American monument dealers have become accustomed to dealing with the rising cremation rates in the country and the dwindling sales opportunities for cemetery monuments that fact brings.

But now, according to this recent article from CNBC titled “An industry focused on death faces an existential crisis”, family-owned monument dealers have seen United States tariffs on certain imported products and countries cause havoc with their supply chain prices and choices.  Monument dealer John Dioguardi is quoted in the article saying, “I hope this all works out.  I have no idea if it will.”

A chart you can see in the article also poses the issue of how uncertainty reigns in much of the situation.  For instance, the chart shows that since January 25,2023, and up until October 27, 2025, family-owned and Cleveland-based Milano Monument’s custom duty and taxes on imported raw materials from China have fluctuated between 21% and 59% and rates in-between those two extremes.  Those duty or tariff percentages are added on to the wholesale cost of the imported material and then have to be figured into the price to charge consumers.

As you can well understand, the resulting higher retail cost of monuments then becomes a major decision for the consumer on what, or even if, they should buy a monument.  According to the article Milano Monuments’ Jim Milano states that “he and many peers are covering tariffs out of pocket” meaning that they have not passed on that cost to consumers in order to make sales.  He’s taken a pay cut as a result.

Furthermore, Milano makes this point, as quoted in the article, “If monument builders need to raise prices to account for tariffs, Milano worries it could push more consumers to opt for cremations.”

And while cremations and tariffs are a headwind for monument dealers at this time, monument company owner John Dioguardi, who we quoted earlier in this article, says the long-term fate of the business “is married in part to whether people want their loved ones to have any sort of memorialization”. 

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  While this article appears to be about tariffs and duties and the costs that they impart onto the retail sale of a monument for memorialization, I think there is a whole lot more to this article than that.

In the last few years I’ve taken the tact that “Death Care” really provides three distinct purchasable choices to the consumer for each death.  Those purchase choices are (1)Disposition, (2)Ceremony (or Celebration), and (3) Memorialization.

For the last 100 years or longer the vast majority of consumer spending on Death Care came from the “Disposition” category.  Because, if you chose “Burial” as the Disposition choice then the consumer purchased a traditional funeral the which included the professional services of the funeral director and merchandise such as a casket and vault.  The “Ceremony’ included the process to get the deceased, and purchased merchandise such as the casket and vault, from the funeral home into the ground, and in essence, was a part of the “Disposition” choice purchase.

Memorialization basically consisted of some type of monument marking the grave in the cemetery.  Some were elaborate, but most were purchased after death without much thought by the individual whose grave it marked.

Contrast that to today’s world where traditional funerals are minority of the dispositions.  Cremations are the vast majority of dispositions and, from my point of view, most consumers believe the process of cremation is a commodity.  Meaning. . that there loved one’s body goes to the crematory, they see none of the process, and they are handed a box of cremated remains.  The resulting “box of cremated remains” are the same (commodity) whether a direct cremation provider was selected or a high-priced luxury funeral home was used.

Most consumers do not expect to pay a high amount for this (cremation) disposition.

It’s also my opinion that today’s Death Care consumers will spend on the Ceremony (Celebration or Event) and a certain amount of Death Care clientele will make “Large sale” purchases of Memorialization products.  If you follow industry leader Service Corporation International (SCI) you will notice that for the past couple of years they have been much more aggressive going after what they call “Large sale cemetery sales”.  In their vernacular “Large Sales” means $80,000 or over.

And Global Growth Insights says this about “Large sale or Premium” Death Care sales:

The high-end and specialty funeral homes and services segment caters to a premium clientele that seeks exclusivity, personalization, and luxury in memorial arrangements. This niche but rapidly expanding category combines emotional value, heritage preservation, and sophisticated service design. In 2025, the luxury funeral segment accounts for nearly 7.5% of the total global funeral services market, valued at approximately USD $5.9 billion, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% during 2025–2033 — outpacing the broader market’s average growth of 3.39%.

High-end providers focus on creating unique, culturally tailored, and experience-driven memorials. These include private mausoleums, personalized life celebration ceremonies, high-end floral artistry, premium casket materials, and digital heritage archives. Many also integrate smart technology and sustainability — such as QR-enabled memorial stones, carbon-neutral cremations, and virtual remembrance spaces — blending tradition with innovation.

