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

☐ Transition Report Pursuant To Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

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

Title of each class

Trading Symbol

Name of each exchange on which registered

Class A Common Stock, $1.00 par value

MATW

Nasdaq Global Select Market

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.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

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. 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  

The aggregate market value of the Class A Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based upon the closing sale price of the Class A Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on March 31, 2023, the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $1.10 billion.

As of October 31, 2023, shares of common stock outstanding were: Class A Common Stock 30,384,251 shares.

Documents incorporated by reference: Specified portions of the Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report.

Any forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (including, but not limited to, 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. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies of Matthews International Corporation (“Matthews” or the “Company”) regarding the future, and may be identified by the use of words such as “expects,” “believes,” “intends,” “projects,” “anticipates,” estimates,” “plans,” “seeks,” “forecasts,” “predicts,” “objective,” “potential,” “outlook,” “may,” “will,” “could” or the negative of these terms, other comparable terminology and variations thereof.  Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of Matthews in future periods to be materially different from management's expectations.  Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove correct.  In addition to the risk factors previously disclosed and those discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, 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 interest rates, changes in the cost of materials used in the manufacture of the Company's products, any impairment of goodwill or intangible assets, environmental liability and limitations on the Company’s operations due to environmental laws and regulations, disruptions to certain services, such as telecommunications, network server maintenance, cloud computing or transaction processing services, provided to the Company by third-parties, changes in mortality and cremation rates, changes in product demand or pricing as a result of consolidation in the industries in which the Company operates or other factors such as supply chain disruptions, labor shortages or labor cost increases, changes in product demand or pricing as a result of domestic or international competitive pressures, ability to achieve cost-reduction objectives, unknown risks in connection with the Company's acquisitions and divestitures, cybersecurity concerns and costs arising with management of cybersecurity threats, effectiveness of the Company's internal controls, compliance with domestic and foreign laws and regulations, technological factors beyond the Company's control, impact of pandemics or similar outbreaks or other disruptions to our industries, customers or supply chains, the impact of global conflicts, such as the current war between Russia and Ukraine, and other factors described in Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in this Form 10-K.  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. Matthews cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not all inclusive. Readers are also cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward looking statements, which reflect management's analysis only as of the date of this report, even if subsequently made available by Matthews on its website or otherwise. Matthews does not undertake to update any forward looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of Matthews to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this report. Matthews posts important information on its investor relations website, available at matw.com/investors. The Company's shareholders are encouraged to review the contents of such website. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the contents of such website are not incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Included in this report are measures of financial performance that are not defined by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). These non-GAAP financial measures assist management in comparing the Company's performance on a consistent basis for purposes of business decision-making by removing the impact of certain items that management believes do not directly reflect the Company's core operations. Refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" in Item 7 - "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."

Matthews, founded in 1850 and incorporated in Pennsylvania in 1902, is a global provider of memorialization products, industrial technologies and brand solutions. Memorialization products consist primarily of bronze and granite memorials and other memorialization products, caskets, cremation-related products, and cremation and incineration equipment primarily for the cemetery and funeral home industries. Industrial Technologies includes the design, manufacturing, service and distribution of high-tech custom energy storage solutions; product identification and warehouse automation technologies and solutions, including order fulfillment systems for identifying, tracking, picking and conveying consumer and industrial products; and coating and converting lines for the packaging, pharma, foil, décor and tissue industries. SGK Brand Solutions consists of brand management, pre-media services, printing plates and cylinders, imaging services, digital asset management, merchandising display systems, and marketing and design services primarily for the consumer goods and retail industries.

The Company manages its business under three reporting segments, Memorialization, Industrial Technologies, and SGK Brand Solutions. The following table sets forth reported sales 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 20, "Segment Information" in Item 8 - "Financial Statements and Supplemental Data."

In fiscal 2023, approximately 65% of the Company's sales were made from North America, 30% were made from Europe, 3% were made from Asia, and 2% were made from other regions. For further information on segments, see Note 20, "Segment Information" in Item 8 - "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data." Memorialization segment products are sold throughout the world, with the segment's principal operations located in North America, Europe, and Australia.  The Industrial Technologies segment sells equipment and consumables directly to industrial consumers and distributors in North America and internationally through the Company's subsidiaries in Sweden, Germany and China, and other foreign distributors.  Matthews owns a minority interest in Industrial Technologies product distributors in Asia, Australia and Europe. Products and services of the SGK Brand Solutions segment are sold throughout the world, with principal locations in North America, Europe and Asia.

The Memorialization segment manufactures and markets a full line of memorialization products used primarily in cemeteries, funeral homes and crematories. The segment's products, which are sold principally in North America, Europe and Australia, include cast bronze memorials, granite memorials, caskets, cremation-related products, cremation and incineration equipment and other memorialization products. The segment also manufactures and markets architectural products that are used to identify or commemorate people, places, events and accomplishments.

Memorial products include flush bronze and granite memorials, upright granite memorials and monuments, concrete burial vaults, cremation memorialization products, granite benches, flower vases, crypt plates and letters, cremation urns, niche units, cemetery features and statues, along with other related products and services. Flush memorials are bronze plaques or granite memorials that contain personal information about a deceased individual (such as name, birth date and death date), photos and emblems. Flush bronze and granite memorials are even or "flush" with the ground and therefore are preferred by many cemeteries for easier lawn mowing and general maintenance. The segment's memorial products also include community and family mausoleums within North America. The segment's other memorial products include bronze plaques, letters, emblems, vases, lights and photo ceramics that can be affixed to granite monuments, mausoleums, crypts and flush memorials. Principal customers for memorial products are cemeteries and memorial parks, which in turn sell the Company's products to the consumer.

The Memorialization segment manufactures a full line of cremation-related products, including cremation urns in a variety of sizes, styles and shapes as well as standard and custom designed granite cremation pedestals and benches. Manufactured bronze and granite niche units are comprised of numerous compartments used to display cremation urns in mausoleums and churches. The Company also markets turnkey cremation gardens that include design and all related products for a cremation memorial garden.

Customers of the Memorialization segment can purchase memorials and vases on a "pre-need" basis. This 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. Memorials in storage have been paid in full with title conveyed to each pre-need purchaser.

The segment is a leading manufacturer and distributor of caskets and other funeral home products in North America, producing and marketing metal, wood and cremation caskets. Caskets are offered in a variety of colors, interior designs, handles and trim in order to accommodate specific religious, ethnic or other personal preferences and can also be personalized. Other specialized funeral home products such as urns, jewelry, interior panels, and stationery are also offered.

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 (thickness) of the metal. Wood caskets are primarily manufactured from nine different species of wood. The species of wood used are poplar, pine, ash, oak, pecan, maple, cherry, walnut and mahogany. The Memorialization segment is a leading manufacturer of all-wood constructed caskets, which are manufactured using pegged and dowelled construction, and include no metal parts. Cremation caskets are made primarily from wood or cardboard covered with cloth or veneer. These caskets appeal primarily to cremation consumers, environmentally concerned consumers and value buyers.

The Memorialization segment produces casket components, which include stamped metal parts, metal locking mechanisms for gasketed metal caskets and adjustable beds. Metal casket parts are produced by stamping cold-rolled steel, stainless steel, copper and bronze sheets into casket component parts. Locking mechanisms and adjustable beds are produced by stamping and assembling a variety of steel parts. The segment purchases various species of uncured wood from sawmills and lumber distributors, which it dries and cures before being processed into casket components.

The segment provides product and service assortment planning, as well as merchandising and display products to funeral service businesses. The Memorialization segment develops and sells technology solutions that help funeral homes manage their businesses and serve families through these digital platforms. Solutions are delivered as software as a service and include funeral home management systems and web-based arrangement and presentation systems. These products assist funeral service professionals in providing information, value and satisfaction to their client families.

The segment offers cremation systems, crematory management, and cremation service and supplies to the pet and human sector, and standard and specialized incineration systems, including abated filtration systems to satisfy strict environmental requirements. The primary market areas for these products and services are North America and Europe, although the segment also sells into Latin America and the Caribbean, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Cremation systems include flame-based systems for cremation of humans and pets, as well as equipment for processing the cremated remains and other related equipment (ventilated workstations, loading systems, tables, cooler racks, vacuums). The principal markets for these products are funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, pet crematories, animal disposers and veterinarians. These products primarily are marketed directly by segment personnel. Human crematory management/operations represent the actual operation and management of client-owned crematories. Currently the segment provides these services primarily to municipalities and private operators in Europe. Cremation service and supplies consist of operator training, preventative maintenance and on-demand service work performed on various makes and models of equipment. This work can be as simple as replacing defective bulbs or as complex as complete reconstruction and upgrading or retrofitting on site. Supplies are consumable items and replacement parts associated with normal crematory operations.

Waste incineration systems encompass both batch load and continuous feed, static, stepped-hearth and rotary systems for incineration of many waste types, as well as equipment for in-loading waste, out-loading ash and energy recovery. The principal markets for these products are animal and medical waste disposal, oil and gas "work camp" wastes, industrial wastes and bio-mass generators, as well as destruction of low-volume, high-value waste types such as contraband and pharmaceutical products. Environmental and energy systems include emissions filtration units, waste heat recovery equipment, waste gas treatment products, as well as energy recovery. The segment also provides commissioning, training and user support for customers of incineration systems. The principal markets are municipalities or public/state agencies, the cremation industry and other industries that utilize incinerators for waste reduction and energy production.

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 Memorialization segment to manufacture memorials consist principally of bronze and aluminum ingot, granite, 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. The primary materials required for casket manufacturing are cold-rolled steel and lumber. The segment also purchases copper, bronze, stainless steel, particleboard, corrugated materials, paper veneer, cloth, ornamental hardware and coating materials. Purchase orders or supply agreements are typically negotiated with steel suppliers that have demonstrated timely delivery, high quality material and competitive prices. Lumber is purchased from a number of sawmills and lumber distributors. Raw materials used to manufacture cremation and incineration products consist principally of structural steel, sheet metal, electrical components, combustion devices and refractory materials. These are generally available in adequate supply from numerous suppliers.

Competition from other manufacturers of memorial products is based on reputation, product quality, delivery, price, and design availability. 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 mausoleum construction industry includes various construction companies throughout North America and is based on 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.

The Memorialization segment markets its casket products in the United States through a combination of Company-owned and independent casket distribution facilities. The segment's casket products are primarily sold through Company-owned distribution centers throughout the United States. The casket business is highly competitive and the Company competes with other manufacturers based on product quality, price, service, design availability and breadth of product line. The Memorialization 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 a few foreign casket manufacturers, primarily from China, participating in the North American market.

The Company competes with several manufacturers in the cremation and accessory equipment market principally based on product design, quality and price. The Memorialization segment and its three largest global competitors account for a substantial portion of the United States and European cremation equipment market.

