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Illinois Steps Up for Indigent Funerals

By Funeral Director Daily / July 31, 2017 /

If you follow the news and know what is happening with the budgets of Chicago and the State of Illinois recent news from the Chicago Daily Herald is somewhat surprising.  For the first time in years, Illinois lawmakers have made money available for funeral homes who handle the poor and indigent. According to the article,…

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Matthews International Posts Solid Quarter

By Funeral Director Daily / July 28, 2017 /

Worldwide conglomerate Matthews International posted expected in-line earnings of $1.05/share as compared to $0.97/share for the same quarter a year ago.  Quarterly revenues were $389.6 million as compared to $382.1 million last year and quarterly profits were $29.5 million as compared to $23.9 million.  You can see their Press Release here. Management reflected that higher…

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FDD Reflections on 2Q Earnings of SCI and Carriage Services

By Funeral Director Daily / July 28, 2017 /

It’s always interesting to look at the earnings reports of the Death Care industry’s public companies and try to not only glean how those companies are doing, but, what does this mean for my independent funeral home.  I think, as I’ve read the reports  Wednesday night and into Thursday, this quarter is no exception in…

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Carriage Services, SCI Report Earnings Yesterday

By Funeral Director Daily / July 27, 2017 /

On Thursday, July 26, funeral home consolidators Carriage Services and Service Corporation International both reported 2nd Quarter earnings. Carriage Services came in at a diluted per share income of $0.30 when they had estimated an income of $0.40 per share.  Their stock lost 1.16% to close at $26.49 for the day on the news.  You…

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Making Your Mark in the Community

By Funeral Director Daily / July 27, 2017 /

I had never heard of Philadelphia funeral director Patricia Quinn until this morning.  However, in my morning search for articles that would be of interest to subscribers of Funeral Director Daily I came across People Magazines People.com story on her. It turns out that Ms. Quinn is a Philadelphia area based funeral director who back…

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Assurant Trades at All-Time High

By Funeral Director Daily / July 26, 2017 /

Global pre-need provider, Assurant, traded at a yearly high yesterday of $106 per share.  You can read about it here. Today also tips off earnings week releases of most companies in the Death Care Index (DCI).  Carriage Services and SCI will report after market close today followed by Matthews International tomorrow.  Assurant and Hillenbrand Industries…

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Learning from Down Under

By Funeral Director Daily / July 26, 2017 /

An article entitled, “This is Australia’s Most Expensive City to Die in” caught my eye.  However, in reading the article which was published in Australia’s Startsat60.com the main point about the difference in city’s costs was not what intrigued me. The article points out that in Australia an average funeral with burial would cost about…

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France Lifts HIV Embalming Ban

By Funeral Director Daily / July 25, 2017 /

Since 1986 the country of France has banned the embalming of bodies of those who have been known to host the HIV virus.  On Thursday, July 20, 2017, that ban was lifted according to an article we found in The Local, France’s English language paper. According to the article embalming is generally done on about…

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A Sign of the Times

By Funeral Director Daily / July 24, 2017 /

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…

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Canada Town Rejects Muslim Cemetery

By Funeral Director Daily / July 21, 2017 /

I guess it is a sign of the times that we live in.  Last Sunday the community of Saint-Apollinaire, Quebec – a small community of about 5000 residents just outside of Quebec City – defeated a referendum that would have allowed a minor zoning change in order to open up the possibility of a Muslim…

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