So, yes — I think consumers and what they want is going to change funeral service.  And, I can sympathisize with these monument dealers at this time with the uncertainty and cost of tariffs.  However, I also see an incredible opportunity for the high-end memorialization products.  I think that there is a void to be filled with those consumers who have the assets to spend on celebration and memorialization.

The trends show dispositions of cremation as more-than-likely without the purchase of caskets or vaults.  If that money is going to stay in “Death Care” it will probably find itself going into more elaborate “ceremonies or celebrations” and “permanent memorialization”.

Tom Ryan
SCI CEO

I think by being able to partner with cemeteries monument and columbarium suppliers may find a smaller number but more profitable clientele in those that are looking for luxury or psuedo-luxury memorialization products.  It might take some up-front investment and risk, but one might also find a “Build it and they will come” attitude for cremation memorialization in cemeteries.  Here’s what SCI CEO Thomas Ryan said as recently as October 30, 2025, during the company’s 3rd Quarter Earnings Call:

“We have a lot of products that I’d tell you, consumers really don’t have familiarity with. I think a lot of cremation consumers come in and don’t really understand what we have available. So we’re really focused this year with some consumer research that we’ve done about trying to tie that consumer in a better way to educate them about what we have because we found in the focus groups that almost 0 out of 10 knew what we had and about 8 out of 10 once they saw it said, I’m interested in looking.”

So, if I was a monument dealer, yes , I’d be a little discouraged about the cost of my product at this time. . . .and try to make the best of the situation.  But, I’d also find encouragement by what seems to be a growing “luxury” monument movement and the results SCI is having with their “Large sales” of cemetery products.

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

With the advent of increased private equity ownership in the Death Care business there are not a lot of public companies to draw information from that you can compare with your own funeral home.  Quite frankly, the only two public companies where I seem able to find “comparable information” with locally owned funeral firms are Service Corporation International (SCI) and Carriage Services.

Interestingly, in the past couple of weeks both of those companies and Death Care supplier Matthews International were all in the news for various reasons.  Here’s a short synopsis of why.

First of all, SCI was involved as a participant at the Bank of America Leverage Finance Conference.  They were represented there by Senior Vice-President and Treasurer Aaron Foley who took part in a question and answer period with Bank of America Securities Larry Bland.  You can read a full transcript of the Q & A here from Seeking Alpha.

There is a lot of information for people interested in Death Care business in the Q & A.  I’ll note three items I found somewhat interesting and pretty much on trend with what I’ve heard around the profession in the past year.

• Cemeteries have great opportunities going ahead.  There is a market for “Premium Memorialization”.  Here’s what SCI’s Aaron Foley said about that issue:  “Cemetery side has continue(d) to be strong as well. We — as I know that we’ll talk about later, have a dynamic within our pre-need cemetery sales that has large sale dynamics but a core consumer dynamic as well. . . . . . But those large sales make up about 10% to 15% of our total cemetery preneed sales. And we’ve got teams out there that are constantly driving and trying to grow that.”  (Editor’s Note:  SCI considers sales of $80,000 and over Large Sales”

• The Pull-Forward effect on pandemic deaths has probably caught up and we have reached normalcy for death rates.  Here’s what SCI’s Foley said about that in the Q&A:  “I think where we stand today, it seems that, that has all kind of normalized out. . . . . .As we began our 2025 planning, we came out of this expectation after having seen in ’22, a decline of volume of 6% in ’23, 4% in ’24, we were down 2.5%. We expected 2025 to be about flat to slightly down. . . . . So seeing all those trends together kind of gives me some heart to say, I feel like we’re kind of at this normalized trend now for volume.”

• Cremation Growth has started to moderate.  Here’s what SCI’s Foley said on that dynamic in the Q&A:  “And where we stand at this 58% or so type cremation mix, when we’ve looked at other kind of Western cultures where the cremation mix has seemed to stabilize, that’s around that 70% to 80% type range. And so as we get closer to that, you would expect that, that slope should start moderating. But then when you look at a lot of the cities and urban areas that we do operate in the top 10 or 15, there’s a good chunk of those that are already kind of at or near that 70% to 80% type range. And so we’re expecting less of a pressure from that (growth of cremation) front going forward.”

Matthews International has sold their Warehouse Automation Business for $230 million.  As you may know, Matthews International operates in different business segments, with the largest, by revenue, segment its Memorialization Segment.  That segment consists of its Matthews Aurora business, The Dodge Company business, and businesses in the cremation and cemetery categories.

