Private Label Caskets Winding Down Operations Citing Tariffs and Volatility

In light of President Trump’s March 2025 tariffs on aluminum and steel and other economic concerns, Private Label Caskets has decided to cease operations as of December 31, 2025 after more than 17 years in business.

On October 20, 2025, Private Label customers received a memo explaining the decision. Citing “recent global economic volatility and newly imposed tariffs — especially those impacting imported steel, wood, and caskets,” the memo explains that “these conditions make it increasingly difficult to guarantee affordable, stable pricing and dependable supply.”

The memo, which is also posted to the company’s website, was accompanied by a “tariff free pricing” inventory list. Customers were encouraged to order a “larger supply” of the remaining inventory, adding that they will be supported by the company until this inventory is depleted.

A thoughtful, if difficult, decision

Monday’s memo, coupled with a July 2025 press release by Private Label Caskets, show that this decision was not made lightly or quickly. Although the company stated in July that they were “weathering the tariff rollercoaster after a record-setting 29% growth in 2024,” Private Label representatives were quite transparent in explaining the impact of tariffs over the past eight years.

Carlos Figueroa, of Private Label’s parent company Buchanan Group, stated in the July release that tariffs were first instituted in 2017 and have “multiplied” through the years, reaching up to 135% at one time. Figueroa added that the “big tariff shock hit” the company in May, leading Private Label to add a 30% surcharge to cover tariffs — only the third time in the company’s history that prices were raised. 

Even then, Private Label and Buchanan Group owner Bruce W. Buchanan openly explained that he understood the intended goal of tariffs, but hoped that caskets could be exempt.

“I appreciate what the president is trying to accomplish by levying tariffs,” said Buchanan in July. “There are key manufacturing sectors that should come back to the U.S., but I don’t believe that caskets are one of those. Funeral homes already operate at thin margins; we need whatever help we can get with the cost of products.”

Looking forward

Before reaching the conclusion to cease operations, Private Label explored other alternatives, including “nearshoring and U.S. sourcing” according to the memo, but determined that winding down was the “best path” for the company and its customers — and, ultimately, for the families they serve. 

The December wind-down may be a case of one door closing, but another opening, as Private Label leaders are actively seeking a “relationship with a domestic manufacturer.” 

This spring, multiple media outlets predicted the potential impact of Trump’s tariffs on funeral costs, shortly after the 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum was announced on March 12. 

3 Practical Ways Funeral Directors Can Use AI in Daily Operations Today

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t some far-off, futuristic tool. It’s here now, and it has the power to meaningfully transform how funeral professionals operate. From streamlining workflows to enhancing family experiences, AI is becoming an indispensable asset in modern death care. In this article, we’ll explore three practical and accessible ways that funeral directors can start using AI today to save time, reduce stress, and offer better service to families.

At Parting Stone, we’re focused on innovation in death care, always looking toward the future. We’re proactively researching how to integrate AI into our operations and the broader funeral space in ways that increase efficiency and elevate the family experience, while preserving the irreplaceable human connection that’s essential in times of grief.

1. Record Family Meetings with AI-Powered Tools Like Granola

One of the most stressful parts of funeral work is trying to remember every detail shared in an arrangement meeting. Did the family say they wanted the service at 9 am or 10 am? Was that aunt’s name spelled with an “ie” or a “y”? Did they want cremated remains or solidified remains? These details can make or break a family’s death planning experience—and getting them wrong can damage trust.

Granola is a software solution that allows funeral homes to record meetings with the approval of the family and automatically generate searchable transcripts from your smartphone device. The audio is recorded passively and non-invasively from an app and uploaded to its platform, where AI creates accurate transcripts of the conversation. The most remarkable feature of this application is the ability to search all past conversations with questions like “how many thumb print pendants did the family want?” (Note: Granola is not a HIPAA-compliant application)

Key features:

• Searchable transcripts: Quickly find answers to specific questions like, “Did they ask for rose arrangements?”
• Family sharing: If the family also uses Granola, you can securely send them a link to the transcript so they can search for and revisit important conversations with you.
• Archiving: Keep a complete, organized archive of all arrangements and family meetings for reference, compliance, or internal training.

Why it matters:

• Accuracy: Eliminates human error in note-taking.
• Efficiency: Reduces the need to follow up with families about forgotten details.
• Transparency: Builds trust by giving families complete access to what was discussed.

Granola can also be used during preneed conversations, team meetings, and follow-ups, turning every verbal conversation into a valuable, searchable asset for the entire team.

Download Granola here. 

2. Use AI Tools Like ChatGPT to Write Obituaries Faster and Better

Writing obituaries is one of the most emotionally nuanced and time-sensitive tasks that funeral directors face. Each life deserves to be remembered with care and dignity, but often, the pressure of tight deadlines and the emotional toll on families can make the writing process difficult. Enter ChatGPT.

ChatGPT is a free large language model (LLM) developed by OpenAI that can generate human-like text based on a short prompt. By feeding it a few key details about the deceased—such as their name, date of birth, date of death, notable life events, personality traits, and names of surviving family members—you can quickly generate a high-quality obituary draft.

Example:

Let’s say a family tells you:

• John Smith was a volunteer firefighter who loved fishing and coaching little league.
• He lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico and worked at Parting Stone.
• He is survived by his wife, three children, and six grandchildren.

With this input, ChatGPT can generate a paragraph like:

“John Smith, 72, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. John devoted his professional life to meaningful work at Parting Stone, where he helped transform the way families remember and honor their loved ones. His calm presence, steady leadership, and deep compassion made him a beloved colleague and friend to many.

Outside of work, John was a committed volunteer firefighter, always ready to lend a hand in times of need. He was passionate about giving back to his community and never hesitated to put others before himself.

