Yesterday’s edition of the Morning Call, a newspaper covering the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania carried an article about a new crematory receiving permission to be installed by the Fullerton Wilbert Vault and Burial Company in the Lehigh Valley.  It goes on to say the the zoning board unanimously approved the installation  for a business that for four decades has provided vaults, set up chairs and tents for graveside services, and has opened and closed graves.

Owner Joseph P. Beidler was quoted as saying that adding a crematory will improve his present business.  He also mentioned that some of his traditional burial vault customers have told him that cremation is now 55% of their business volume.

There was no opposition to the installation being done in a industrial area and area funeral directors spoke in favor of the addition.  One funeral director mentioned that having more crematory options will “ensure disposition within the family’s requested time frame”.  According to that same funeral director there is “a lack of crematories in the Lehigh Valley”.

Funeral Director Daily take:  I think that this is a smart move by this wholesale supplier to funeral homes.  it is probably something that Wilbert should have promoted to their franchisees some time ago.  Wilbert is a very reputable name in the industry in my area and their involvement in something would normally be seen as a positive.

It is an interesting study in how businesses evolve.  Businesses need to know that one unique product, such as burial vaults, probably won’t keep a business going forever.  Innovation and forward thinking need to continue as disrupters come into your business product and services circle.  While we talk about “Disrupters” now, it is really nothing new.  Back at the turn of the century in 1900, breeders were trying to produce stronger horses and blacksmiths were busy producing horseshoes and then Henry Ford showed up and disrupted that industry putting those people out of business within 20 years.  And look at the ancillary businesses that Ford’s invention spawned — tire makers, road production contractors, gasoline stations and on and on.

Cremation has been a disrupter in funeral service but it is no reason, with proper planning, that it should put you out of business.  The particular Wilbert franchisee in this article is not ready to concede cremation business — they are trying to have a stake in the new trend.  They have obviously seen the NFDA’s reporting that casket (and it only follows for vaults) sales will go from 1.2 million units in 2017 to an estimated 541,200 units by 2035.  That’s a lot of vaults to lose.  They understand that they need to somehow be involved in cremation to survive.

If you are in any portion of the death care industry that deals with the consumer public it would certainly behoove you to analyze your business and consider all the ways that you could prosper from the wave of cremation that is occurring.  Can you think ahead to what ancillary businesses will be spawned?  Getting in on them could quite possibly be more profitable that your present business someday.[wpforms id=”436″ title=”true” description=”true”]