The Memorialization segment works to provide a total solution to customers that own and operate businesses in both the cemetery and funeral home markets. The Company's memorial and casket products serve the relatively stable casketed and in-ground burial death market, while its memorial products and cremation and incineration equipment also serve the growing cremation market.

The Industrial Technologies segment includes the design, manufacturing, service and distribution of high-tech custom energy storage solutions; product identification and warehouse automation technologies and solutions, including order fulfillment systems for identifying, tracking, picking and conveying consumer and industrial products; and coating and converting lines for the packaging, pharma, foil, décor and tissue industries.

The energy storage solutions business produces engineered calendering, laminating, and coating equipment used in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries and components of fuel cells. The segment currently delivers products to several major vehicle producers and is actively pursuing opportunities with several other electric vehicle and tier-one battery manufacturers. The segment also offers service, spare parts, calender- and coating-roller refurbishing and retrofits of complete production lines.

The coating and converting solutions business produces both complete production lines and individual units for drying, treating, coating, laminating and winding for the packaging, paper, labeling and foil industry as well as technical textiles and pharma industry but also for embossing, finishing, smoothing, perforating and calibrating web materials. The business supplies high-tech machines to large global customers and develops solutions collaboratively with them to make their processes more resource-efficient and their products more sustainable.

Production capabilities are available in Germany, the Czech Republic and the United States, with design and assembly in Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Canada and the United States. The business is globally active with well-established customer relations.

The energy storage solutions business has experienced significant growth primarily reflecting increasing demand for electric vehicles, as well as the expansion of renewable energy production globally. The segment has nearly a decade of experience in developing dry electrode battery solutions. Dry electrode technology makes producing lithium-ion batteries less expensive than the wet electrode process, and dry electrode manufacturing is also less impactful on the environment. These factors could contribute to increased utilization of dry electrode batteries in the electric vehicle market, and thus greater demand for this form of battery in the future.

Product identification systems range from stand-alone marking products to complex ink-jet printing systems that integrate into a customer's production process. The Company manufactures and markets products and systems that employ different marking technologies, including laser and ink-jet printing. These technologies 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 also develops innovative, custom solutions to address specific customer requirements in a variety of industries, including oil field services and security scanning.

Warehouse automation systems complement the tracking and distribution of a customer's products with automated order fulfillment technologies, and controls for material handling systems. Material handling customers include some of the largest retail, e-commerce, and third-party logistics companies in the United States.

A significant portion of the revenue of the Industrial Technologies segment is attributable to the sale of consumables and replacement parts required by the marking, coding and tracking products sold by Matthews. The Company develops inks exclusively for the use with its marking equipment, which is critical to ensure ongoing equipment reliability and mark quality.

The principal customers for the Company's marking and fulfillment systems products are manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of durable goods, building products, consumer goods manufacturers (including food and beverage processors) and producers of pharmaceuticals. 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 this segment's sales are outside the United States, sourced through the Company's subsidiaries in Sweden, Germany, Malaysia and China in addition to other international distributors. The Company owns a minority interest in distributors in Asia, Australia and Europe.

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

Competitors in the marking and fulfillment systems industries are diverse, with some companies offering limited product lines for well-defined specialty markets, while others operate similarly to the Company, offering a broad product line and competing in multiple product markets and countries. Competitive differentiation for marking and fulfillment systems products is based on product performance, ease of integration into the manufacturing and/or distribution process, service and price. The Company typically competes with specialty companies in specific brand marking solutions and traceability applications. In the energy storage solutions business, the Company has patents and pending patent applications on its dry electrode calendering equipment. The Company believes that, in general, its Industrial Technologies segment offers one of the broadest lines of products to address a wide variety of high-tech custom energy storage solutions, product identification and warehouse automation applications.

The SGK Brand Solutions segment provides packaging and brand experience solutions that simplify marketing, amplify brands and deliver value. Matthews has more than 100 years in the packaging business, which is comprised of broad technical, engineering, and artistic expertise relating to the creation and production of graphics, their workflows and best practices for the commercial packaging and retail channels. This combination of knowledge, experience and skill helps the SGK Brand Solutions segment differentiate itself from competitors.

The SGK Brand Solutions segment helps companies to define, create, produce and transform their packaging and marketing supply chains and the brand assets that flow through them. By simplifying marketing, the segment helps deliver greater speed through workflow efficiency, enabling clients to get new product introductions and campaigns to market faster which can result in a competitive advantage for the brand. By amplifying brands, the segment helps brands create meaningful experiences online and offline that enable them to stand out in the marketplace which can result in a stronger connection between consumers and the brand. The SGK Brand Solutions segment also helps clients deliver improved marketing productivity and profitability through innovative technology solutions.

The packaging solutions part of its business integrates all packaging-related services from the beginning to the end of the packaging development workflow process. Clients may purchase stand-alone services or a combination of services that are designed to fulfill larger, more strategic objectives. These services include design and adaptive packaging design, production art, photography, retouching, the creation of e-commerce assets, premedia, print technical services, cylinder and flexo printing plate production, workflow efficiency consulting, change management and technology workflow solutions. Historically a print media based business, the business leverages their 100+ years of packaging expertise to create packaging assets required for the e-commerce channel. The business has evolved from creating and delivering graphic brand assets for a single medium (package on shelf) which required output for printing, into one that is deeply entrenched in a brand’s journey across multiple mediums, requiring an almost infinite array of digital asset output across an ever-expanding multi-channel universe.

The brand experience part of the business integrates all marketing-related services from the beginning to the end of the marketing development workflow process. Clients may purchase stand-alone services or a combination of services that are designed to fulfill larger, more strategic objectives. These services include all the services that help create brand experiences: consumer insights, brand strategy, brand identity, content marketing strategy, marketing content creation, campaign strategy and development, online and in-store retail experiences and merchandising fabrication, creative process management and technology workflow solutions. Largely, an ideation and digital media-based business, the business leverages its branding expertise to drive the creation of digital experiences that “stick” with consumers.

The SGK Brand Solutions segment’s principal clients are global, multinational and regional companies in highly regulated industries such as food and beverage, pharmaceutical and healthcare, beauty and cosmetics, and alcohol and tobacco. The segment also serves clients in a diverse range of sectors that includes leaders in home improvement, personal care, technology and electronics, snack food and confections, telecommunications, and apparel, as well as a diverse range of shopping formats that include big-box stores, department stores, specialty stores, grocery stores, pharmacy chains and online retailers. These large, well-known companies represent a variety of brands across the marketplace covering both national and private label brands with numerous packaging and marketing requirements. The segment is also a leading international supplier of pre-press, rotogravure and embossing tooling, with principal clients representing brand manufacturers, printers and converters.

The segment’s products, services and solutions are purchased in part or whole by companies with operations in and/or across the North America, Europe and Asia regions. A large portion of these purchases result in annual or multi-year contracts; others are initiative-based. The segment generates new business opportunities through referrals and relationships, marketing and lead generation and select industry partnerships. The Company has many long-standing relationships among its client base that span decades and has new relationships with well-known global technology companies that are driving change in how consumers engage with brands and use devices like smartphones to shop and buy online and in-store.

Major raw materials for this segment’s products include photopolymers, steel, copper, film, wood, corrugated materials, structural steel, plastic, laminates, inks and graphic art supplies. All such materials are presently available in adequate supply from various industry sources. Competition is on the basis of product quality, timeliness of delivery and price, and increasingly, the ability to provide a holistic solution for brand content beyond its use for packaging, while at the same time elevating the role of packaging in the marketing mix. The segment's ability to offer consistent service on a global basis is a key differentiator.

The segment competes in an industry that is constantly challenged by emerging technologies that impact packaging and marketing. These challenges can create new opportunities for the segment to create, produce and manage large volumes of brand content. They also provide the segment with opportunities to advise its clients on how to plan for, manage and execute the digital transformation of their packaging and marketing operations. Increasingly, with the growing awareness and commitment by its clients to environmental sustainability, the SGK Brand Solutions segment is providing solutions that enable its clients to advance their own sustainability initiatives.

The Company holds a number of trademarks and in excess of 100 domestic and foreign patents for its products and related technologies.  In addition, the Company maintains numerous trade secrets that further comprise its portfolio of intellectual property assets. The Company continues to assess, refine and expand its intellectual property portfolio, considering options to pursue additional patent filings and to further develop and continue to maintain processes to identify, inventory and safeguard evolving trade secrets and other intellectual property assets. The Company also enters into agreements with customers that authorizes the use of certain intellectual property through various licensing arrangements.

The Company’s culture of Inspired Possibilities empowers global teams to think creatively to inspire change that favorably impacts outcomes for the Company's customers, clients, and one another. Matthews’ human resource strategies align with the business strategies to enable and optimize internal talent to achieve business and financial performance. At every stage of the employee lifecycle, the Company’s people programs are rooted in a set of organizational competencies and capabilities, aligned with the Company's core values, that collectively build talent, enhance employee engagement, sustain retention, inspire innovation and drive results.

As of October 31, 2023, the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries employed approximately 12,000 people globally in 6 continents and more than 300 locations and 30 countries around the world. Its diverse team of talented employees possess a vast array of skills including engineering, manufacturing, research and development, plant operations, production, logistics, creative design, photography and corporate functional services, including legal, information technology, human resources and finance. Many of Matthews’ employees have highly specialized skills and subject-matter expertise in their respective disciplines, enabling the Company to deliver industry leading products and services to its customers throughout the world.

Matthews views diversity and inclusion (“D&I”) as a priority to be valued and promoted throughout its business. The Company understands and firmly believes in the value that diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas bring to the workforce and offer to clients. Matthews knows its employees deserve equal opportunities regardless of race, national origin, gender, gender expression, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and more. Matthews has consistently advocated that mutual respect, valuing the worth of all people, doing what's right and celebrating diversity is essential to how the Company operates and the way it does business.

Matthews’ D&I strategy focuses on priorities across seven key areas including: Talent Acquisition, Employee Engagement, Learning and Awareness, Supplier Diversity, Connection to Customers, Normalizing Courageous Conversations, and Community Engagement. A global council representative of a diverse workforce exists to help shape plans and program priorities, and seven additional councils across the organization support the program within local/regional markets to champion the work. A full time D&I leader is actively focused on driving the overarching program and building progress across all seven focus areas. Matthews is a unique organization, diverse in culture, talent and geography. The Company stands committed to a culture reflecting the people, clients, customers, and communities it serves.

To continue to grow and compete in a highly competitive labor market, Matthews works hard to attract and select top talent through a compelling employment value proposition. The Company’s employment brand highlights its values including innovation, commitment to people culture, diversity, equity and inclusion, employee development, and wellbeing. The Company's selection process includes key behavioral questions that help select the right people for the right roles which helps to ensure cultural alignment.

