Payment:

Effective October 1, 2005, the Company adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123 (revised 2004), “Share-Based Payment”, (“SFAS No. 123(R)”) using the modified retrospective method.  Accordingly, stock-based compensation cost is measured at grant date, based on the fair value of the award, and is recognized as expense over the employee requisite service period. The Company elected to apply the short-cut method for determining the pool of windfall tax benefits in connection with the adoption of  SFAS No. 123(R).

28


ITEM 7.                      MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS, continued

Pension and Postretirement Benefits:

Pension assets and liabilities are determined on an actuarial basis and are affected by the market value of plan assets, estimates of the expected return on plan assets and the discount rate used to determine the present value of benefit obligations.  Actual changes in the fair market value of plan assets and differences between the actual return on plan assets, the expected return on plan assets and changes in the selected discount rate will affect the amount of pension cost.

The Company's principal pension plan maintains a substantial portion of its assets in equity securities in accordance with the investment policy established by the Company’s pension board.  Based on an analysis of the historical performance of the plan's assets and consultation with its independent investment advisor, the Company has maintained the long-term rate of return assumption for these assets at 9.0% for purposes of determining pension cost and funded status under SFAS No. 87, "Employers' Accounting for Pensions" and SFAS No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans.”   The Company’s discount rate assumption used in determining the present value of the projected benefit obligation is based upon published indices for long-term (10-year) high quality bonds as of its plan year-end date (July 31).  The discount rate was 6.50%, 6.50% and 5.75% in fiscal 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively, reflecting long-term bond rates in each of those periods.

Environmental Reserve:

Environmental liabilities are recorded when the Company's obligation is probable and reasonably estimable.  Accruals for losses from environmental remediation obligations do not consider the effects of inflation, and anticipated expenditures are not discounted to their present value.

Revenue Recognition:

Revenues are generally recognized when title and risk of loss pass to the customer, which is typically at the time of product shipment.  For pre-need sales of memorials and vases, revenue is recognized when the memorial has been manufactured to the customer’s specifications (e.g., name and birth date), title has been transferred to the customer and the memorial and vase are placed in storage for future delivery.  A liability has been recorded in Estimated Finishing Costs for the estimated costs of finishing pre-need bronze memorials and vases that have been manufactured and placed in storage prior to July 1, 2003 for future delivery.

In July 2003, the Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) issued Issue No. 00-21 “Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables.”  Issue No. 00-21 addresses certain aspects of the accounting by a vendor for arrangements under which it will perform multiple revenue generating activities.  The provisions of Issue No. 00-21 were effective July 1, 2003 and have been applied prospectively by the Company to the finishing and storage elements of its pre-need sales.  Beginning July 1, 2003, revenue is deferred by the Company on the portion of pre-need sales attributable to the final finishing and storage of the pre-need merchandise.  Deferred revenue for final finishing is recognized at the time the pre-need merchandise is finished and shipped to the customer.  Deferred revenue related to storage is recognized on a straight-line basis over the estimated average time that pre-need merchandise is held in storage.

At September 30, 2007, the Company held 354,886 memorials and 247,934 vases in its storage facilities under the pre-need sales program.

Construction revenues are recognized under the percentage-of-completion method of accounting using the cost-to-cost method.  The Company offers rebates to certain customers participating in volume purchase programs.  Rebates are estimated and recorded as a reduction in sales at the time the Company’s products are sold.


29


ITEM 7.                      MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS, continued

LONG-TERM CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS:

The following table summarizes the Company’s contractual obligations at September 30, 2007, and the effect such obligations are expected to have on its liquidity and cash flows in future periods.

   
Payments due in fiscal year:
 
                           
After
 
   
Total
   
2008
   
2009 to 2010
   
2011 to 2012
   
2012
 
Contractual Cash Obligations:
 
(Dollar amounts in thousands)
 
Revolving credit facilities
  $
159,240
    $
23,333
    $
28,907
    $
107,000
    $
-
 
Notes payable to banks
   
7,332
     
1,005
     
2,924
     
2,342
     
1,061
 
Short-term borrowings
   
2,068
     
2,068
     
-
     
-
     
-
 
Capital lease obligations
   
711
     
664
     
41
     
6
     
-
 
Non-cancelable operating leases
   
27,999
     
8,526
     
9,803
     
6,506
     
3,164
 
Total contractual cash obligations
  $
197,350
    $
35,596
    $
41,675
    $
115,854
    $
4,225
 

A significant portion of the loans included in the table above bear interest at variable rates. At September 30, 2007, the weighted-average interest rate was 5.08% on the Company’s domestic Revolving Credit Facility, 4.90% on the credit facility through the Company’s wholly-owned German subsidiary, and 3.26% on bank loans to the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Matthews International S.p.A.

