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Cedar Fair Reaffirms Commitment to Reducing Debt
March 9, 2009
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Cedar Fair Press Release
SANDUSKY, OHIO, March 9, 2009 -- Cedar Fair Entertainment
Company (NYSE: FUN), a leader in regional amusement resorts,
water parks and active entertainment, today announced it
will decrease its annual distribution rate to $1.00 per
limited partner unit. On a quarterly basis, the Company’s
distribution rate will be $0.25 per unit and will begin with
the distribution that is expected to be declared in the
second quarter of 2009.
“Although Cedar Fair has continued to report solid earnings
and cash flows with some of the best operating margins among
regional amusement parks, the Board of Directors is taking
this action in order to retain additional cash flow to
delever the Company over the next several years,” said Dick
Kinzel, Cedar Fair’s chairman, president and chief executive
officer. “The current macro environment requires us to
balance the distribution of excess cash flow to our
unitholders with the Company’s strategic objective of
strengthening our balance sheet.”
The Company currently pays approximately $105 million in
distributions to its investors on an annual basis. A $0.92
reduction in the per-unit rate, along with scheduled debt
repayments and interest savings on the lower debt balance,
will allow the Company to reduce its debt by approximately
$200 million over the next three fiscal years. This
distribution reduction is a first step in Cedar Fair’s
strategy to reduce debt and strengthen its balance sheet.
In addition, the Company continues to pursue the sale of
excess land in the Toronto and Cleveland markets and
continues to discuss the potential sale of California’s
Great America, in Santa Clara, California, with the San
Francisco 49ers. It has also completed a strategic review of
its assets and has decided to explore the potential sale of
Worlds of Fun, in Kansas City, Missouri and Valleyfair, in
Shakopee, Minnesota. The Company said it would be premature
to speculate on either the price or timing of any potential
transaction.
“In light of current economic and market conditions,
reducing our debt and strengthening our balance sheet must
continue to be a priority,” added Kinzel. “These actions are
designed to reiterate our commitment to create long-term
value for our unitholders. We feel confident that we are
proactively taking steps to reduce our leverage and
strengthen our financial position over the long term.”
Cedar Fair is a publicly traded partnership headquartered in
Sandusky, Ohio, and one of the largest regional
amusement-resort operators in the world. The Partnership
owns and operates 11 amusement parks, six outdoor water
parks, one indoor water park and five hotels. Amusement
parks in the company’s northern region include two in Ohio:
Cedar Point, consistently voted “Best Amusement Park in the
World” in Amusement Today polls and Kings Island; as well as
Canada’s Wonderland, near Toronto; Dorney Park, PA;
Valleyfair, MN; and Michigan’s Adventure, MI. In the
southern region are Kings Dominion, VA; Carowinds, NC; and
Worlds of Fun, MO. Western parks in California include:
Knott’s Berry Farm; Great America; and Gilroy Gardens, which
is managed under contract. |