Matthews understands the highly competitive market for talent and believes that to attract and retain top talent, it must offer competitive pay and benefit programs. The Company evaluates roles to ensure pay is at market rate, and offers annual incentive pay and a competitive benefit package. As a global company, adjustments are made for global and regional market demands.

From onboarding to leadership development, Matthews believes investing in its people leads to greater success. The Company’s onboarding program reinforces its values and culture, supports its managers in creating a positive employee experience during the first 90 days and builds early commitment with all new hires.

Matthews knows that when employees have opportunities to learn and grow, see how their goals and objectives lead to something greater and understand their part in the organization’s success, it helps build a place where people want to stay. Matthews’ competency-based learning center helps employees select learning programs to continue their growth, and the Company facilitates both formal and informal mentoring that reinforces and supports its leaders during key developmental periods and beyond.

The Company’s future success depends upon tomorrow’s leaders. Matthews has implemented a robust talent review process that identifies critical talent and serves as the basis for succession planning. Each year, at the conclusion of this review, the executive team selects a cohort of critical talent by level to participate in comprehensive leadership programs designed to prepare leaders for enterprise roles. The Company believes this investment, which includes classroom learning, external assessments, coaching/mentoring, and project application, both prepares and strengthens the organization for the future, while deepening the commitment of its top talent.

Connecting employees to the strategy ensures individual effort to a larger goal and strengthens commitment to the organization. The Company supports an annual leadership strategy cascade where each segment, division, group and team identify and align goals and objectives which serve as the basis for individual performance objectives, keeping employees firmly connected to the work and the Company’s collective success. This process is rooted in ongoing coaching and feedback, and measures not just what was accomplished, but how it was accomplished because Matthews believes staying true to its values and key behaviors serves clients better, strengthens culture and keeps employees engaged.

Matthews is a constantly evolving multi-national company, leveraging new ways of working to improve its quality, service and delivery systems to better help customers and clients succeed. Building change capability to support employees through changes accelerates new ways of working, minimizes productivity loss, and accelerates improvement measures. The Company has a trained global change network embedded in the business to support transformational projects to help realize the goals and benefits of organizational changes.

Employee health and safety in the workplace remains the Company’s highest priority and is one of the Company’s core values. Safety efforts are led by the global health and safety team and supported by individuals at the local site level. Hazards in the workplace are timely identified and management actively tracks incidents so remedial actions may be implemented to improve workplace safety.

The Company's current backlog is expected to be substantially filled in fiscal 2024. Cremation and incineration equipment sales backlogs vary in a range of four to six months of sales. Backlogs vary in a range of approximately twelve to eighteen months of sales for mausoleums. Backlogs are generally in excess of a year for purpose-built machinery projects. Backlogs for warehouse automation and fulfillment systems generally vary in a range of up to four weeks for standard products, and are currently in the range of ten to twelve months for custom systems.

The Company’s operations are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations requiring strict compliance, including, but not limited to, the protection of the environment. The Company has established numerous internal compliance programs to further ensure lawful satisfaction of the applicable regulations. In addition, the Company is party to specific environmental matters which include obligations to investigate and mitigate the effects on the environment of certain materials at operating and non-operating sites. The Company is currently performing environmental assessments and remediation at certain sites, as applicable.

The Company's principal executive offices are located at Two NorthShore Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, its telephone number is (412) 442-8200 and its website is www.matw.com.  The Company files or furnishes all required reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in accordance with the Exchange Act.  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and amendments to those reports are available free of charge on the Company's website as soon as reasonably practicable after being filed or furnished to the SEC. The Company's reports filed or furnished with the SEC, including exhibits attached to such reports, are also available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

There are inherent risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's businesses that could adversely affect its operating performance and financial condition.  Set forth below are descriptions of those risks and uncertainties that the Company believes to be material as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.  Additional risks not known to the Company as of such date or risks that the Company deemed immaterial may also result in adverse effects on the Company in the future.

Foreign Operations.  The Company conducts business in more than 30 countries around the world, and in fiscal 2023 approximately 37% of the Company's sales to external customers were to customers outside the United States. In addition, the Company's manufacturing operations, suppliers and employees are located in many places around the world.  As such, the Company's future success depends in part on its ability to grow sales in non-U.S. markets. Sales and operations outside of the United States are subject to certain inherent risks. The Company anticipates that future sales to international customers will continue to account for a significant percentage of its revenues. Risks associated with the Company’s international sales and operations include, but are not limited to:

•currency exchange rate fluctuations;

•global political and economic instability and uncertainty;

•international terrorism;

•export controls, including by the United States;

•failure to comply with anti-bribery legislation, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”);

•changes in legal and regulatory requirements;

•policy changes by the United States and foreign governments affecting the markets for the Company’s products;

•changes in tax laws, quotas, tariffs and other market barrier;

•difficulties in protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights;

•restrictions on the export or import of technology;

•failure to comply with the foreign data protection laws, including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”);

•inadvertent transfers of export-controlled information due to increased cross-border technology transfers and the use of offshore computer servers;

•transportation, including piracy in international waters; and

•challenges relating to managing a global workforce with diverse cultures, backgrounds and labor laws.

It also is possible that certain international contracts may include industrial cooperation agreements requiring specific in-country purchases, investments, manufacturing agreements or other financial obligations (known as offset obligations) and may provide for penalties if the Company fails to meet such requirements.

The impact of these risks is difficult to predict, but the occurrence of one or more of them could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Changes in Foreign Currency Exchange Rates.  Production and sales of a significant portion of the Company's products are outside the United States, and accordingly, the Company holds assets, incurs liabilities, earns revenue and pays expenses in a variety of currencies.  The Company's consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars, and therefore, the Company must translate the reported values of its foreign assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses into U.S. dollars.  Increases or decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to foreign currencies may negatively affect the value of these items in the Company's consolidated financial statements, even though their value has not changed in local currency.

Changes in Interest Rates. Interest rate fluctuations could increase the Company's financing costs to the extent such interest rates are not hedged. In addition, increases in interest rates could limit the Company's ability to obtain additional indebtedness or debt refinancing on terms that the Company deems attractive, or at all, which could have a material and adverse effect on the Company's borrowing costs, profitability, liquidity and capital resources. Borrowings under the Company’s credit facilities, including the domestic credit facility, are subject to variable rates of interest and expose the Company to interest rate risk. The Company enters into interest rate swaps in order to achieve a mix of fixed and variable rate debt that it deems appropriate. To the extent that some or all of the Company’s variable interest rate debt is not subject to interest rate swaps, if interest rates were to increase, the Company’s interest expense would increase, negatively affecting earnings and reducing cash flows available for working capital, capital expenditures and other investments.

The Company also has $299.6 million 5.25% senior unsecured notes due December 1, 2025 (the “2025 Senior Notes”). In the event the Company seeks to refinance indebtedness under the domestic credit facility or the 2025 Senior Notes, or obtain additional financing, higher interest rates may limit the Company’s ability to incur such indebtedness on terms that it deems attractive, if at all. If the Company is unable to incur indebtedness on terms that it deems attractive, it could have a material and adverse effect on the Company’s borrowing costs, profitability, liquidity and capital resources.

Increased Prices for Raw Materials.  The Company's profitability is affected by the prices of the raw materials used in the manufacture of its products.  These prices may fluctuate based on a number of factors, including changes in supply and demand, domestic and global economic conditions, volatility in commodity markets, currency exchange rates, labor costs, tariffs and fuel-related costs.  If suppliers increase the price of critical raw materials, alternative sources of supply, or alternative materials, may not exist or be readily available. In addition, disruptions in the global supply chain may cause prices for raw materials to increase. See "Disruptions to the global supply chain."

The Company has standard selling price structures (i.e., list prices) in certain of its segments, which are reviewed for adjustment generally on an annual basis.  In addition, the Company has established pricing terms with several of its customers through contracts or similar arrangements.  Based on competitive market conditions and to the extent that the Company has established pricing terms with customers, the Company's ability to immediately increase the price of its products to offset the increased costs may be limited.  Significant raw material price increases that cannot be mitigated by selling price increases or productivity improvements will negatively affect the Company's results of operations.

Impairment of Goodwill and Intangible Assets. The Company has recorded a significant amount of goodwill and intangible assets in its consolidated financial statements resulting from acquisition activities and has in the past recorded, and may in the future record, significant charges for impairment of goodwill and intangible assets. The Company tests, at least annually, the carrying value of goodwill for impairment. The estimates and assumptions about future results of operations and cash flows made in connection with the impairment testing could differ from future actual results of operations and cash flows. For example, during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, Matthews recorded an $82.5 million goodwill write-down with respect to its SGK Brand Solutions reporting unit. See Note 22, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets" in Item 8 - “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for further details. If Matthews concludes that any further goodwill or intangible asset values are impaired, for reasons that may include, but are not limited to, underperformance in one or more reporting segments against forecast levels; changes in the Company’s business strategy, structure, and/or the allocation of resources; the inability of acquisitions to achieve expected operating results; a decline in the Company’s stock price for a sustained period; a potential recession or other disruption; or interest rate increases or other factors, any resulting non-cash impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on Matthews’ business, results of operations and financial condition.

Changes in Mortality and Cremation Rates. Generally, life expectancy in the United States and other countries in which the Company's Memorialization segment operates has increased steadily for several decades and is expected to continue to do so in the future, absent events related to pandemics or similar outbreaks. The increase in life expectancy is also expected to impact the number of deaths in the future. Additionally, cremations have steadily grown as a percentage of total deaths in the United States since the 1960's, and are expected to continue to increase in the future.

The Company expects that these trends will continue in the future and sales of the Company's Memorialization segment may benefit from the continued growth in the number of cremations; however, such trends may adversely affect the volume of bronze and granite memorialization products and burial caskets sold in the United States.

Changes in Product Demand or Pricing. The Company's businesses have and will continue to operate in competitive markets. Changes in product demand or pricing are affected by domestic and foreign competition and an increase in consolidated purchasing by large customers operating in both domestic and global markets. The Memorialization businesses generally operate in markets with ample supply capacity and demand which is correlated to death rates.  The SGK Brand Solutions businesses serve global customers that are requiring their suppliers to be global in scope and price-competitive.  Additionally, in recent years the Company has witnessed an increase in products manufactured offshore, primarily in China, and imported into the Company's U.S. markets.  It is expected that these trends will continue and may affect the Company's future results of operations.

Changes in the Distribution of the Company's Products or the Loss of a Large Customer.  Although the Company does not have any customer that is individually significant to consolidated sales, it does have contracts with several large customers in each of its business segments.  While these contracts provide important access to large purchasers of the Company's products, they can obligate the Company to sell products at contracted prices for extended periods of time, or, in the event of a dispute with a large customer, cause disruptions to the units sold to such customer, if any.  Additionally, any significant divestiture of business properties or operations by current customers could result in a loss of business if the Company is not able to maintain the business with the subsequent owners of the businesses.