According to this information from Globe Newswire, “The proceeds from the transaction, net of taxes and transaction costs, will be primarily used to significantly reduce outstanding debt, further strengthening the Company’s balance sheet and enhancing its capacity to pursue future strategic initiatives.” 

Again, according to the press release, “The Warehouse Automation business generated sales of $72 million for fiscal 2025.”

If you follow the public stocks it is hard not to notice that Carriage Services has been on a deliberate plan to modernize not only their businesses but also their business plan and strategic outlook going forward.  It appears that what they are doing is being noticed not only by those of us in the Death Care business world but those who rate credit as well.

According to this note, S&P Global has elevated the Carriage Services to a B+ credit rating from a B rating.  S&P Global notes this upgrade is reflective of continued operational improvement and an anticipation of lower leverage going forward.

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Caribbean Cremations & Scary Cemeteries | 4M #213

Welcome to the two-hundred-and-thirteenth edition of Morticians’ Monday Morning Mashup, 4M #213, where we’ll serve up bite-sized, easily-digestible nuggets of the deathcare news you need to crush conversations in the week ahead. Bon appetit!

A first for Antigua

On Tuesday, a 29-year-old Antiguan female funeral director will open her country’s first-ever crematorium, offering the 100,000 residents of Antigua and Barbuda a new, local disposition option. She’ll also work with Antigua’s two existing funeral homes so they can offer their families cremation, which is sure to be appreciated given the islands’ ever-shrinking available burial space. Stefanie Meyer completed her mortuary science studies and apprenticeship in Connecticut and returned home committed to opening Meyer’s Funeral Home — but it wasn’t a simple task. Neighbors protested several proposed locations, and “as Antigua’s first crematorium, government officials had no established procedures,” requiring three organizations to work together to change legislation and create new guidelines. We agree with the Antigua Observer — Stefanie Meyer is a “revolutionary entrepreneur!”

Funeral Homes Across America Trust Treasured Memories

From caskets to credit card processing, from outreach to memorial keepsakes — Treasured Memories brings together the industry’s leading providers under one roof. If you’re already using two or more (and chances are you are), you’re leaving rewards on the table.

Trusted by hundreds of funeral homes nationwide, Treasured Memories has become the go-to rewards network for owners looking to make their operations more profitable. Every month, members receive detailed point statements, so you know exactly what you’ve earned and how to use it.

Whether you reinvest in supplies, redeem for cash value, or let your points build, the choice is yours. Don’t miss out on benefits your peers are already taking advantage of.

Scary, spooky, sacred spaces

We’re a few days late, but we had to share the latest rankings from our survey-loving friends at Choice Mutual insurance company. It’s a list you might be happy that your property didn’t make — anytime other than Halloween, anyway. Yes, Choice Mutual asked 3,004 Americans “which cemeteries they would be least willing to visit alone after dark” to come up with The 150 Scariest Graveyards In The U.S. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of these properties are concentrated in the Northeast, and there are plenty that gained their “scary” status because they’re tied to history, tragedy, or pop culture.

Doing the right thing

Remember those 300+ piles of cremains that were discovered a few months ago in the desert outside Las Vegas? Authorities became involved in the investigation of their origins because while it’s not illegal to scatter cremains on public lands in Nevada, it is against the law for commercial entities to do so — and who else would have that many cremated remains in their possession but a crematory or funeral home? To preserve the dignity of the remains and to give family members a place to visit (once the identities of the deceased are identified, if possible, when the identity of the secret scatterer is uncovered), a local funeral home, Palm Mortuaries and Cemeteries, removed the ashes last week and will memorialize them in a crypt.

No small mistakes

As you well know, errors of any kind by deathcare professionals are not easily overlooked by grieving families. (I can’t express to you how upset I was when a cemetery misspelled the first name of a loved one on a form a few years ago). So, it can’t be surprising when funeral directors face major consequences — including lots of negative press — when making major mistakes. Two issues, both originating in California, made it to the news last week. In both cases, the wrong body was presented to a family, wearing the clothes of their loved one. One family has filed suit; the other probably will do the same, especially as the sight led one family member to suffer a heart attack in the chapel during the viewing — and the funeral home only offered a refund of 1% of the total $20,000 funeral cost. 

I learned through an article from Sky News and in this article from KillBait that Epiris, the private equity firm that acquired London area-based Direct Cremation provider Pure Cremation just over two years ago, is beginning a process to sell the company.

