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Non-Tech : Rock of Ages (roac)---A Peter Lynch stock? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: lrrp who wrote (10)	9/26/1998 4:16:00 PM
From: nokomis	Respond to of 18

ROAC looks like a good buy to me..but am also keenly interested in a young Canadian granite company on verge of acqusitions and setting their sights on the European market. If anyone can provide further info on Pender Capital, Garibaldi or Granicor, would appreciate it. It trades Alberta "PNL" and their web page is pendercapital.net. Many thanks!

To: lrrp who wrote (10)	10/1/1998 8:21:00 AM
From: JakeStraw	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 18

Rock of Ages Acquires Three Memorial Retailers Company Signs Japanese Distribution Agreement for Granite Memorials CONCORD, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 1998--Rock of Ages Corp. (NASDAQ: ROAC - news) Thursday announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Rock of Ages Memorials Inc., has acquired Gallagher Memorials Co. Malaga, Ohio; Kotecki Monument Co., Cleveland; and the Owatonna Monument Co., Owatonna, Minn. These three retailers of granite memorials have combined annual revenue of approximately $4.6 million and add 12 sales locations in Ohio and one location in Minnesota. Terms of the acquisitions were not disclosed. With these transactions, Rock of Ages' acquisition program, which was launched 12 months ago, now totals 56 retail locations in eight states and represents about $28.2 million in annual revenues. Kurt Swenson, chairman and chief executive officer of Rock of Ages, said, ''These acquisitions are the latest step in our successful strategy to achieve growth through consolidation of memorial retailers. By expanding our existing retail clusters in Ohio and Minnesota, we expect to realize marketing and operating efficiencies.'' Separately, Rock of Ages announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement for its branded granite memorials with Memorial Art Ohnoya, Tokyo. The largest retailer of granite memorials in Japan, Ohnoya has annual sales of approximately $90 million. Under terms of the agreement, Rock of Ages Asia, a Japanese joint venture company 50% owned by Rock of Ages Corp., will supply Ohnoya with a line of personalized granite memorials manufactured primarily in Japan as well as sales, design, and other assistance. ''While we have supplied granite blocks to Japan since 1974, this agreement marks a major advance in our effort to become an important distributor of finished monuments in that market,'' stated Swenson. He added that the total Japanese market for granite memorials in sales dollars is more than twice the U.S. level despite the 98% cremation rate in Japan. Rock of Ages is the largest integrated granite quarrier, manufacturer and retailer of finished granite memorials and granite blocks for memorial use in North America. The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements with respect to events, the occurrence of which involve risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, demand and competition for the company's products, and other risks or uncertainties detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact: Rock of Ages Corp., Concord Kurt M. Swenson, 603/225-8397 or Neil G. Berkman Associates, Los Angeles Neil G. Berkman, 310/277-5162