Disruptions to the global supply chain. The Company purchases components and materials to manufacture its products from a large number of suppliers, some of which may be critical to operations. The Company’s product offerings are impacted by such suppliers' lead times, volume constraints and increasing costs. The Company has experienced and may continue to experience extended lead times and product unavailability due to manufacturing disruptions or closures as well as delays and unanticipated costs associated with the sourcing of materials. Matthews’ supply chain operations span several geographies globally and are heavily dependent upon third party logistics and transportation services to deliver the Company’s products to customers. Extended lead times and shortages could impair the Company’s ability to meet its customer requirements, require the Company to pay higher prices or incur expedite fees or cause its customers to delay or forgo projects, which would harm Matthews’ business and negatively impact the Company’s gross margin and results of operations.

Pandemics or similar outbreaks. Pandemics or similar outbreaks could adversely affect the economies of developed and emerging markets, potentially resulting in an economic downturn that could affect customers’ demand for the Company’s products and services, as well as the Company's ability to access capital at acceptable interest rates. The spread of pandemics or similar outbreaks may also disrupt the Company’s manufacturing and production operations, as well as its distribution systems, which include import and export for delivery of the Company’s products to its customers. These factors could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. See also "Disruptions to the global supply chain."

Due to the uncertainty relating to a pandemic or similar outbreak, the Company, its customers or its suppliers may be required, or believe that it is advantageous, to take precautionary measures intended to minimize the risk of a virus or disease spreading to employees, customers, and the communities in which they operate, and these measures could negatively impact the Company’s business. Further, if the scope and severity of an outbreak worsens and the Company’s contingency plans prove ineffective, its global operations could potentially experience disruptions, such as temporary closure of facilities or delays or suspensions in product offerings and services, which may materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Global conflicts may impact the business of the Company and the markets in which it operates. Global conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, could impact the Company and its operations in a number of different ways, which are yet to be fully assessed and are therefore uncertain. The Company’s principal concern is for the safety of its employees and other personnel, specifically those who are based in the affected region. The Company has employees who are based in Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, who may be affected by the ongoing hostilities. The Company additionally has property, plant and equipment in or around the affected region. The continuing impact of this war and the response of the United States and other countries to it by means of trade and economic sanctions, or other actions, is still evolving and unknown; however it could disrupt the Company’s ability to work with certain parties. Similarly, the Company has employees based in the affected region and works with third-party providers from other parts of the world that may be affected by hostilities.

Due to the uncertainty relating to war or similar conflicts, the current war between Russia and Ukraine may adversely affect the Company's business, of which could materially and adversely affect the Company's results of operations.

Such risks include, but are not limited to, adverse effects on macroeconomic conditions, including inflation and business and consumer spending; disruptions to the Company's global technology infrastructure, including through cyberattack, ransom attack, or cyber-intrusion; adverse changes in international trade policies and relations; disruptions in global supply chains; exposure to foreign currency fluctuations; and constraints, volatility, or disruption in the capital markets. Similar uncertainties may arise in connection with other ongoing hostilities or future hostilities.

For so long as the hostilities continue, and perhaps even thereafter as the situation unfolds, the Company may see increased volatility in financial markets, which may impact equity markets generally, including the Company’s stock price, and make it more difficult for the Company to raise additional capital at a strategically advantageous time, or for financing to be available upon acceptable terms. All or any of these risks separately, or in combination could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Risks in Connection with Acquisitions and Divestitures.  The Company has grown, in part, through acquisitions and continues to evaluate acquisition or divestiture opportunities that have the potential to support and strengthen its businesses.  There is no assurance, however, that future acquisition opportunities will arise, or that if they do, that they will be consummated.  In addition, acquisitions and divestitures involve inherent risks that the businesses acquired, or the remaining business, will not perform in accordance with expectations, or that synergies expected from the integration of an acquisition will not be achieved as rapidly as expected, or at all. The Company's pre-acquisition diligence review may not discover or accurately quantify certain undisclosed liabilities, and the Company may not be indemnified for such liabilities which could have an adverse effect on the acquired business. Failure to effectively integrate acquired businesses could prevent the realization of expected rates of return on the acquisition investment, including the achievement of cost-reduction objectives, and could have a negative effect on the Company's results of operations and financial condition.

Protection of Intellectual Property.  Certain of the Company's businesses rely on various intellectual property rights, including patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, as well as confidentiality provisions and licensing arrangements, to establish proprietary rights.  If the Company does not enforce, or is unsuccessful in enforcing, its intellectual property rights successfully, its competitive position may suffer, which could harm the Company's operating results. In addition, the Company's patents, copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, including its trade secrets, may not provide a significant competitive advantage. The Company may need to spend significant resources monitoring its intellectual property rights and may or may not be able to detect infringement by third parties. The Company's competitive position may be harmed if it cannot detect infringement and enforce its intellectual property rights quickly or at all. In some circumstances, the Company may choose to not pursue enforcement because an infringer has a dominant intellectual property position or for other business reasons, such as the expense of litigation against a well-resourced adversary. In addition, competitors might avoid infringement by designing around the Company's intellectual property rights or by developing non-infringing competing technologies. Intellectual property rights and the Company's ability to enforce them may be unavailable or limited in some countries which could make it easier for competitors to capture market share and could result in lost revenues.

Intellectual property infringement assertions by third parties could result in significant costs and adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, operating results and reputation. The Company cannot guarantee that the operation of its business does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate the intellectual property rights of third parties, nor can the Company assure that third parties will not assert claims, meritorious or otherwise. The Company cannot predict whether other assertions of third-party intellectual property rights or claims arising from such assertions would substantially adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition and operating results. The defense of these claims and any future infringement claims, whether they are with or without merit or are determined in the Company's favor, may result in costly litigation and diversion of technical and management personnel. Further, an adverse outcome of a dispute may require the Company to pay damages, cease making, licensing, or using products or offering services that are alleged to incorporate the intellectual property of others, expend additional development resources to redesign the Company's offerings, or enter into potentially unfavorable royalty or license agreements in order to obtain the right to use necessary intellectual property, which may be unavailable on terms acceptable to the Company, or at all. Even if these matters do not result in litigation or are resolved in the Company's favor or without significant cash settlements, the time and resources necessary to resolve them could adversely affect the Company's business, reputation, financial condition and operating results.

Environmental Remediation and Compliance.  The Company is subject to the risk of environmental liability and limitations on its operations due to environmental laws and regulations. The Company is subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign environmental, health and safety laws and regulations concerning matters such as air emissions, wastewater discharges, solid and hazardous waste handling and disposal and the investigation and remediation of contamination. The risks of potentially substantial costs and liabilities related to compliance with these laws and regulations are an inherent part of the Company's business, and future conditions may develop, arise or be discovered that create substantial environmental compliance or remediation liabilities and costs. Compliance with environmental, health and safety legislation and regulatory requirements may prove to be more limiting and costly than the Company anticipates, and there is no assurance that significant expenditures related to such compliance may not be required in the future.

From time to time, the Company may be subject to legal proceedings brought by private parties or governmental authorities with respect to environmental matters, including matters involving alleged noncompliance with or liability under environmental, health and safety laws, property damage or personal injury. New laws and regulations, including those which may relate to emissions of greenhouse gases, stricter enforcement of existing laws and regulations, the discovery of previously unknown contamination or the imposition of new clean-up requirements could require the Company to incur costs or become the basis for new or increased liabilities that could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition or results of operations.

Reliance on Third-Party Service Providers. The Company has entered into agreements with a variety of third-party providers for information technology services, including telecommunications, network server maintenance, cloud computing and transaction processing services. In addition, Matthews has agreements through which it has outsourced certain activities related to the operations of the Company’s business segments. A provider’s ability to provide services could be disrupted for a variety of reasons, including, among others, software errors or design faults, human error, security breaches, power loss, telecommunications failures, equipment failures, electrical disruptions, labor issues, vandalism, fire, flood, extreme weather, terrorism and other events beyond their control. If one or more of Matthews’ providers is unable to provide adequate or timely services, the Company’s ability to deliver products and services to customers could be adversely affected. Matthews cannot completely eliminate the risk of such disruptions, many of which are impacted by events outside of the Company’s control. Any significant disruption could harm the Company’s business, including damage to brands and loss of customers. Additionally, although Matthews believes that most of these services are available from numerous sources, a failure to perform by one or more of the providers could cause a material disruption in the Company’s business and an increase in expense while it works to obtain alternative services. Additionally, while the Company has policies and procedures for managing these relationships, they inherently involve a lesser degree of control over business operations, governance and compliance, thereby potentially increasing the profiles of Matthews’ financial, legal, reputational and operational risks.

Technological Factors Beyond the Company's Control.  The Company operates in certain markets in which technological product development contributes to its ability to compete effectively.  There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to develop new products, that new products can be manufactured and marketed profitably, or that new products will successfully meet the expectations of customers.

Changes in Laws and Regulations Governing Data Privacy and Data Protection.  The Company is subject to many data privacy, data protection, and data breach notification laws, including the GDPR, which became effective in May of 2018, and the California Consumer Privacy Act (the "CCPA"), which became effective in January 2020. The GDPR and the CCPA contain comprehensive data protection compliance requirements. Complying with the GDPR and the CCPA may continue to cause the Company to incur substantial operational costs or require the Company to change certain of its business practices in certain jurisdictions. The Company’s measures to assess the requirements of, and to comply with, the GDPR and the CCPA, as well as new and existing data-related laws and regulations of other jurisdictions, could be challenged, including by authorities that regulate data-related compliance. The Company’s ongoing compliance measures could result in the incurrence of significant expense in facilitating and responding to regulatory investigations, and if the measures initiated by the Company are deemed to be inadequate, the Company could be subject to litigation or enforcement actions that may require operational changes, fines, penalties or damages, which could have an adverse impact on the Company’s business or results of operations.

Changes in Tax Rules. Matthews is subject to domestic and international tax laws and cannot predict the scope or effect of future tax law changes. Domestically, the U.S. Department of Treasury has broad authority to issue regulations and interpretive guidance. The Company has applied available guidance to estimate its tax obligations, but new guidance may cause the Company to make adjustments to its tax estimates in future periods.