Pure Cremation, arguably the most financially successful start-up in Death Care business history started in 2015 by husband/wife founders Bryan and Catherine Powell.  The timing was evidently perfect for the business which serviced the cremations of Death Care clientele who preferred “simple services with no mourners present”.

That type of service, now christened “Direct Cremation” has grown exponentially since that time in Great Britain, somewhat driven by a combination of price, simplicity, and a decline in religious funeral traditions.

The Powells were quick to learn of the value of Preneed and Pre-arrangements for Pure Cremation.  They employed an aggressive marketing campaign for Preneed with an advertising budget stressing the Pure Cremation “No fuss” cremation options.  According to this 2022 article from Sky News, they sold over 65,000 preneed policies in 2021.   In my opinion, greatly increasing the value of the company.

While no purchase price was, to my knowledge, ever reported when private equity company Epiris purchased Pure Cremation in July 2023, Sky News articles estimated that the company was worth “up to US$ 533 million” at the time.

The above linked KillBait article suggests “Although the current owners (Epiris) are targeting a sale worth upwards of £500 million (US$ 667 million), estimates suggest the business could fetch as much as £700 million (US$932 million) based on its profitability.

Here is the July 31, 2023, press release from Epiris announcing that they had purchased Pure Cremation.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  From my point of view “Growth Companies” are companies that increase revenue and value greatly in a short period of time.  They do so, in many cases, because they have invented new “widgets” that consumers prefer over other options.  For instance “Vizio” creates “smart TV’s” that consumers now prefer over old analog television sets.  The rapid growth of Vizio, which is owned by WalMart, certainly would qualify the company, in my book, as a “Growth Company”.

As an aside here. . . .just think of the opportunities for WalMart to build relationships with those free (advertiser supported) content streaming companies such as Tubi, Pluto, and others.  WalMart can probably make agreements to advertise their products on those streaming services in return for the opportunity for those services to be “imbedded” in the Vizio product.  As long as that Vizio smart TV is in the family room WalMart can probably arrange to have low-cost access to advertising and the opportunity to customize (through AI) those ads to the content a viewer watches. No wonder they sell those TVs so inexpensively — they are not only viewing screens but advertising mechanisms set up right in your television-watching room for WalMart.

Back to the article, compare that thought process of a “Growth Company” with funeral home public companies such as Service Corporation International and Carriage Services. . . . who I look at as mature companies whose operations and finances, in my opinion, operate more like utility companies.  That is, they are “Slow-growth”, generally through acquisitions, funded by debt rather than high-growth cash-flow, without the fast-growing “new widget” or idea that could propel them into “Growth companies”.

In my opinion, Pure Cremation is somewhat different and exhibits itself as more of a “Growth Company” that can fetch a higher valuation for its company because of the long-range, hypothetical growth potential based on the “new widget” of Direct Cremation coupled with aggressive Preneed marketing and sales.

Again, in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with “slow, methodical growth” of a business.  However, businesses need to know what they are.  Later in this article is a chart that I made of four public Death Care stocks along with a couple of “new widget” growth companies.  Again, in my opinion, “Growth Companies” have a characteristic of “higher potential gains accompanied by more financial risk” and companies that operate in a field such as traditional Death Care and have “Slow-Growth” characteristics of “slower growth and less financial risk”.

The chart below is representative of that phenomena.  It shows the annual revenue of the companies that comprise the Funeral Director Daily Death Care Index (DCI) and two other “new widget” public growth companies.  It also shows the value of those companies as indicated by Market Capitalization (Defined as the Stock price x Number of Outstanding shares of stock).  (Note:  All values come from Seeking Alpha data as of October 9, 2025.)

Again, at least from my perspective, it is very easy to see that the Death Care companies do not have a high valuation in relation to the revenues that they bring in —  more than likely because of their “slow-growth” perception to investors.  I see that is where Pure Cremation differs from them in that they have the growth expectation of the consumer’s increased use of “Direct Cremation” raising their value.

Market Capitalization of Death Care Companies and “True Growth” Companies

At any rate, it will be interesting to see who might be the purchaser of Pure Cremation.  It very well could be a public company that wants to add a perceived “high growth” company to its portfolio.

Disclosure:  The author of this article for Funeral Director Daily is a shareholder of Service Corporation International, Carriage Services, Security National Financial Corporation, ATS Spacemobile, and Applied Digital Corporation.