John also found immense joy in life’s quiet moments—fishing at sunrise, cheering from the dugout as a little league coach, and telling stories around the dinner table. His humor, warmth, and unwavering kindness left a lasting mark on everyone who knew him.

He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, his three children, and six grandchildren, all of whom he cherished deeply.

A private ceremony will be held by the family to honor John’s life. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to honor John’s memory by spending time outdoors, volunteering in your community, or simply sharing a heartfelt story—just as he so often did.”

Why it matters:

• Saves time: Especially when you’re juggling multiple services.
• Consistency: Ensures all obituaries maintain a high standard.
• Flexibility: You can ask ChatGPT to write in different tones (formal, poetic, humorous) or lengths (short bio for programs, full obituary for newspapers).

Bonus: If you’re already using Granola to record family arrangement meetings, you can use the transcript to automatically generate a detailed prompt for ChatCPT. This allows the obituary to reflect the exact stories, sentiments, and values the family expressed—making the end result feel deeply personal and authentic, with minimal extra work.

Sign up for ChatGPT here. 

3. Create Memorial Websites in Minutes with Lovable

Families increasingly expect beautiful, digital memorials that reflect the full scope of a person’s life. But creating these pages can be time-consuming and technically challenging for funeral homes.

Lovable is an AI-powered website builder that can generate full memorial pages using just a few prompts or recorded stories. By combining data from family meetings (which you might already be recording with Granola), Lovable can create a tasteful, customized celebration-of-life website in minutes.

This AI application is more sophisticated, but the technology is quickly becoming accessible to anyone, including those with minimal technical experience.

What you get:

• Photos and video galleries
• Obituary and life stories
• Service information

You can communicate the vibe, design, colors, fonts, and media or give Lovable discretion to choose the design as it sees fit. AI fills in the content based on prompts. You can also deploy each site on a custom domain, such as johnsmithmemorial.com, offering families a unique and meaningful way to share and remember their loved one (this requires slightly more advanced knowledge).

Bonus: If you’re already using Granola to record family arrangement meetings and you have already used Chat GPT to generate an obituary, you can use these assets to automatically generate a detailed prompt for Lovable. Prompt ChatGPT to “Create a detailed prompt for Loavable to develop a modern memorial page to reflect the life of the deceased using the following granola transcript and obituary.” 

Why it matters:

• Modern experience: Aligns with how people celebrate life today.
• Speed: Sites can be ready the same day as the arrangement meeting.
• Emotional value: Helps families stay connected, especially if they’re geographically dispersed.

You can even offer this as a premium add-on or include it in a higher service tier.

Sign up for Lovable here. 

See Parting Stone’s new webpage designed using Lovable here.

Final Thoughts: AI Is Here to Help, Not Replace

AI tools like ChatGPT, Granola, and Lovable aren’t designed to replace the human touch—they’re built to amplify your professionalism, compassion, and efficiency. By freeing up time from administrative tasks, you can spend more time focusing on what matters most: serving families with care.

These three tools represent just the beginning of what’s possible. Funeral homes that adopt AI thoughtfully will gain a competitive edge, deliver more value to families, and future-proof their operations in an evolving industry.

Interested in working with a future-focused company to offer solidified remains to your families? Submit a retailer application to Parting Stone here.

P.S. We built our retailer application page using Lovable, the same AI-powered website builder mentioned above. The process was incredibly fast and intuitive—just a few prompts and the site was live. It’s a great example of how funeral professionals can use simple AI tools not only for families but also to streamline internal operations and grow their business.

Mercy University and the Pierce Colleges of Funeral Service Sign Articulation Agreement for Operations Management Degree

This agreement enables Mercy University to offer Pierce Colleges graduates a unique  pathway to business management.    

Dobbs Ferry, New York – Today, Mercy University announced it has signed an articulation agreement with the Pierce Colleges of Funeral Service to offer a new pathway in its business program in Operations Management that aims to provide funeral service students and professionals with the skills necessary to effectively manage a funeral home or establish their own business. Through this first-of-its-kind pathway, current students and graduates with an associate’s degree in Mortuary Science can now earn a bachelor’s degree in business management in as little as 12 to 18 months. Enrolled students can earn their associate’s and bachelor’s degree concurrently or continue on to the bachelors program after graduating from the Pierce Colleges.

To learn more about Mercy’s Organizational Management: Funeral Home Management      pathway and how to apply, go to https://www.mercy.edu/academics/school-business/organizational-management-funeral-home-management.

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About Mercy University

Mercy University is an independent, coeducational institution serving more than 9,000 students each year across campuses in Westchester, the Bronx, and Manhattan, as well as online. It is a federally designated minority-serving institution and the largest private Hispanic Serving Institution in the state of New York. Mercy offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and certificate programs within six schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts, Nursing and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The institution also provides non-credit courses and certificates for adult learners looking to acquire new skills through CERTiFi by Mercy University. Founded in 1950 by the Sisters of Mercy, the mission of transformative education remains strong. For more information, visit www.mercy.edu.

About Pierce Colleges of Funeral Service

Pierce Mortuary Colleges have provided outstanding education to students pursuing a career in funeral science for over 54 years. Their schools are accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education, an agency recognized by the United States Department      of Education. Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service, and Mid-America College of Funeral Service are single purpose institutions offering the Associate’s Degree in Funeral Service.  For more information, visit www.pierce.edu.

About Vector Dimensions LLC

Vector Dimensions LLC (Vector D) was formed by experienced higher education administrators and faculty consisting of a fourth-generation licensed funeral director, the grandson of a funeral director, and a business and economics professor associated with New York and Long Island universities. Formed by Brian Kasler, it seeks to provide educational pathways and instruction, and bring innovative technologies, to the fields of funeral service and mortuary science, through innovation in education and instructional course design.