Compliance with Foreign Laws and Regulations.  Due to the international scope of the Company's operations, Matthews is subject to a complex system of commercial and trade regulations around the world, and the Company's foreign operations are governed by laws, rules and business practices that often differ from those of the United States. The Company cannot predict the nature, scope or effect of future regulatory requirements to which the Company's operations might be subject or the manner in which existing laws might be administered or interpreted, which could have a material and negative impact on the Company's business and results of operation.  For example, recent years have seen an increase in the development and enforcement of laws and regulations regarding trade compliance, economic sanctions, anti-money laundering, and anti-corruption, such as the FCPA and similar laws in other countries. While Matthews maintains a variety of internal policies and controls and takes steps, including periodic training and internal audits, that the Company believes are reasonably calculated to discourage, prevent and detect violations of such laws, the Company cannot guarantee that such actions will be effective or that individual employees will not engage in inappropriate behavior in contravention of the Company's policies and instructions. Such conduct, or even the allegation thereof, could result in costly investigations and the imposition of severe criminal or civil sanctions, could disrupt the Company's business, and could materially and adversely affect the Company's reputation, business and results of operations or financial condition.

Further, the Company is subject to laws and regulations worldwide affecting its operations outside the United States in areas including, but not limited to, intellectual property ownership and infringement, tax, customs, import and export requirements, economic sanctions, anti-money laundering, anti-corruption and anti-bribery, foreign exchange controls and cash repatriation restrictions, foreign investment, data privacy requirements, anti-competition, pensions and social insurance, employment, and environment, health, and safety. Compliance with these laws and regulations may be onerous and expensive and requirements may differ among jurisdictions.  Further, the promulgation of new laws, changes in existing laws and abrogation of local regulations by national laws may have a negative impact on the Company's business and prospects.  In addition, certain laws and regulations are relatively new and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainties. There can be no assurance that any of these factors will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, results of operations or financial condition.

Changes in Economic Conditions.  Generally, changes in domestic and international economic conditions affect the industries in which the Company and its customers and suppliers operate.  These changes include changes in the rate of consumption or use of the Company's products due to economic downturns, volatility in currency exchange rates, and changes in raw material prices resulting from supply and/or demand conditions.

Uncertainty about current global economic conditions poses a risk, as consumers and businesses may continue to postpone or cancel spending.  Other factors that could influence customer spending include energy costs, conditions in the credit markets, consumer confidence, global pandemics, and other factors affecting consumer spending behavior.  These and other economic factors could have an effect on demand for the Company's products and services and negatively impact the Company's financial condition and results of operations.

Labor shortages, turnover and labor cost increases. Labor is a significant component of the Company's operations. Several factors may adversely affect the labor force available to Matthews or increase labor costs (i.e., labor rates and overtime levels), including high employment levels, unemployment subsidies, increased wages offered by other employers, vaccine mandates and other government regulations and the Company’s responses thereto. An overall labor shortage, lack of skilled labor, increased turnover, or labor inflation, caused by pandemics or as a result of general macroeconomic factors, could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business and operating results.

Cybersecurity and Data Breaches.  In the course of business, the Company collects and stores sensitive data and proprietary business information. The Company could be subject to service outages or breaches of security systems which may result in disruption, unauthorized access, misappropriation, or corruption of this information. Security breaches of the Company's network or data including physical or electronic break-ins, vendor service outages, computer viruses, attacks by hackers or similar breaches can create system disruptions, shutdowns, or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Although the Company is not aware of any significant incidents to date, if it is unable to prevent, detect and timely remediate such security or privacy breaches, its operations could be disrupted or the Company may suffer legal claims, loss of reputation, financial loss, property damage, or regulatory penalties because of lost or misappropriated information.

The Company expects that compliance with laws governing data privacy and data protection will require ongoing investment in systems, policies and personnel and will continue to impact Matthews’ business in the future by increasing legal, operational and compliance costs. There can be no assurance that the Company’s efforts will meet the evolving standards imposed by governmental and regulatory agencies, including data protection authorities, with respect to standards that may be adopted in the future.

If the Company is found or suspected to have violated data privacy or data protection laws, it may be subject to potential private consumer, business partner or securities litigation, regulatory inquiries, governmental investigations and proceedings, and may incur damage to its reputation. Any such developments may subject Matthews to material fines and other monetary penalties and damages, divert management’s time and attention, and lead to enhanced regulatory oversight, all of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and results of operations.

Effectiveness of Internal Controls.  Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires a comprehensive evaluation of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. To comply with this statute, the Company is required to document and test its internal control over financial reporting, management is required to assess and issue a report concerning internal control over financial reporting, and the Company's independent registered public accounting firm is required to attest to and report on the Company's assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Any failure to maintain or implement required new or improved controls could cause the Company to fail to meet its periodic reporting obligations or result in material misstatements in the consolidated financial statements, and substantial costs and resources may be required to rectify these or other internal control deficiencies. If the Company cannot produce reliable financial reports, investors could lose confidence in the Company's reported financial information, the market price of the Company's common stock could decline significantly, and its business, financial condition, and reputation could be harmed.

Compliance with Securities Laws and Regulations; Conflict Minerals Reporting.  The Company is required to comply with various securities laws and regulations, including but not limited to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ("Dodd-Frank"). Dodd-Frank contains provisions, among others, designed to improve transparency and accountability concerning the supply chains of certain minerals originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjoining countries that are believed to be benefiting armed groups ("Conflict Minerals"). While Dodd-Frank does not prohibit companies from using Conflict Minerals, the SEC mandates due diligence, disclosure and reporting requirements for companies for which Conflict Minerals are necessary to the functionality or production of a product. The Company's efforts to comply with Dodd-Frank and other evolving laws, regulations and standards could result in increased costs and expenses related to compliance and potential violations.

The Company's facilities provide adequate space for meeting its near-term production requirements. Significant principal properties of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries as of October 31, 2023 were as follows (properties, which are unencumbered, are owned by the Company except as noted):

(1)These properties are leased by the Company under operating lease arrangements.

(2)The Vreden, Germany location represents a shared facility for both the Industrial Technologies and SGK Brand Solutions segments.

Matthews is subject to various legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of business.  Management does not expect that the results of any of these legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on Matthews' financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

The following information is furnished with respect to officers and executive management as of October 31, 2023:

Joseph C. Bartolacci was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer effective October 2006.

Ronald C. Awenowicz was appointed Senior Vice President, Global Compliance, Operations and North America Human Resources effective July 2021. Prior thereto, he served as Vice President of Americas Human Resources since May 2020 and prior thereto he served as Global Head of Human Resources Operations since February 2015, when he joined the Company.

Gregory S. Babe was appointed Chief Technology Officer and Group President, Industrial Technologies effective October 2022. Prior thereto, he served as Chief Technology Officer since November 2015.

Davor Brkovich was appointed Head of IT and Chief Information Officer effective November 2019. Prior thereto, he had been interim Head of IT and Chief Information Officer since February 2019 and prior thereto he served as Director, Global IT Infrastructure since January 2017, when he joined the Company.

Steven D. Gackenbach was appointed Group President, Memorialization effective October 31, 2011. 

Reena Gurtner was appointed Senior Vice President, Human Resources effective July 2021. Prior thereto, she served as Vice President, Human Resources APAC, Middle East and Africa since May 2020 and prior thereto she served as Regional Director of Human Resources APAC since January 2013.

Gary R. Kohl was appointed President, SGK Brand Solutions effective May 2017.

Lee Lane was appointed Group President for Matthews’ Product Identification and Warehouse Automation businesses as well as Matthews Environmental Solutions effective October 2022. Prior thereto, he served as Senior Vice President of Matthews Automation since June 2022. Prior to joining the Company, he served as Vice President General Manager Sensing, Safety & Industrial Components Business at Rockwell Automation, Inc. since October 2020, and prior thereto he served as Vice President / General Manager Safety, Sensing & Connectivity Business at Rockwell Automation, Inc. since March 2017.

Steven F. Nicola was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Secretary effective December 2003.

Brian D. Walters was appointed Executive Vice President and General Counsel effective February 2023. Prior thereto, he served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel since February 2018.

The authorized common stock of the Company consists of 70,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, $1.00 par value.  At September 30, 2023, 30,469,213 shares were outstanding.  The Company's Class A Common Stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "MATW". 

The Company has a stock repurchase program. 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 set forth in the Company's Restated Articles of Incorporation. Under the current authorization, 1,195,013 shares remain available for repurchase as of September 30, 2023. All purchases of the Company's common stock during fiscal 2023 were part of this repurchase program.

The following table shows the monthly fiscal 2023 stock repurchase activity:

Based on records available to the Company, the number of record holders of the Company's common stock was 473 at October 31, 2023.

See Equity Compensation Plans in Item 12 "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management." ITEM 5.

This graph compares the return on Matthews’ common stock with that of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Russell 2000 Value Index for the period from October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2023. The graph assumes that on October 1, 2018, $100 was invested in each of the Company’s common stock, Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Russell 2000 Value Index. The graph measures total stockholder return, which takes into account both changes in stock price and dividends. It assumes that dividends paid are invested in like securities.

The following graph compares the total return on the Company’s common stock with that of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and the Russell 2000 Value Index. The results are not necessarily indicative of future performance.

* Total return assumes dividend reinvestment 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 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.

In addition, the CODM manages and evaluates the operating performance of the segments, as described above, on a pre-corporate cost allocation basis. Accordingly, for segment reporting purposes, the Company does not allocate corporate costs to its reportable segments. Corporate costs include management and administrative support to the Company, which consists of certain aspects of the Company’s executive management, legal, compliance, human resources, information technology (including operational support) and finance departments. These costs are included within "Corporate and Non-Operating" in the following table to reconcile to consolidated adjusted EBITDA and are not considered a separate reportable segment. Management does not allocate non-operating items such as investment income, other income (deductions), net and noncontrolling interest to the segments.

The following table sets forth sales and adjusted EBITDA for the Company's Memorialization, Industrial Technologies and SGK Brand Solutions segments for each of the last three fiscal years. Refer to Note 20, "Segment Information" in Item 8 - "Financial Statements and Supplemental Data" for the Company's financial information by segment.

(1) Total Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. See the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section below.

Sales for the year ended September 30, 2023 were $1.88 billion, compared to $1.76 billion for the year ended September 30, 2022, representing an increase of $118.5 million.  The increase in fiscal 2023 sales reflected higher sales in the Industrial Technologies and Memorialization segments, partially offset by lower sales in the SGK Brand Solutions segment. On a consolidated basis, changes in foreign currency exchange rates were estimated to have an unfavorable impact of $23.6 million on fiscal 2023 sales compared to the prior year.

