LEVITTOWN, Pa., Aug. 14, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StoneMor Partners L.P. (NYSE:STON) ("StoneMor") today announced the acquisition of Virginia based Forest Lawn Cemetery for approximately $5 million in cash. Forest Lawn, located in Richmond, Virginia, currently handles an average of more than 500 interments per year and is expected to continue to operate under the Forest Lawn name.
Larry Miller, StoneMor's President and CEO commented, "This latest acquisition fits perfectly with our long-term acquisition strategy. Forest Lawn is a quality cemetery servicing the Richmond, Virginia, market, the kind of mid-sized urban area that we prefer. We believe we can accelerate the property's growth with our highly successful pre-need sales program.
"The cemetery brings our total cemetery count to 277 cemeteries, along with 92 funeral homes in 28 states and Puerto Rico. Since becoming a public company in 2004, we have acquired 145 cemeteries and 85 funeral homes, more than doubling the assets of the company while growing GAAP revenues from $89.2 million to more than $242 million in 2012. We will continue to look for acquisitions like this to contribute to that growth and we look forward to the opportunity to share that growth with our unit holders."
About StoneMor Partners L.P.
StoneMor Partners L.P., headquartered in Levittown, Pennsylvania, is an owner and operator of cemeteries and funeral homes in the United States, with 277 cemeteries and 92 funeral homes in 28 states and Puerto Rico. StoneMor is the only publicly traded death care company structured as a partnership. StoneMor's cemetery products and services, which are sold on both a pre-need (before death) and at-need (at death) basis, include: burial lots, lawn and mausoleum crypts, burial vaults, caskets, memorials, and all services that provide for the installation of this merchandise.
For additional information about StoneMor Partners L.P., please visit StoneMor's website, and the Investor Relations section, at http://www.stonemor.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release, including, but not limited to, information regarding the status and progress of StoneMor's operating activities, the plans and objectives of its management, assumptions regarding its future performance and plans, and any financial guidance provided, as well as certain information in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and elsewhere, are forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "project," "expect," "predict," and similar expressions identify these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause StoneMor's actual results of operations to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: uncertainties associated with future revenue and revenue growth; the effect of the current economic downturn; the impact of StoneMor's significant leverage on its operating plans; StoneMor's ability to service its debt and pay distributions; the decline in the fair value of certain equity and debt securities held in its trusts; StoneMor's ability to attract, train and retain an adequate number of sales people; uncertainties associated with the volume and timing of pre-need sales of cemetery services and products; increased use of cremation; changes in the death rate; changes in the political or regulatory environments, including potential changes in tax accounting and trusting policies; StoneMor's ability to successfully implement a strategic plan relating to achieving operating improvement, strong cash flows and further deleveraging; StoneMor's ability to successfully compete in the cemetery and funeral home industry; uncertainties associated with the integration or the anticipated benefits of StoneMor's recent acquisitions and any future acquisitions; StoneMor's ability to complete and fund additional acquisitions; litigation or legal proceedings that could expose StoneMor to significant liabilities and damage its reputation; StoneMor's ability to maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; the effects of cyber security attacks due to StoneMor's significant reliance on information technology; uncertainties relating to the financial condition of third-party insurance companies that fund StoneMor's pre-need funeral contracts; and various other uncertainties associated with the death care industry and StoneMor's operations in particular.
When considering forward-looking statements, the reader should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements set forth in StoneMor's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required under applicable law, StoneMor assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements made by StoneMor, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.