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

Oakwood Evergreens & Meth Cremations | 4M #206

Welcome to the two-hundred-and-sixth edition of Morticians’ Monday Morning Mashup, 4M #206, where we’ll serve up bite-sized, easily-digestible nuggets of the deathcare news you need to crush conversations in the week ahead. Bon appetit!

The ultimate road trip

If you ever need an excuse to take a road trip, consider visiting some of the cemeteries in Choice Mutual’s 2025 survey of the 140 Most Beautiful Hidden Cemeteries in the US. More than 3,000 respondents contributed to the list, which includes hidden gems from all across the country, with some standouts in the top 10 (below): Three of the top five are on the islands of Hawai’i, while New York and California were also well-represented. One interesting tidbit that Choice Mutual recognized is that names like “Oakwood,” “Evergreen,” and “Magnolia” repeat “across states, tying remembrance to nature.” 

Davis Mortuary update

Last week Colorado investigators reported that they had identified four of the 24 bodies found in a “hidden” room at Davis Mortuary, the former Pueblo County coroner’s funeral home, in late August. Patty Emerson, a former hospital pathologist who had known the co-owners of Davis Mortuary since the 1980s, was informed that her late husband Mel was one of those bodies. Mel, whom Patty believed had been cremated more than 14 years ago, was identified through his well-preserved fingerprints, which were on file from the couple’s days as foster parents. Patty hopes to have Mel’s remains cremated by a different funeral home as soon as a new death certificate is issued. As of this writing, no charges have been filed against the owners of Davis Mortuary.

Not your typical Wednesday

Fourteen employees of a Montana animal shelter had to spend several hours each in hyperbaric oxygen chambers at a local hospital after being exposed to methamphetamine. Why, you may ask, was meth in an animal shelter? Well, it seems that the shelter shared a city-owned retort (which they used to cremate deceased animals) with law enforcement, and that day, the FBI was burning confiscated illegal narcotics. A “negative air pressure issue” with the incinerator created a backdraft of smoke that was forced into the shelter area by the building’s HVAC system. Both the employees and the shelter pets were evacuated.

And just for fun …

Have you heard about Titan Casket’s Heavenly Guarantee? Check it out here.

Celestis, the memorial spaceflight program for cremated remains, recently lost its spacecraft from the Perseverence flight and the 166 cremated remains and/or human DNA carried with it.  This article from MSN states that the remains “. . . have now been spread across the Pacific Ocean after a malfunction caused the recovery capsule’s parachute to fail.”

Interestingly enough Celestis, which has successfully launched and kept orbiting flights for over 20 years, was operating Perseverance as its first flight to return from orbit and offer relatives the ability to reclaim remains that had been in orbit.  All other previous flights through Celestis have, at least from what I can find out, been intended to remain in permanent orbit.

The following statement appears from Celestis co-founder and CEO Charles M. Chafer on the Celestis website:

The Perseverance Flight carrying the ashes and DNA of 166 participants successfully launched and reached orbit today, Monday, June 23, 2025 aboard The Exploration Company’s Nyx Mission Possible spacecraft. 

The spacecraft completed two orbits around Earth, meeting our criteria for a successful Earth Orbit service, and then initiated its return trajectory, as planned, to complete the Earth Rise service intended. However, we regret to share that an anomaly occurred and the vehicle was lost shortly after re-entry; the root cause is under investigation, resulting in the Nyx capsule impacting the Pacific Ocean and dispersing its contents at sea. 

As a result of this unforeseen event, we believe that we will not be able to recover or return the flight capsules aboard. We share in the disappointment of our families, and we offer our sincerest gratitude for their trust. While there were many successful milestones achieved – launch, orbit, and controlled reentry – this was the first Celestis mission designed to return from orbit, and we recognize the bravery and ambition it required from all involved. We also recognize that no technical achievement replaces the profound personal meaning this service holds for our families. 

In the coming days, our team will reach out to each family individually to offer support and discuss possible next steps. Though we currently believe that we cannot return the flight capsules, we hope families will find some peace in knowing their loved ones were part of a historic journey, launched into space, orbited Earth, and are now resting in the vastness of the Pacific, akin to a traditional and honored sea scattering. We remain committed to serving with transparency, compassion, and care.

According to the Celestis website which you can access here, the cost of this memorialization started at $3,495.  Other options listed on the website range from $4,995 to $12,995.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  There are many ways to memorialize a loved one and Celestis is one of the growing options available.  It’s unfortunate that this accident happened, but as we have experienced as Americans, technological issues on space flights cannot be taken for granted.