Memorialization segment sales for fiscal 2023 were $843.0 million, compared to $840.1 million for fiscal 2022.  The sales increase reflected improved price realization, higher sales of mausoleums and cremation equipment in the U.S., and benefits from the acquisition of Eagle Granite Company (see Acquisitions and Divestitures below). These increases were partially offset by lower unit sales of caskets and bronze memorial products, reflecting a decrease in coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19") related deaths in fiscal 2023, and lower sales of cremation and incineration products in Europe. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact of $1.8 million on the segment's sales compared to the prior year. Industrial Technologies segment sales for fiscal 2023 were $505.8 million, compared to $335.5 million for fiscal 2022.  The sales increase primarily reflected the impact of the fiscal 2022 acquisitions of OLBRICH GmbH (“OLBRICH”) and R+S Automotive GmbH (“R+S Automotive”) (see Acquisitions and Divestitures below). The increase in sales also reflected higher sales of purpose-built engineered products (primarily energy storage solutions for the electric vehicle market) and higher product identification sales. These increases were partially offset by lower sales of warehouse automation solutions. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact of $5.7 million on the segment's sales compared to the prior year. In the SGK Brand Solutions segment, sales for fiscal 2023 were $532.1 million, compared to $586.8 million in fiscal 2022.  Changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact of $16.1 million on the segment's sales compared to the prior year. The decrease in sales also reflected lower brand sales in the U.S. and Europe (including lower retail-based sales) and a decline in sales of cylinder (packaging) products in Europe. These decreases were partially offset by higher brand sales in the Asia-Pacific market and improved price realization.

Gross profit for the year ended September 30, 2023 was $577.7 million, compared to $522.3 million for fiscal 2022. Consolidated gross profit as a percent of sales was 30.7% and 29.6% in fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, respectively. The increase in gross profit primarily reflected the impact of higher sales (including benefits from recent acquisitions), lower transportation costs, and benefits from the realization of productivity improvements and other cost-reduction initiatives. These increases in gross profit were partially offset by the impact of higher material and labor costs, and lower margins on purpose-built engineered products. Gross profit also included acquisition integration costs and other charges primarily in connection with cost-reduction initiatives totaling $12.2 million and $12.6 million in fiscal 2023 and 2022, respectively. Fiscal 2022 gross profit included $9.7 million of asset write-downs related to the war between Russia and Ukraine (see Note 23, "Asset Write-downs" in Item 8 - "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for further details).

Selling and administrative expenses for the year ended September 30, 2023 were $447.5 million, compared to $426.7 million for fiscal 2022.  Consolidated selling and administrative expenses, as a percent of sales, were 23.8% for fiscal 2023, compared to 24.2% in fiscal 2022.  Fiscal 2023 selling and administrative expenses reflected the impact of higher salaries and wage rates, higher travel and entertainment ("T&E") costs, increased performance-based compensation compared to fiscal 2022, additional expenses from recently completed acquisitions, and fees associated with a receivables purchase agreement and factoring arrangement (see Liquidity and Capital Resources below). These increases in selling and administrative expenses were partially offset by benefits from ongoing cost-reduction initiatives. Selling and administrative expenses also included acquisition integration and related systems-integration costs, and other charges primarily in connection with cost-reduction initiatives totaling $12.5 million in fiscal 2023, compared to $27.1 million in fiscal 2022. Intangible amortization for the year ended September 30, 2023 was $42.1 million, compared to $57.1 million for fiscal 2022. Fiscal 2022 intangible amortization included $9.5 million of amortization related to certain trade names that have been discontinued. In the fiscal 2022 fourth quarter, the Company recorded a goodwill write-down of $82.5 million related to the SGK Brand Solutions reporting unit (formerly the Graphics Imaging reporting unit). Refer to Note 22, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets" in Item 8 - "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for further details.

Adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2023 was $225.8 million, compared to $210.4 million for fiscal 2022. Memorialization segment adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2023 was $164.0 million, compared to $151.8 million for fiscal 2022.  The increase in segment adjusted EBITDA reflected the impact of higher sales, lower transportation costs, benefits from the acquisition of Eagle Granite Company, and benefits from productivity initiatives. These increases were partially offset by the impact of higher material, labor and T&E costs, and increased performance-based compensation compared to fiscal 2022. Adjusted EBITDA for the Industrial Technologies segment for fiscal 2023 was $66.3 million, compared to $56.8 million in fiscal 2022. The increase in segment adjusted EBITDA primarily reflected the impact of higher sales, partially offset by the impact of higher labor and T&E costs, increased performance-based compensation compared to fiscal 2022, and unfavorable contributions from recent acquisitions. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact of $1.3 million on the segment's adjusted EBITDA compared to the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA for the SGK Brand Solutions segment for fiscal 2023 was $57.1 million, compared to $60.1 million for fiscal 2022.  The decrease in segment adjusted EBITDA primarily reflected the impact of lower sales and higher material, labor and T&E costs, partially offset by benefits from cost reduction initiatives. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates had an unfavorable impact of $2.0 million on the segment's adjusted EBITDA compared to the prior year.

Interest expense for fiscal 2023 was $44.6 million, compared to $27.7 million in fiscal 2022.  The increase in interest expense primarily reflected higher average interest rates in the current fiscal year. Other income (deductions), net for the year ended September 30, 2023 represented a decrease in pre-tax income of $2.6 million, compared to a decrease in pre-tax income of $32.6 million in fiscal 2022. Other income (deductions), net includes the non-service components of pension and postretirement expense, which totaled $1.6 million and $31.8 million in fiscal years 2023 and 2022, respectively. Fiscal 2023 non-service pension expense included a $1.3 million non-cash charge resulting from the settlement of the Company's supplemental retirement plan ("SERP") and defined benefit portion of the officers retirement restoration plan ("ORRP") obligations. Fiscal 2022 non-service pension expense included a $30.9 million non-cash charge resulting from the full settlement of the Company's principal defined benefit retirement plan ("DB Plan") obligations. Refer to Note 15, "Pension and Other Postretirement Plans" in Item 8 - "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for further details. Other income (deductions), net also includes investment income, banking-related fees and the impact of currency gains and losses on certain intercompany debt and foreign denominated cash balances. Other income (deductions), net included currency losses associated with highly inflationary accounting for the Company's subsidiaries in Turkey totaling $1.4 million and $1.5 million in fiscal years 2023 and 2022, respectively (see Note 2, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" in Item 8 - "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for further details).

The Company's consolidated income taxes for the year ended September 30, 2023 were an expense of $1.8 million, compared to a benefit of $4.4 million for fiscal 2022. The difference between the Company's consolidated income taxes for fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2022 partially resulted from fiscal 2023 having consolidated income before income taxes compared to fiscal 2022 having a consolidated loss before income taxes. The fiscal 2023 tax rate was negatively impacted by share-based compensation. Additionally, the fiscal 2023 tax rate benefited from research and development and foreign tax credits and the utilization of foreign tax net operating losses with a valuation allowance. The fiscal 2022 consolidated loss reflected a goodwill write-down recorded in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 that was primarily non-deductible. The fiscal 2022 effective tax rate also benefited from research and development and foreign tax credits. The fiscal 2022 effective tax rate was negatively impacted by foreign net operating losses requiring a full valuation allowance.

Net losses attributable to noncontrolling interests were $155,000 in fiscal 2023, compared to $54,000 in fiscal 2022.  The net losses attributable to noncontrolling interests primarily reflected losses in less than wholly-owned businesses.

For a comparison of the Company's results of operations for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022 and September 30, 2021, see "Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation" of the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022 filed with the SEC on November 18, 2022.

Included in this report are measures of financial performance that are not defined by GAAP. The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures to assist in comparing its performance on a consistent basis for purposes of business decision-making by removing the impact of certain items that management believes do not directly reflect the Company’s core operations including acquisition and divestiture costs, ERP integration costs, strategic initiative and other charges (which includes non-recurring charges related to operational initiatives and exit activities), stock-based compensation and the non-service portion of pension and postretirement expense. Management believes that presenting non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors because it (i) provides investors with meaningful supplemental information regarding financial performance by excluding certain items that management believes do not directly reflect the Company's core operations, (ii) permits investors to view performance using the same tools that management uses to budget, forecast, make operating and strategic decisions, and evaluate historical performance, and (iii) otherwise provides supplemental information that may be useful to investors in evaluating the Company’s results. The Company believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures, when considered together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations to those measures, provided herein, provides investors with an additional understanding of the factors and trends affecting the Company’s business that could not be obtained absent these disclosures.

The Company believes that adjusted EBITDA provides relevant and useful information, which is used by the Company’s management in assessing the performance of its business. Adjusted EBITDA is defined by the Company as earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization and certain non-cash and/or non-recurring items that do not contribute directly to management’s evaluation of its operating results. These items include stock-based compensation, the non-service portion of pension and postretirement expense, acquisition and divestiture costs, ERP integration costs, and strategic initiatives and other charges. Adjusted EBITDA provides the Company with an understanding of earnings before the impact of investing and financing charges and income taxes, and the effects of certain acquisition and divestiture costs, and ERP integration costs, and items that do not reflect the ordinary earnings of the Company’s operations. This measure may be useful to an investor in evaluating operating performance. It is also useful as a financial measure for lenders and is used by the Company’s management to measure business performance. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of the Company's financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP, or as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of the Company's liquidity. The Company's definition of adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.

The reconciliation of net income to adjusted EBITDA is as follows:

* Depreciation and amortization was $23.7 million, $23.2 million, and $23.0 million, for the Memorialization segment, $23.2 million, $11.4 million, and $11.4 million for the Industrial Technologies segment, $44.8 million, $64.2 million, and $93.7 million for the SGK Brand Solutions segment, and $4.8 million, $5.3 million, and $5.4 million for Corporate and Non-Operating, for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

** Acquisition and divestiture costs, ERP integration costs, and strategic initiatives and other charges were $1.0 million, $3.5 million, and $1.9 million for the Memorialization segment, $4.1 million, $5.6 million, and $4.0 million for the Industrial Technologies segment, $10.9 million, $19.4 million, and $12.3 million for the SGK Brand Solutions segment, and $3.2 million, $7.5 million, and $11.3 million for Corporate and Non-Operating, for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

*** Non-recurring/incremental COVID-19 costs were $1.3 million. and $3.6 million for the Memorialization segment, $6,000, and $38,000 for the Industrial Technologies segment, $1.2 million, and $1.5 million for the SGK Brand Solutions segment, $466,000, and $89,000 for Corporate and Non-Operating, for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES:

Net cash provided by operating activities was $79.5 million for the year ended September 30, 2023, compared to $126.9 million and $162.8 million for fiscal years 2022 and 2021, respectively. Operating cash flow for fiscal 2023 principally included net income (loss) adjusted for deferred taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense, non-cash pension expense, gain on divestitures and sale of assets, and other non-cash adjustments, and changes in working capital items. Fiscal 2023 operating cash flow also reflected $24.2 million of contributions to fund the settlement of the Company's SERP and ORRP obligations, and $10.5 million of proceeds from the settlement of cash flow hedges. The change in working capital in fiscal 2023 primarily reflected higher inventory levels, lower trade accounts payable, and changes in contract assets and liabilities related to products and services provided to customers over time, partially offset by proceeds from the sale of receivables under a receivables purchase agreement and a non-recourse factoring arrangement (see below for further discussion). Operating cash flow for fiscal 2022 principally included net income (loss) adjusted for deferred taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense, goodwill and other asset write-downs, non-cash pension expense, gain on divestitures and sale of assets, and other non-cash adjustments, and changes in working capital items. Fiscal 2022 operating cash flow also reflected $35.7 million of contributions to fully fund the settlement of the Company's DB Plan obligations. The favorable movements in working capital in fiscal 2022 primarily reflected proceeds from the sale of receivables under a receivables purchase agreement, partially offset by higher inventory levels reflecting increased commodity costs, lower performance-based compensation accruals, and changes in other accounts. Operating cash flow for fiscal 2021 principally included net income (loss) adjusted for deferred taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense, net gains related to investments, and non-cash pension expense, and changes in working capital items. Fiscal 2021 operating cash flow also reflected a $15.0 million discretionary contribution to fund the DB Plan. The favorable movements in working capital in fiscal 2021 primarily reflected increased trade accounts payable.