Benefit payments under the Company’s principal retirement plan are made from plan assets, while benefit payments under the supplemental retirement plan and postretirement benefit plan are funded from the Company’s operating cash. Under IRS regulations, the Company was not required to make any significant contributions to its principal retirement plan in fiscal 2007, however, in June 2007, the Company made a $5.0 million contribution to its principal retirement plan. The Company does not currently plan to make any significant contributions to its principal retirement plan in fiscal 2008.  The Company estimates that benefit payments to participants under its retirement plans (including its supplemental retirement plan) and postretirement benefit payments will be $5.3 million and $1.1 million, respectively, in fiscal 2008.  The amounts are not expected to change materially thereafter.  The Company believes that its current liquidity sources, combined with its operating cash flow and borrowing capacity, will be sufficient to meet its capital needs for the foreseeable future.


INFLATION:

Except for the significant increases in the cost of bronze ingot and steel (see “Results of Operations”), inflation has not had a material impact on the Company over the past three years nor is it anticipated to have a material impact for the foreseeable future.


ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS:

Effective September 30, 2007, the Company adopted the recognition and related disclosure provisions of SFAS No. 158, “Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans” (“SFAS No. 158”) which amends SFAS No. 87, No. 88, No. 106 and No. 132(R).  The provisions of the Statement are to be applied prospectively; therefore, prior periods presented have not been restated.  The over-funded or under-funded status of defined benefit postretirement plans has been recognized on the balance sheet with a corresponding adjustment in accumulated other comprehensive income. In addition, gains or loss and prior service costs or credits that were not included as components of periodic benefit expense are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income.  As a result of the adoption of SFAS No. 158, the liability for pension and postretirement benefits increased approximately $14.7 million, deferred tax assets increased approximately $5.7 million and equity (accumulated other comprehensive income) decreased by approximately $9.0 million.

30


ITEM 7.                      MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS, continued

Further, SFAS No. 158 requires the Company to measure the plan assets and benefit obligations of defined benefit postretirement plans as of the date of its year-end balance sheet. This provision of the SFAS No. 158 is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008.  The Company currently measures plan assets and benefit obligations as of July 31 of each year. The Company is considering the implications of this provision and the feasibility of earlier adoption of this portion of the statement.  Upon adoption, this provision is not expected to have a material effect on the financial statements.

In June 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Interpretation No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes” (“FIN 48”), which clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements in accordance with SFAS No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes.” This interpretation prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return.  FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition. Any resulting cumulative effect of applying the provisions of FIN 48 upon adoption will be reported as an adjustment to beginning retained earnings in the period of adoption. FIN 48 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2006. The Company will adopt the provisions of FIN 48 in the first quarter of fiscal 2008.  The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of FIN 48, and does not expect such adoption to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.

In September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements” (“SFAS No. 157”).  SFAS No. 157 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in generally accepted accounting principles, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements.  SFAS No. 157 applies under other accounting pronouncements that require or permit fair value measurements and does not require any new fair value measurements.  SFAS No. 157 is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007, however, for non-financial assets and liabilities the effective date has been extended to fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008.  The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of SFAS No. 157.

31


ITEM 7A.                      QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

The following discussion about the Company's market risk involves forward-looking statements.  Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.  The Company has market risk related to changes in interest rates, commodity prices and foreign currency exchange rates.  The Company does not generally use derivative financial instruments in connection with these market risks, except as noted below.

Interest Rates - The Company’s most significant long-term debt instrument is the domestic Revolving Credit Facility, as amended, which bears interest at variable rates based on LIBOR.

The Company has entered into the following interest rate swaps:

Date
Initial Amount
 
Fixed Interest Rate
   
Interest Rate Spread at September 30, 2007
   
Equal Quarterly Payments
 
Maturity Date
April 2004
$50 million
    2.66 %     .40 %  
$2.5 million
 
April 2009
September 2005
 50 million
   
4.14
     
.40
   
  3.3 million
 
April 2009
August 2007
 15 million
   
5.07
     
.40
     
-
 
April 2009
August 2007
 10 million
   
5.07
     
.40
     
-
 
April 2009
September 2007
 25 million
   
4.77
     
.40
     
-
 
September 2012

The interest rate swaps have been designated as cash flow hedges of the future variable interest payments under the Revolving Credit Facility which are considered probable of occurring.  Based on the Company’s assessment, all the critical terms of each of the hedges matched the underlying terms of the hedged debt and related forecasted interest payments, and as such, these hedges were considered highly effective.

The fair value of the interest rate swaps reflected an unrealized gain of $292,000 ($178,000 after tax) at September 30, 2007 that is included in equity as part of accumulated other comprehensive income.  A decrease of 10% in market interest rates (i.e. a decrease from 5.0% to 4.5%) would result in a decrease of approximately $140,000 in the fair value of the interest rate swaps.