I’m one that hopes this incident does not set Celestis back.   While burial of the dead with cemetery memorialization was once the almost universally chosen option for humans, I’m of the opinion that the growing number of memorialization options, such as Celestis, Parting Stone, Eterneva, Natural Organic Reduction, and others, offer grief and memorialization solutions for those who believe in something other than earth burial.

It is that growing choice and options that, in my opinion, will give more and more meaning to Memorialization as time moves on.  And, I’m also of the opinion that more meaning to Memorialization will bring greater emphasis and revenue to the growing Death Care community.

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

We noticed in this article last week that a consumer group has asked for the removal of funeral directors as “the middleman in cremations, saying it’s costing people money”.  Among other things, the group says “it gives them (funeral directors) the opportunity to “hook people into a package deal” charging grieving families for things they did not need”.

This discussion is taking place in New Zealand where 80% of the deaths are cremations and funeral directors are required to facilitate a “sign-off” for the cremation approval by a second doctor after a physician has already made the notes about the cause of death.

It appears, from what I read, that funeral directors then charge a service fee for this task and the process allows them to get in front of families who don’t necessarily want to be sold or educated about additional services available.

The consumer group is asking for a system in which the current online death documents system could solve this problem by uploading the first doctor’s information into the cloud from which the second doctor could access the information and sign the cremation authorization without the need of a funeral director.  According to the linked article a recent health system report stated:

“. . . .the current process and regulations impose high costs on the public and create a barrier for people who want to organise their own funerals, particularly when their loved ones are about to be cremated.  It encouraged the ministry to prioritise further work on updating the cremation regulations, and requested a report on the planned changes to regulations before the end of this parliamentary term.  We also encourage the ministry to consider making all documents relating to cremation available on the Death Documents website. We note that the Ministry’s planned work could address the current barriers to DIY funerals.”

As can be expected, the New Zealand Funeral Director’s Association refuted the consumer groups thesis that it was this activity that produced high costs of services in New Zealand.  Part of their answer came in this article from RNZ titled “Changing paperwork is not going to fix funeral debt”:  Association slams call to remove funeral directos as cremation middlemen“.

Related Article ––  High cost of dying under scrutiny as Members of Parliament call for change.  The Spinoff (New Zealand)

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  While this argument is taking place in a country with less than 40,000 deaths annually I think the repercussions may be heard in more populated places as time moves forward.

I was priviliged to see just how large a metropolitan funeral and cremation company can be in May when I had the privilige to tour a “Care Center” of a large American death care consolidator.  I was somewhat blown away by the facility and volume of the operations in this care center located in a suburb of a large American city.

The brand new facility looked like a modern office building from the outside, but inside housed three crematory retorts, a preparation room, a refrigerated room with a capacity of probably over 300 bodies, and an inside the building drive-thru transportation hub for hearses and vans to load and unload human remains.  It also housed a reception viewing area for a family that might wish to identify and see their loved one loaded into the crematory.  And, the complete facility was absolutely immaculate.

My tour guide let me know that this care center handles about 7,000 cremation cases a year for their locations in this metropolitan area.  I saw what I would guess was about 75 cardboad box encased bodies ready for cremation in the cooler area.  One side of the cooler area had containers with “Red stickers” on the boxes and the other side had containers with “Green stickers” on the boxes.

I learned that the “Red sticker” boxes did not yet have authorizations complete for cremation while the “Green sticker” boxes had completed authorizations and were ready to be placed in the crematories.  I also learned that there were two full-time staff members that did nothing but make sure authorizations were complete.

In all, it was an impressive operation.

Some interesting thoughts that I had —  There was at least one licensed funeral director on site as well as other technicians.  However, in a state where removal transportation specialists are allowed and the cremations are allowed to be arranged online, is it possible that a family member would never have to have a discussion with a funeral director? . . And, it may be by their choice that the family has that option.

I found that an interesting question.  Some families would probably want to have that conversation and arrange some type of memorial and/or memorialization but there might also be some families that, as suggested in the New Zealand situation, may simply want a “Do it yourself” service or no service at all and be content with not talking with a funeral director.

I’m still working on my “Attitude adjustment” —  I did my work in a funeral home that served “one family at a time”.  And that is the way it was some weeks — we might only serve one family in a slow week.  So, to see the volume of deceased human beings in this facility was “eye-opening” to me.

This consolidator, as it appeared to me, was also serving “one family at a time”.  The only difference with my funeral business was I, on average served about one family at a time per day. . . . .and this company, through this facility, was serving one family at a time every 75 minutes.