Cash used in investing activities was $58.7 million for the year ended September 30, 2023, compared to $80.9 million and $13.0 million for fiscal years 2022 and 2021, respectively.  Investing activities for fiscal 2023 primarily reflected capital expenditures of $50.6 million, acquisition payments (net of cash acquired or received from sellers) of $15.3 million, purchases of investments of $1.6 million, proceeds from the sale of assets of $2.1 million, and proceeds from divestitures of $6.7 million. Investing activities for fiscal 2022 primarily reflected capital expenditures of $61.3 million, acquisition payments (net of cash acquired or received from sellers) of $44.5 million, purchases of investments of $2.2 million, proceeds from the sale of assets of $5.0 million, proceeds from the sale of investments of $8.8 million, and proceeds from the settlement of net investment hedges of $13.1 million.  Investing activities for fiscal 2021 primarily reflected capital expenditures of $34.3 million, acquisition payments (net of cash acquired or received from sellers) of $15.6 million, proceeds from the sale of assets of $2.8 million, and proceeds from the sale of investments of $34.2 million.

Capital expenditures were $50.6 million for the year ended September 30, 2023, compared to $61.3 million and $34.3 million for fiscal years 2022 and 2021, respectively.  Capital expenditures in each of the last three fiscal years reflected reinvestments in the Company's business segments and were made primarily for the purchase of new production machinery, equipment, software and systems, and facilities designed to improve product quality, increase manufacturing efficiency, lower production costs and meet regulatory requirements.  Capital spending for property, plant and equipment has averaged $48.7 million for the last three fiscal years. Capital expenditures for the last three fiscal years were primarily financed through operating cash. Capital spending for fiscal 2024 is currently estimated to be approximately $75 million. Capital spending in fiscal years 2022 through 2024 reflects additional capital projects to support new production capabilities and increased efficiencies within the Memorialization and Industrial Technologies segments. The Company expects to generate sufficient cash from operations to fund all anticipated capital spending projects.

Cash used in financing activities for the year ended September 30, 2023 was $50.2 million, and principally reflected repayments, net of proceeds, on long-term debt of $18.2 million, purchases of treasury stock of $2.9 million, and payment of dividends to the Company's shareholders of $28.2 million ($0.92 per share). Cash used in financing activities for the year ended September 30, 2022 was $37.2 million, and principally reflected proceeds, net of repayments, on long-term debt of $35.7 million, purchases of treasury stock of $41.7 million, payment of dividends to the Company's shareholders of $27.7 million ($0.88 per share), and $725,000 of holdback and contingent consideration payments related to acquisitions from prior years. Cash used in financing activities for the year ended September 30, 2021 was $122.9 million, and principally reflected repayments, net of proceeds, on long-term debt of $76.8 million, purchases of treasury stock of $11.9 million, payment of dividends to the Company's shareholders of $27.7 million ($0.86 per share), $1.8 million of holdback and contingent consideration payments related to acquisitions from prior years, and $1.8 million of payments for the acquisition of noncontrolling interests.

The Company has a domestic credit facility with a syndicate of financial institutions that includes a $750.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility, which matures in March 2025. A portion of the revolving credit facility (not to exceed $350.0 million ) can be drawn in foreign currencies. In March 2023, an amendment to the domestic credit facility implemented SOFR as the replacement of LIBOR as the benchmark interest rate under the facility. The Company accounted for the change in reference rate as a non-substantial modification. Borrowings under the revolving credit facility now bear interest at SOFR, plus a 0.10% per annum rate spread adjustment, plus a factor ranging from 0.75% to 2.00% (1.25% at September 30, 2023) based on the Company's secured leverage ratio. Previously, borrowings under the revolving credit facility bore interest at LIBOR plus a factor ranging from 0.75% to 2.00% based on the Company's secured leverage ratio. The secured leverage ratio is defined as net secured indebtedness divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) as defined within the domestic credit facility agreement.  The Company is required to pay an annual commitment fee ranging from 0.15% to 0.30% (based on the Company's leverage ratio) of the unused portion of the revolving credit facility. The Company incurred debt issuance costs in connection with the domestic credit facility. Unamortized costs were $949,000 and $1.5 million at September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022, respectively.

The domestic credit facility requires the Company to maintain certain leverage and interest coverage ratios. A portion of the facility (not to exceed $55.0 million) is available for the issuance of trade and standby letters of credit. Outstanding U.S. dollar denominated borrowings on the revolving credit facility at September 30, 2023 and 2022 were $405.0 million and $428.0 million, respectively. Outstanding Euro denominated borrowings on the revolving credit facility at September 30, 2023 and 2022 were €55.0 million ($58.2 million) and €45.0 million ($44.1 million), respectively. The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings for the domestic credit facility (including the effects of interest rate swaps and Euro denominated borrowings) at September 30, 2023 and 2022 was 5.95% and 3.13%, respectively.

The Company has $299.6 million of 5.25% senior unsecured notes due December 1, 2025 (the "2025 Senior Notes"). The 2025 Senior Notes bear interest at a rate of 5.25% per annum with interest payable semi-annually in arrears on June 1 and December 1 of each year. The Company's obligations under the 2025 Senior Notes are guaranteed by certain of the Company's direct and indirect wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries. The Company is subject to certain covenants and other restrictions in connection with the 2025 Senior Notes. The Company incurred direct financing fees and costs in connection with 2025 Senior Notes. Unamortized costs were $1.1 million and $1.7 million at September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The Company and certain of its domestic subsidiaries sell, on a continuous basis without recourse, their trade receivables to Matthews Receivables Funding Corporation, LLC (“Matthews RFC”), a wholly-owned bankruptcy-remote subsidiary of the Company. In March 2022, Matthews RFC entered into a receivables purchase agreement (“RPA”) to sell up to $125.0 million of receivables to certain purchasers (the “Purchasers”) on a recurring basis in exchange for cash (referred to as “capital” within the RPA) equal to the gross receivables transferred. The parties intend that the transfers of receivables to the Purchasers constitute purchases and sales of receivables. Matthews RFC has guaranteed to each Purchaser the prompt payment of sold receivables, and has granted a security interest in its assets for the benefit of the Purchasers. Under the RPA, which matures in March 2024, each Purchaser’s share of capital accrues yield at a floating rate plus an applicable margin. The Company is the master servicer under the RPA, and is responsible for administering and collecting receivables.

The proceeds of the RPA are classified as operating activities in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Cash received from collections of sold receivables may be used to fund additional purchases of receivables on a revolving basis, or to reduce all or any portion of the outstanding capital of the Purchasers. The fair value of the sold receivables approximated book value due to their credit quality and short-term nature, and as a result, no gain or loss on sale of receivables was recorded. As of September 30, 2023, and 2022, the amount sold to the Purchasers was $101.8 million and $96.6 million, respectively which was derecognized from the Consolidated Balance Sheets. As collateral against sold receivables, Matthews RFC maintains a certain level of unsold receivables, which was $57.9 million and $44.3 million as of September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

In March 2023, the Company, through its U.K. subsidiary, entered into a non-recourse factoring arrangement. In connection with this arrangement, the Company periodically sells trade receivables to a third-party purchaser in exchange for cash. These transfers of financial assets are recorded at the time the Company surrenders control of the assets. As these transfers qualify as true sales under the applicable accounting guidance, the receivables are de-recognized from the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets upon transfer. The principal amount of receivables sold under this arrangement was $55.2 million during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023. The discounts on the trade receivables sold are included within administrative expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The proceeds from the sale of receivables are classified as operating activities in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. As of September 30, 2023, the amount of factored receivables that remained outstanding was $18.0 million.

The Company, through certain of its European subsidiaries, has a credit facility with a European bank, which is guaranteed by Matthews.  The maximum amount of borrowings available under this facility is €10.0 million ($10.6 million). This facility also provides €18.5 million ($19.6 million) for bank guarantees.  This facility has no stated maturity date and is available until terminated. There were no outstanding borrowings under the credit facility at September 30, 2023. Outstanding borrowings under the credit facility totaled €8.2 million ($8,050) at September 30, 2022. The weighted-average interest rate on outstanding borrowings under this facility was 2.25% at September 30, 2022.

Other borrowings totaled $19.2 million and $13.4 million at September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The weighted-average interest rate on these borrowings was 2.95% and 1.85% at September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The Company operates internationally and utilizes certain derivative financial instruments to manage its foreign currency, debt and interest rate exposures. The following table presents information related to interest rate swaps entered into by the Company and designated as cash flow hedges:

The Company enters into interest rate swaps in order to achieve a mix of fixed and variable rate debt that it deems appropriate. In order to transition the Company's swaps from LIBOR-based to SOFR-based rates, the LIBOR-based swaps were settled during the second quarter of fiscal 2023, resulting in cash proceeds of $10.5 million. Concurrently, the Company entered into new interest rate swaps with SOFR-based rates with a notional amount of $175.0 million. The interest rate swaps have been designated as cash flow hedges of future variable interest payments, which are considered probable of occurring.  Based on the Company's assessment, all of 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 a net unrealized gain of $4.0 million ($3.0 million after tax) and $10.7 million ($7.9 million after tax) at September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, that is included in shareholders' equity as part of accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI"). Unrecognized gains of $8.1 million ($6.0 million after tax) related to the terminated LIBOR-based swaps were also included in AOCI as of September 30, 2023.  Assuming market rates remain constant with the rates at September 30, 2023, a gain (net of tax) of approximately $3.9 million included in AOCI is expected to be recognized in earnings over the next twelve months.