Commodity Price Risks - In the normal course of business, the Company is exposed to commodity price fluctuations related to the purchases of certain materials and supplies (such as bronze ingot, steel and wood) used in its manufacturing operations. The Company obtains competitive prices for materials and supplies when available.

Foreign Currency Exchange Rates - The Company is subject to changes in various foreign currency exchange rates, including the Euro, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Australian Dollar, Swedish Krona and Chinese Yuan in the conversion from local currencies to the U.S. dollar of the reported financial position and operating results of its non-U.S. based subsidiaries.  An adverse change of 10% in exchange rates would have resulted in a decrease in sales of $18.7 million and a decrease in operating income of $2.7 million for the year ended September 30, 2007.

32


ITEM 8.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

Description
 
Pages
     
Management’s Report to Shareholders
 
34
     
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
 
35
     
Financial Statements:
   
     
     Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2007 and 2006
 
36-37
     
     Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended September 30, 2007, 2006 and 2005
 
38
     
     Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity for the years ended September 30, 2007, 2006 and 2005
 
39
     
     Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended September 30, 2007, 2006 and 2005
 
40
     
     Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
 
41-62
     
Supplementary Financial Information (unaudited)
 
63
     
Financial Statement Schedule – Schedule II-Valuation and Qualifying
   
     Accounts for the years ended September 30, 2007, 2006 and 2005
 
64


33





MANAGEMENT’S REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of
Matthews International Corporation:

Management’s Report on Financial Statements
 
The accompanying consolidated financial statements of Matthews International Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) were prepared by management, which is responsible for their integrity and objectivity. The statements were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and include amounts that are based on management’s best judgments and estimates. The other financial information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K is consistent with that in the financial statements.

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the Company. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting management has conducted an assessment using the criteria in Internal Control – Integrated Framework, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The Company’s internal controls over financial reporting include those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.  Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Based on its assessment, management has concluded that the Company maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2007, based on criteria in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the COSO. Management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2007, has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included herein.
 
Management’s Certifications
 
The certifications of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act have been included as Exhibits 31 and 32 in the Company’s Form 10-K.





34




 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
 

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of Matthews International Corporation:

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements listed in the accompanying index present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Matthews International Corporation and its subsidiaries (the Company) at September 30, 2007 and 2006, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 2007 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.  In addition, in our opinion, the financial statement schedule listed in the accompanying index presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein when read in conjunction with the related consolidated financial statements.  Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2007, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).  The Company's management is responsible for these financial statements and financial statement schedule, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 8. Our responsibility is to express opinions on these financial statements, on the financial statement schedule, and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our integrated audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.  Our audit of the financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.  Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk.  Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

As discussed in Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans in 2007.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.  A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements.  Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
November 21, 2007




35


MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
September 30, 2007 and 2006
(Dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data)
__________

ASSETS
 
2007
   
2006
 
Current assets:
           
Cash and cash equivalents
  $
44,002
    $
29,720
 
Short-term investments
   
105
     
92
 
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful
accounts of $11,160 and $10,829, respectively
   
120,882
     
121,750
 
Inventories
   
93,834
     
85,415
 
Deferred income taxes
   
1,666
     
1,682
 
Other current assets
   
6,025
     
4,184
 
Total current assets
   
266,514
     
242,843
 
                 
                 
                 
Investments
   
12,044
     
11,492
 
                 
                 
                 
Property, plant and equipment, net
   
88,926
     
88,099
 
                 
                 
                 
Deferred income taxes
   
23,311
     
24,441
 
                 
                 
                 
Other assets
   
10,670
     
6,125
 
                 
                 
                 
Goodwill
   
318,298
     
298,125
 
                 
                 
                 
Other intangible assets, net
   
51,306
     
44,965
 
                 
                 
Total assets
  $
771,069
    $
716,090
 


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

36


MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS, continued
September 30, 2007 and 2006
(Dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data)
__________

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
2007
   
2006
 
Current liabilities:
           
Long-term debt, current maturities
  $
27,057
    $
28,451
 
Trade accounts payable
   
22,859
     
26,925
 
Accrued compensation
   
31,205
     
33,517
 
Accrued income taxes
   
5,792
     
9,230
 
Other current liabilities
   
36,543
     
39,086
 
Total current liabilities
   
123,456
     
137,209
 
                 
Long-term debt
   
142,273
     
120,289
 
                 
Accrued pension
   
23,629
     
17,720
 
                 
Postretirement benefits
   
20,743
     
17,422
 
                 
Deferred income taxes
   
11,799
     
9,942
 
                 
Environmental reserve
   
7,841
     
9,028
 
                 
Other liabilities and deferred revenue
   
14,550
     
12,055
 
                 
Commitments and contingent liabilities
               
                 
Shareholders' equity:
               