They were, however, and as far as I could see doing it like I did — with dignity and respect and, most importantly,  the way the family had asked for it to be done.

It made me realize that the way families are choosing and going-thru the Death Care operation and cycle today is very different than from when I first started.

It also made me think — will we become like New Zealand where it seems that some consumers would prefer to be “slightly distant” and not interact with funeral directors?

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

The number of funeral homes in the US in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s was often quoted as 22,000, similar to the number of furniture stores at that time. Today, furniture stores exceed 67,000; in contrast the number of funeral homes has remained nearly the same as in the 1970’s.

The demand for furniture has grown with the increasing number of households, which is a factor of the population growth.  If the population has grown to support 67,000 furniture stores, why has the number of funeral homes remained the same?  Cremation has stifled the demand for funeral homes. A large funeral business in the 1970’s and 80’s did 300 to 400 cases, operated from one, maybe two locations.  The great majority of firms did close to 100 calls from a single facility, with the family living upstairs and working in the business. The “family car” was literally, the family car.  The funeral business was an excellent family business with superior profits and with minimal operating cost.

Today’s article for Funeral Director Daily is authored by Glenn Gould.  For 35 years, Glenn Gould was CEO of MKJ Marketing, a death care industry marketing firm serving funeral homes, cemeteries and death care industry vendors in areas of Digital Marketing, Market Research, Advertising and Training Programs.  MKJ was founded in 1982 and had over 3000 funeral home clients throughout the US and Canada. In 2021 MKJ was acquired by Tribute Technology, a Carlyle technology roll-up; Glenn has continued with TT as a marketing consultant.

Glenn Gould

Obviously, those days will never return; instead, the number of businesses conducting 1,000 or more cremations will likely quadruple over the next decade or two.  Just like in the old days, the secret to a successful death care business is a matter of keeping the cost of operation low.  Cremation businesses, operating from a single facility, with their own crematory, a minimal number of licensed staff can generate superior profits charging $2500 for direct disposal.

The funeral business operator in the 1970’s understood the families in the community and endeavored to meet their expectations. So do contemporary cremation businesses. The consumer is telling us they will not pay a lot for death care services.

Cremation was relatively rare in the 1960’s and 70’s. Today, demand for burial and mausoleum is relatively rare. And just as the consumer in the past sought out the businesses best prepared to serve them, burial families today seek out combinations as do consumers preferring mausoleum. All of this explains why the corporations are realizing growing sales year over year on fewer cases.  SCI and Carriage both attribute their sales increases to their cemetery business and “non-funeral home” direct disposal businesses.

With burial and mausoleum business migrating to combinations, the cremation rates continue to increase at independent funeral businesses. Taking a lesson from the funeral homes in the past and present cremation businesses, the key for independents is to reduce their operating costs, but how?

Reducing the cost of operating an independent firm demands radical change.  All of this suggests there are not too few funeral homes, but too many. It also challenges acquisition; acquiring another funeral home in a market could very well create too much overhead without increasing volume enough to generate a profit. Maybe, instead of acquisition, we should be exploring mergers.  Merging businesses while selling excess facilities can create stronger, sustainable businesses while alleviating the staffing challenge.  In markets with many, small volume funeral businesses, owners could join forces to create a larger business that could attract a consolidator to acquire or at least generate a reasonable profit while giving the owners flexibility and time off.

More about Glenn Gould:

As CEO of MKJ Marketing, Glenn assisted funeral homes and death care industry vendors in establishing marketing and advertising plans.  He is recognized for his market research services having conducted over 800 positioning and prospective trade area studies throughout the US and Canada.  In addition to quantitative research studies for funeral homes and cemeteries, Glenn moderated one-on-one interviews, focus groups and test panels.

In addition to MKJ Marketing, Glenn held executive positions with Bausch & Lomb, General Mills and the Batesville Casket Division of Hillenbrand Industries.  He is a recognized speaker at industry conferences, seminars and conventions.  His articles appear regularly in funeral service publications. His two books  “Deathcare Marketing, 25 FAQ’s” and “Funeral Home Marketing-Moving The Bottom Line” have sold thousands of copies and are in use at mortuary colleges nationally.

