Alleghany Capital completes Wilbert acquisition

Alleghany Capital Corporation of New York City, New York, announced on April 1, in a release you can read here from Yahoo finance, that it had completed its acquisition of the majority of stock of Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. of Overland Park, Kansas.

Wilbert, a name synonymous with the death care industry since its start in 1880, operates through company owned locations and a network of nearly 200 licensees that manufacture and distribute Wilbert branded products throughout the United States and Canada.  According to the press release, Alleghany Capital has owned a 45% stake in Wilbert since 2017.

Dave Van Geysel, President and CEO of Alleghany commented,  ” . . . .Wilbert has a solid business model with numerous growth opportunities and Alleghany Capital looks forward to assisting the company, its employees, and its licensees as they continue to build on Wilbert’s long and impressive history. Since its founding in 1880, Wilbert has persevered through periods of macro-economic uncertainty and we are committed to working with the Wilbert team to successfully navigate the current environment.”

Dennis Welzenbach, President and CEO of Wilbert also commented, ” . . . . .Alleghany Capital has added another exceptional brand to its family of companies and we are confident that we have made the right decision for the future of Wilbert and the licensee network. We believe that with the ongoing efforts of the Wilbert team and the support of Alleghany Capital, the company and the licensee network will both continue to be in good hands.”

Finally, a comment was made by Rob Hulick, a Principal of Alleghany Capital, “”Consistent with Alleghany Capital’s operating model, Wilbert’s day-to-day operations will not change following the closing of the transaction. We believe the company is well-positioned for long-term success and we look forward to providing patient capital and resources to help Wilbert execute its organic growth plans and add-on acquisition strategy in the years to come.”

Here is the website of Alleghany Capital Corporation.

Here is the website of Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc.

Death Care in the News:

Awful and Beautiful:  Saying goodbye to coronavirus victims without a funeral.  NBC News.

A Lifelike Death:  How the death of President Lincoln started the funeral industry.  Milwaukee Independent

Surreal:  NY funeral homes struggle as deaths surge.  Associated Press and Prove Daily Herald

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1 Comment

  1. Joe Buysse on April 7, 2020 at 3:45 am

    This could have big ramifications (both good and bad) down the road for funeral service since Wilburt has their hands in so many different aspects within our industry. With the stock market in its current state who knows what the new owners will do with the company.



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