Matthews International Corporation Advised of Federal Trade Commission's Early Termination of the HSR Waiting Period

PITTSBURGH, April 1, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On March 31, 2014, Matthews International Incorporation ("Matthews" and/or the "Company") was advised that the Federal Trade Commission had granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 in connection with the proposed merger of Schawk, Inc. with Moonlight Merger Sub Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Matthews.

Matthews International Corporation

Matthews, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a designer, manufacturer and marketer principally of memorialization products and brand solutions. Memorialization products consist primarily of bronze and granite 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 and fulfillment systems, and merchandising solutions.  The Company's products and services include cast bronze and granite memorials and other memorialization products; caskets; cast and etched architectural products; cremation equipment and cremation-related products; mausoleums; brand management; printing plates and cylinders, pre-press services and imaging services for the primary packaging and corrugated industries; marking and coding equipment and consumables, industrial automation products and order fulfillment systems for identifying, tracking, picking and conveying consumer and industrial products; and merchandising display systems and marketing and design services.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "potential," "intend," "expect," "seek," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "could," "would," "project," "predict," "continue," "plan" or other similar words or expressions. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Matthews International Corporation's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Factors which could have a material adverse effect on our operations and future prospects or which could cause events or circumstances to differ from the forward- looking statements include, but are not limited to, risks relating to the merger with Schawk, Inc. ("SGK"), including in respect of the satisfaction of closing conditions to the merger; unanticipated difficulties and/or expenditures relating to the merger; the risk that regulatory approvals required for the merger are not obtained or are obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; uncertainties as to the timing of the merger; litigation relating to the merger; the impact of the transaction on relationships with customers, employees and third parties; and the inability to obtain, or delays in obtaining cost savings and synergies from the merger; as well as other risks detailed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We expressly disclaim any obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or change in events, conditions or circumstances.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the merger Matthews will file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC that will include a proxy statement of SGK that also constitutes a prospectus of Matthews with respect to the shares of Matthews' common stock to be issued to SGK's stockholders in the merger. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF SGK ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/ PROSPECTUS AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED BY MATTHEWS OR SGK WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus (when available) and other relevant documents filed or that will be filed by Matthews or SGK with the SEC through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the registration statement, proxy statement/prospectus (when available) and other relevant documents filed by Matthews with the SEC may be obtained free of charge by going to Matthews' Investor Relations page on its corporate website at www.matw.com, by contacting Matthews' Investor Relations by mail at Matthews International Corporation, Two NorthShore Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, Attn: Investor Relations Department, or by telephone (412) 442-8200. Copies of the registration statement, proxy statement/prospectus (when available) and other relevant documents filed by SGK with the SEC may be obtained free of charge by going to SGK's Investor Relations page on its corporate website at www.sgkinc.com, by contacting SGK's Investor Relations by mail at Schawk, Inc., 1695 S. River Rd., Des Plaines, IL 60018, Attn: Investor Relations Department, or by telephone at (847) 827-9494.

Participants in the Solicitation

Matthews and SGK, and their respective directors and executive officers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies from stockholders of SGK in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Matthews is set forth in Matthews' Proxy Statement for its 2014 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on January 21, 2014, and its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013, which was filed with the SEC on November 27, 2013. Information about the directors and executive officers of SGK is set forth in its proxy statement for its 2013 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 12, 2013, and its Annual Report on Form 10-K for its year ended December 31, 2013, which was filed with the SEC on March 5, 2014. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available.

CONTACT: Investor contact:
         Steven F. Nicola
         Chief Financial Officer, Secretary & Treasurer
         (412) 442-8262

         Media contact:
         Ann Wilson
         Director, Change Management and Communications
         (412) 995-1665

Released April 1, 2014