Funeral Director Daily

The Reuters Series – Part 2

By Funeral Director Daily / October 30, 2017 /

Today we will bring you some excerpts from the second part in Reuters five-part series entitled “The Body Trade:  Cashing in on the Donated Dead”.  As we mentioned in our last article on the subject this is an explosive series that found, what they believe, to be a lot of problems with the business of…

SCI Reports 3rd Quarter Earnings

By Funeral Director Daily / October 27, 2017 /

Service Corporation International announced their 3Q 2017 results on October 25.  The company, based in Houston, Texas – much like Carriage Services – announced that the results were somewhat skewed by the hurricanes that happened during the quarter and affected some of their locations in Texas and Florida.  In SCI’s case, they announced in their…

Carriage Services Announces 3rd Quarter Results

By Funeral Director Daily / October 26, 2017 /

Following the close of business yesterday Carriage Services announced their 3rd quarter results.  After a short note that two of their large market areas, Florida and Texas, were affected greatly by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey – which they contend more than likely affected results. Here are some of the notes from the report, which can…

The Reuters Series – “The Body Trade”

By Funeral Director Daily / October 25, 2017 /

Many of you in the death care industry were probably sideswiped yesterday when  Reuters first part in its investigative series on what it terms “The Body Trade” was released.  This expose – which Reuters tell us will be a five-part series – will tell of the underworld nature of what happens, in some instances, with bodies…

Avoiding Temptations in Business

By Funeral Director Daily / October 24, 2017 /

Probably over 20 years ago I read the book, Swim with the Sharks, by Harvey Mackay.  I thought it was a great read with a lot of common sense that I have used over the last 20 years in my business career.  It was also interesting to me because Mackay was a local guy who…

Alkaline Hydrolysis Hits the New York Times

By Funeral Director Daily / October 23, 2017 /

The New York Times, for all the flack it gets for its political stances, is still a newspaper that reports on what is happening in America.  When trends are mentioned in the New York Times, they tend to not stay trends much longer – and in many instances morph into the fabric of what is…

Assurant Agrees to Buy The Warranty Group

By Funeral Director Daily / October 20, 2017 /

Assurant, a global leader in insurance coverage, covering things as diverse as appliances, autos, mobile devices, electronics, and funeral plans announced today that it will acquire The Warranty Group, a portfolio company of TPG Capital and restructure into a new organization still know as Assurant.  Assurant plans to spend about $2.5 billion in cash, stock,…

Wreaths Across America Volunteers Needed

By Funeral Director Daily / October 19, 2017 /

Thousands of volunteers are needed on Saturday, December 16, 2017, at Arlington National Cemetery by the non-profit Wreaths Across America to lay wreaths and remember the lives of those that have served.  You can learn how you can participate by clicking here. Wreaths Across America is now in its 26th year and coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies…

A Day of Continuing Ed — What I Learned

By Funeral Director Daily / October 18, 2017 /

Yesterday I was active in our Minnesota Funeral Director’s Association (MFDA) Fall Continuing Education meetings.  The MFDA puts these on over about 10 days in the fall in different locations in an effort to tell all death care professionals what is going on in the industry.  It is always a great source to go to,…

372 Anonymous Dead Re-buried

By Funeral Director Daily / October 17, 2017 /

Last Wednesday the partial bones of at least 372 people were reburied in Amherst, New York at the Assumption Cemetery according to a  news release from the University of Buffalo. The process that lead to this was first started in 2008 when the University of Buffalo began some construction on their south campus.  It was…