Glenn has testified as an expert witness in multiple civil suits between funeral homes, served on the Board of Directors of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and instructed the Small Business Class for the St. Petersburg College, School of Mortuary Sciences.  Glenn holds B.A. and M.S. degrees.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  I’ve been fortunate to get to know Glenn Gould through an annual Death Care event that we have both attended for several years.  I’ve learned in that time that Glenn has a wealth of information and knowledge in many sectors of the Death Care profession.  It’s always interesting to hear his perspectives and I am excited to bring those perspectives to the readers of Funeral Director Daily from time to time.

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

It’s not your father’s Death Care world anymore.  Because if you are currently involved in the Death Care business it seems like everyday something new happens that we haven’t thought about before. . . .  and hadn’t happened in the past.

Recently this story broke about what happened on South Korea’s Jeju Island.  Jeju Island, as you can see here, is a small island off of the southern tip of South Korea.

It turns out that Jeju Island, which South Korea operates as a visa-waivered location to bolster tourism, recently was the site of a temple being broken into by tourists and selected cremated remains from a columbarium in the temple were stolen.  Some time later families of the deceased remains were notified of a ransom by the alleged thieves.  The ransom demanded $2 million in order to have the remains returned.

According to the above article “following a three-day search involving around 40 officers, police located and returned the urns to the families, Jeju police confirmed.”

Again according to the article, surveillance cameras in the temple captured the theft.  It is suggested that the thieves have been able to get off the island without being captured and South Korean authorities have asked Interpol for their help in apprehending the suspects.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  Every day that I continue to look for articles on the world of Death Care it just seems to get stranger.  There’s plenty of articles about the theft of bronze flower vases from cemeteries and even some articles about watches and jewelry being stolen from casketed bodies at visitations.

It’s just a world that I’ve never thought about.  However, it reminds all of us that as funeral home owners/operators and as cemetery owner/operators we more than likely have some duty of care to do what we can do to limit loss of another’s property via theft..

It’s something that we should not have to think about, but in today’s world we do. . . . and, that’s a sad commentary to go into a weekend with.

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

There are several types of Rochester, NY cremation services
residents can select from. When choosing one for a loved one, you should take these factors into consideration. If you are aware of the different cremation options available to you, you will be able to make a more informed decision about the type of service that will best suit your loved one and your family. There are many types of cremation, but here are the basics.

What Is Green Cremation?

There are several environmentally friendly cremation alternatives, including bio-cremation, aqua-cremation, and even resomation. Potassium hydroxide and water are used to reduce the corpse to bone ash.

What is the Difference Between Bio-Cremation and Traditional Cremation?

Traditional Cremation

A traditional cremation can preserve the deceased’s remains and be used as an urn or buried in an urn because intense heat and flame reduce the deceased’s remains to bone fragments.

The cremation process is unique to each individual

If the deceased had a pacemaker, it will be removed before the transfer to the crematorium.

The cremation process begins after the crematorium’s container is lowered into it

A temperature range between 1400°F and 1800°F is experienced

This extreme temperature renders any noncombustible material (gold, jewelry, prosthetics, etc.) impossible to consume, including bone fragments.

There is usually a 12- to 3-hour gap between cremations

Upon cooling, cremated remains are swept or raked out of a cremation chamber

In addition to the bone fragments, ashes (also known as cremated remains or remains of a deceased person) are created by further processing the fragments into uniform particles.

In crematoria, temporary urns are provided to families or one can be selected for use after cremation.

Bio-Cremation

The remains of a deceased person are reduced to bone fragments by oxidizing them with alkali and water. The deceased is placed inside stainless steel cremation chambers under pressure while they are under pressure. In a solution of 95 percent water and 5 percent alkali, the temperature reaches 302°F.

In a sterile solution, bone fragments are gently re-circulated in water, alkali, and heat. In a sterile solution, bone fragments are gently re-circulated in water, alkali, and heat. In a sterile solution, bone fragments are gently re-circulated in water, alkali, and heat.

The family selects the urn
or chooses a temporary urn once the cremated remains have been placed in the urn.

The End Result of Bio-Cremation

Cremation with flames, bio-cremation, or burial is all effective methods of disposition. In order for a transition to take place, it requires stimuli. All that differs is the passage of time. Decide what type of cremation is most appropriate for you and your family.

Rochester, NY cremation services
can be performed in several ways. Consider all your options when deciding what is best for your family. Various cremation forms suit different families better than others since they come in a variety of options. Whenever you need assistance with your plans, we are here to help. Cremation or funeral planning
can be overwhelming because there is so much to consider. We will take care of everything for you.