Class A common stock, $1.00 par value; authorized
70,000,000 shares; 36,333,992 shares issued
   
36,334
     
36,334
 
Preferred stock, $100 par value, authorized 10,000 shares, none issued
   
-
     
-
 
Additional paid-in capital
   
41,570
     
33,953
 
Retained earnings
   
467,846
     
410,203
 
Accumulated other comprehensive income
   
13,390
     
4,386
 
Treasury stock, 5,276,830 and 4,699,697 shares, respectively, at cost
    (132,362 )     (92,451 )
Total shareholders' equity
   
426,778
     
392,425
 
                 
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity
  $
771,069
    $
716,090
 


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

37


MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
for the years ended September 30, 2007, 2006 and 2005
(Dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data)
__________

   
2007
   
2006
   
2005
 
Sales
  $
749,352
    $
715,891
    $
639,822
 
Cost of sales
    (468,895 )     (443,958 )     (416,747 )
Gross profit
   
280,457
     
271,933
     
223,075
 
                         
Selling expense
    (71,623 )     (70,354 )     (59,484 )
Administrative expense
    (97,010 )     (87,695 )     (65,178 )
Operating profit
   
111,824
     
113,884
     
98,413
 
                         
Investment income
   
2,390
     
1,420
     
1,726
 
Interest expense
    (8,119 )     (6,995 )     (2,966 )
Other income, net
   
354
     
70
     
1,658
 
Minority interest
    (2,733 )     (2,971 )     (5,775 )
                         
                         
Income before income taxes
   
103,716
     
105,408
     
93,056
 
                         
Income taxes
    (38,990 )     (38,964 )     (34,985 )
                         
                         
Net income
  $
64,726
    $
66,444
    $
58,071
 
                         
                         
Earnings per share:
                       
Basic
   
$2.05
     
$2.08
     
$1.81
 
Diluted
   
$2.04
     
$2.06
     
$1.79
 


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

38


MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
for the years ended September 30, 2007, 2006 and 2005
(Dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data)
__________

                     
Accumulated
             
                     
Other
             
         
Additional
         
Comprehensive
             
   
Common
   
Paid-in
   
Retained
   
Income (Loss)
   
Treasury
       
   
Stock
   
Capital
   
Earnings
   
(net of tax)
   
Stock
   
Total
 
                                     
Balance, September 30, 2004
  $
36,334
    $
24,859
    $
298,165
    $
11,538
    $ (55,756 )   $
315,140
 
Net income
   
-
     
-
     
58,071
     
-
     
-
     
58,071
 
Unrealized gains (losses)
   
-
     
-
     
-
      (28 )    
-
      (28 )
Minimum pension liability
   
-
     
-
     
-
      (9,833 )    
-
      (9,833 )
Translation adjustment
   
-
     
-
     
-
      (3,676 )    
-
      (3,676 )
Fair value of derivatives
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
640
     
-
     
640
 
Total comprehensive income
                                           
45,174
 
Stock-based compensation
   
-
     
2,874
     
-
     
-
     
-
     
2,874
 
Treasury stock transactions:
                                               
Purchase of 792,728 shares
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
-
      (27,933 )     (27,933 )
Issuance of 408,846 shares under stock plans
   
-
     
1,791
     
-
     
-
     
6,628
     
8,419
 
Dividends, $.185 per share
   
-
     
-
      (5,925 )    
-
     
-
      (5,925 )
Balance, September 30, 2005
   
36,334
     
29,524
     
350,311
      (1,359 )     (77,061 )    
337,749
 
Net income
   
-
     
-
     
66,444
     
-
     
-
     
66,444
 
Minimum pension liability
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
88
     
-
     
88
 
Translation adjustment
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
5,688
     
-
     
5,688
 
Fair value of derivatives
   
-
     
-
     
-
      (31 )    
-
      (31 )
Total comprehensive income
                                           
72,189
 
Stock-based compensation
   
-
     
3,865
     
-
     
-
     
-
     
3,865
 
Treasury stock transactions:
                                               
Purchase of 513,750 shares
   
-
     
-
     
-
     
-
      (17,491 )     (17,491 )
Issuance of 121,353 shares under stock plans
   
-
     
564
     
-
     
-
     
2,101
     
2,665
 
Dividends, $.205 per share
   
-
     
-
      (6,552 )    
-
     
-
      (6,552 )
Balance, September 30, 2006
   
36,334
     
33,953
     
410,203
     
4,386
      (92,451 )    
392,425
 
Net income
   
-
     
-
     
64,726
     
-
     
-
     
64,726
 
Minimum pension liability
   
-