The Company has a U.S. Dollar/Euro cross currency swap with a notional amount of $81.4 million as of September 30, 2023 and 2022, which has been designated as a net investment hedge of foreign operations. The swap contract matures in September 2027. The Company assesses hedge effectiveness for this contract based on changes in fair value attributable to changes in spot prices. A loss of $2.1 million (net of income taxes of $701,000) and a gain of $2.8 million (net of income taxes of $940,000), which represented effective hedges of net investments, were reported as a component of AOCI within currency translation adjustment at September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Income of $1.2 million and $1.6 million, which represented the recognized portion of the fair value of cross currency swaps excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness, was included in current period earnings as a component of interest expense for fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, respectively. At September 30, 2023 and 2022, the swap totaled $2.8 million and $3.7 million, respectively, and was included in other accrued liabilities and other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, respectively.

The Company previously used certain foreign currency debt instruments as net investment hedges of foreign operations. Currency losses of $5.4 million (net of income taxes of $1.7 million), which represent effective hedges of net investments, were reported as a component of AOCI within currency translation adjustment at September 30, 2021.

The Company enters into certain derivative contracts in accordance with its risk management strategy that do not meet the criteria for hedge accounting but which have the economic impact of largely mitigating foreign currency exposure. Changes in the fair value of these economic hedges are recorded in current period earnings as a component of other income (deductions), net. During fiscal 2022, net gains from economic hedges (which largely offset losses from underlying foreign currency exposures) totaled $4.7 million. No such economic hedge contracts were outstanding as of September 30, 2023 or 2022.

Consolidated working capital was $253.7 million at September 30, 2023, compared to $217.2 million at September 30, 2022.  Cash and cash equivalents were $42.1 million at September 30, 2023, compared to $69.0 million at September 30, 2022.  The Company's current ratio was 1.6 and 1.5 at September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The following table summarizes the Company's contractual obligations at September 30, 2023, and the effect such obligations are expected to have on its liquidity and cash flows in future periods.

(1)Lease obligations have not been discounted to their present value.

In the first quarter of fiscal 2023, the Company made lump sum payments totaling $24.2 million to fully settle the Company's non-qualified Supplemental Retirement Plan ("SERP") and defined benefit portion of the Company's Officers Retirement Restoration Plan ("ORRP") obligations. The settlement of these plan obligations resulted in the recognition of a non-cash charge of $1.3 million, which has been presented as a component of other income (deductions), net for the year ended September 30, 2023. This amount represents the immediate recognition of the deferred AOCI balances related to the SERP and ORRP. During fiscal 2023, the remaining funds held in a rabbi trust associated with the SERP were transferred to the Company. Consequently, these amounts are no longer classified as restricted cash.

Unrecognized tax benefits are positions taken, or expected to be taken, on an income tax return that may result in additional payments to tax authorities.  If a tax authority agrees with the tax position taken, or expected to be taken, or the applicable statute of limitations expires, then additional payments will not be necessary.  As of September 30, 2023, the Company had unrecognized tax benefits, excluding penalties and interest, of approximately $3.8 million.  The timing of potential future payments related to the unrecognized tax benefits is not presently determinable. 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.

Refer to Note 21, "Acquisitions and Divestitures" in Item 8 - "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," for further details on the Company's acquisitions and divestitures.

Management routinely develops and reviews with the Company’s Board of Directors strategic plans with the primary objective of continuous improvement in the Company’s consolidated sales and operating results. Strategic plans are developed at the business segment level and generally contain strategies for organic growth and acquisitions. Organic growth primarily reflects the Company’s internal efforts to grow its businesses including commercial activities, cost structure and productivity improvements, new product development, and the expansion into new markets with existing products. Growth through acquisitions reflects the benefits from acquired businesses and also includes related integration activities to achieve commercial and cost synergy benefits.

The significant factors influencing organic sales growth in the Industrial Technologies segment include economic/industrial market conditions, new product development, and the electric vehicles ("EV") and e-commerce trends. The Industrial Technologies segment received over $200 million of new orders during the fiscal 2023 first quarter for its energy storage solutions business. The orders have been received from multiple EV, fuel cell, and battery manufacturers and are expected to impact the segment’s sales through mid-fiscal 2024. For the Memorialization segment, the Company expects that sales growth will be influenced by North America death rates and the impact of the increasing trend toward cremation on the segment's product offerings, including caskets, cemetery memorial products and cremation-related products. For the SGK Brand Solutions segment, the Company expects that sales growth will be influenced by global economic conditions, brand innovation, the level of marketing spending by the Company's clients, and government regulation. Due to the global footprint of the Company’s businesses, particularly the Industrial Technologies and SGK Brand Solutions segments, currency fluctuations can also be a significant factor on Company’s U.S. dollar reported results.

Recent labor cost increases, supply chain challenges, and other inflation-related impacts are expected to impact the Company's results for the near future. The Company expects to partially mitigate these cost increases through price realization and cost-reduction initiatives.

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, 2023.

Long-lived assets are recorded at their respective cost basis on the date of acquisition.  Depreciation on property, plant and equipment is computed primarily on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets.  Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives.  The Company reviews long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment, and intangibles with finite useful lives, 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 is based on a discounted cash flow analysis. No such charges were recognized during the years presented, except as disclosed in Note 23, “Asset Write-Downs" in Item 8 - "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are not amortized, but are tested annually for impairment, or when circumstances indicate that a possible impairment may exist.  In general, when the carrying value of these assets exceeds the implied fair value, an impairment loss must be recognized.  A significant decline in cash flows generated from these assets may result in a write-down of the carrying values of the related assets.  For purposes of testing goodwill for impairment, the Company uses a combination of valuation techniques, including discounted cash flows and other market indicators.  A number of assumptions and estimates are involved in the application of the discounted cash flow model to forecast operating cash flows, including sales volumes and pricing, costs to produce, tax rates, capital spending, working capital changes, and discount rates.  The Company estimates future cash flows using volume and pricing assumptions based largely on existing customer relationships and contracts, and operating cost assumptions management believes are reasonable based on historical performance and projected future performance as reflected in its most recent operating plans and projections. The discount rates used in the discounted cash flow analyses are developed with the assistance of valuation experts and management believes the discount rates appropriately reflect the risks associated with the Company's operating cash flows.  In order to further validate the reasonableness of the estimated fair values of the reporting units as of the valuation date, a reconciliation of the aggregate fair values of all reporting units to market capitalization is performed using a reasonable control premium.

In fiscal 2022, in its assessment of the potential impacts of weakened economic conditions (particularly in Europe), increases in the cost of certain materials, labor, and other inflation-related pressures, and unfavorable changes in foreign exchange rates on the estimated future earnings and cash flows for the SGK Brand Solutions reporting unit, and in light of the limited excess fair value over carrying value for this reporting unit, management determined a triggering event occurred, resulting in a re-evaluation of goodwill for the reporting unit, as of September 1, 2022. As a result of this interim assessment, the Company recorded a goodwill write-down totaling $82.5 million during the fiscal 2022 fourth quarter. Subsequent to this write-down, the fair value of the SGK Brand Solutions reporting unit approximated its carrying value at September 1, 2022. The fair value for the reporting unit was determined using level 3 inputs (including estimates of revenue growth, EBITDA contribution and the discount rates) and a combination of the income approach using the estimated discounted cash flows and a market-based valuation methodology.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are provided for the differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.

Deferred income taxes have not been provided on undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries since they have either been previously taxed, or are exempt from tax, or such earnings are considered to be reinvested indefinitely in foreign operations.

Recent labor cost increases and other inflation-related pressures have had an unfavorable impact on the Company's results of operations (see "Results of Operations"). Although recent economic conditions increase the level of uncertainty in the Company's near-term outlook, inflation is not currently anticipated to have a material impact on a long-term basis.

Refer to Note 3, "Accounting Pronouncements" in Item 8 - "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," for further details on recently issued accounting pronouncements.

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 instrument is the domestic credit facility. U.S. dollar denominated debt under the domestic credit facility bears interest at variable rates based on SOFR (LIBOR for periods prior to March 2023).

The following table presents information related to interest rate contracts entered into by the Company and designated as cash flow hedges:

The interest rate swaps have been designated as cash flow hedges of the future variable interest payments 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 a net unrealized gain of $4.0 million ($3.0 million after-tax) at September 30, 2023 that is included in equity as part of AOCI.  A hypothetical decrease of 10% in market interest rates (e.g., a decrease from 5.0% to 4.5%) would result in a decrease of approximately $502,000 in the fair value of the interest rate swaps.

Foreign Currency Exchange Rates - The Company is subject to changes in various foreign currency exchange rates, primarily including the Euro, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, and Australian Dollar 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 (strengthening U.S. dollar) of 10% in exchange rates would have resulted in a decrease in reported sales of $69.5 million and a decrease in reported operating income of $3.4 million for the year ended September 30, 2023.

As of September 30, 2023, the Company had a foreign currency derivative contract (U.S. Dollar/Euro cross currency swap) with a notional amount of $81.4 million designated as a net investment hedge of foreign operations. The net unrealized loss for this swap contract at September 30, 2023 was of $2.1 million (net of income taxes of $701,000). As of September 30, 2023, the potential gain or loss in the fair value of the swap contract assuming a hypothetical 10% fluctuation in the market rates would be approximately $9.0 million.

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, granite, fuel and wood) used in its manufacturing operations. The Company obtains competitive prices for materials and supplies when available.  In addition, based on competitive market conditions and to the extent that the Company has established pricing terms with customers through contracts or similar arrangements, the Company's ability to immediately increase the price of its products to offset the increased costs may be limited.

Actuarial Assumptions - As of September 30, 2023, all of the Company's defined benefit plans are unfunded. The most significant actuarial assumption affecting pension expense and pension obligations is discount rates. A hypothetical decrease of 1% in discount rates would result in an increase of approximately $2.1 million in the projected benefit obligation. Refer to Note 15, "Pension and Other Postretirement Plans" in Item 8 – "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for additional information.

 

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 is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the Company, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15f. 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 (2013), issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission ("COSO"). Internal controls over financial reporting is a process under the supervision of, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and effected by the Company's board of directors, management and other personnel 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 and 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.

Management, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on criteria in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO, and has concluded that the Company maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2023.  The effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2023 has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included herein.

 

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 this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We have audited Matthews International Corporation and Subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Matthews International Corporation and Subsidiaries (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2023, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of September 30, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of income (loss), comprehensive income (loss), shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 2023, and the related notes and the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a)2 and our report dated November 17, 2023 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

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 (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) 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 (3) 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.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Matthews International Corporation and Subsidiaries (the Company) as of September 30, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of income (loss), comprehensive income (loss), shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 2023, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a)2 (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at September 30, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 2023, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated November 17, 2023 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2016.