Funeral Director Daily

Trends, transformations, private equity, and consumer choices — We’ve had it all in the past 30 days

By Funeral Director Daily / May 19, 2025 /

  The middle of the month has crept up on us again. . . and in Minnesota we are finally getting around to golf season.  On about the 15th of each month Funeral Director Daily highlights our top read articles of the past thirty days and we have some great ones for you. . ..…

The “Big, Beautiful Bill”

By Funeral Director Daily / May 19, 2025 /

    If you have not heard about “it” yet, you will soon.  The “it” in this instance is the reprise of the President Trump Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA).  The reason that you will hear about it is that without something being done during the Congressional year of 2025 the laws,…

May is Mental Health Month: Are you okay?

By Funeral Director Daily / May 16, 2025 /

  Back in the years between 2015 and 2021 I served a six-year term on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents.  I learned much from that experience over the years that I served.   For my entire life I had grown up, lived, and worked in a small community where self-reliance had been taught…

A Death Care perspective universal to three continents

By Funeral Director Daily / May 15, 2025 /

    John Adams, currently a past-President of Great Britain’s National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD), is a change agent in the Death Care space.  His advocacy for an elementary school curriculum that includes a course on “Bereavement” in Great Britain got him time to present the idea in Parliament and impress the members of…

What’s one to do?

By Funeral Director Daily / May 15, 2025 /

  Recently a lawsuit was filed in New Jersey contending a New Jersey township used discrimination in deciding against a Jewish group that planned to establish a Jewish cemetery in the community.  You can read in this article from NJ.com that the lawsuit complaint alleges “Howell Township violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons…

The transformation of Batesville

By Funeral Director Daily / May 14, 2025 /

    In mid-April I received a press release from Batesville that was titled “Batesville empowers Deathcare professionals with Industry-leading Burial, Cremation and Technology solutions at 2025 ICCFA Exhhibition.”  Since that time I’ve had this article in my mind and thought now was as good as any time to share some of my historical insights…

Matthews acquires Dodge Company

By Funeral Director Daily / May 13, 2025 /

  On May 1 of this year Matthews International announced the closing of the sale of their SGK Brand Solutions Segment in this press release.   According to this press release that was posted yesterday from Matthews International it didn’t take long to put some of those proceeds to work as they announced the acquisition…

Perfection is the enemy of progress. . . and profitability

By Funeral Director Daily / May 13, 2025 /

  I don’t know where I first heard the saying, “Perfection is the enemy of progress”, but it always sounded somewhat strange to me until I really took the time to see what the cliche meant.  To me, it says that we all want progress, but if we wait until the time is perfect to…

Are Reinforced Soil Systems the future for cemetery safety and profits?

By Funeral Director Daily / May 12, 2025 /

    Geogrid Reinforced Soil Systems (RSS) have long been used by engineers to provide for stability for retaining walls and highway roadways in North America.  Now there is a company that has turned that engineering for soil stability into products that can by used by the cemetery industry as well.   Here’s what the…

Matthews International 2nd QTR Report: Interesting times

By Funeral Director Daily / May 9, 2025 /

  Funeral Director Daily presents you the final report of our hat trick of financial reports this week.  Today we bring you the results of Matthews International’s operations for the period of January thru March 2025 which is the company’s 2nd fiscal quarter of the year.  Earlier this week we reported on the same period…