Carriage Services Acquires Rich & Thompson Funeral Services in North Carolina
HOUSTON, Nov. 15, 2016 Carriage Services, Inc. (NYSE: CSV) is pleased to announce that we have partnered with Rich & Thompson Funeral Services in the Strategic Market of Raleigh/Durham/Greensboro in North Carolina. Dating back to 1913, the Rich & Thompson name has been a prominent name in funeral service in both Burlington, NC and Graham, NC. At their current locations of Burlington, NC since 1935 and Graham, NC since 1957, the two businesses serve over 550 client families annually and have been under the leadership of S. Lloyd Carter and James “Jim” Guthrie since 1973.
Mel Payne, Chairman and CEO of Carriage, stated, “The partnership with Rich & Thompson Funeral Services expands our presence in the Strategic Market of Raleigh/Durham/Greensboro as we continue to add Being The Best funeral service brand names in the state of North Carolina to our Carriage family of elite businesses. We are honored to provide a succession planning solution for Lloyd and Jim that will combine their unparalleled service and reputation with our support functions for continued growth of the business. We look forward to supporting Herbert “Chip” Rhodes, Scott Rhodes, and Roy Glasgow as they assume daily leadership responsibilities and jointly we are committed to continuing the culture instilled by Jim and Lloyd of consistently providing high value personal services to their client families and communities.”
Jim Guthrie and Lloyd Carter said, “In searching for a partner, we had two requirements. First, the business had to continue to operate in the ‘Rich and Thompson’ way. Second, the ‘family’ atmosphere must be maintained while serving our families with the utmost integrity and pride. With Carriage we have found the ideal partner. We can continue to serve our community with the same quality and compassion that has been upheld since our founding.”
Carriage Services is a leading provider of funeral and cemetery services and merchandise in the United States. Carriage currently operates 170 funeral homes in 28 states and 32 cemeteries in 11 states.
