Business
I was reminded that Veteran’s Day 2019 is fast approaching as it is November 11. It is a day set aside to thank our nation’s veterans for service given and sacrifices made to protect the freedoms of our great nation. I recently came upon an article on how the Drennan & Ford Funeral Home in…
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a column for Funeral Director Daily entitled, “How will we transform”? The article was based on the fact that Hillenbrand Industries, parent company of Batesville Casket Company, knows that its casket business will not be its bread and butter forever, and is transforming itself over time to a…
Today we will bring you a couple of stories we recently saw in the news pertaining to some things that are happening with a couple of 2nd generation New York state family funeral home operators. The first story deals with 27-year old Ryan Frary and his purchase of the Stuart-Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Tupper Lake,…
Over the weekend I noticed two newspaper articles from small town newspapers that involved two separate funeral homes of different size and history. However, in reading the articles and doing a little research by going to the websites of the companies, I noticed something in common. What I noticed in common, quite frankly, has to…
The article begins, “Cremation and ground burial both have carbon footprints that have some people looking for other options for the afterlife.” That sentence pulled me in but what I went on to watch and read in this video and news story from Chemical & Engineering News pertaining to the “new” death care economy that…
Many of you know that I live in west central Minnesota in a small community virtually equidistant between Minneapolis and Fargo, North Dakota. Our area, over the years has had some powerful and destructive tornadoes, but they are quick and generally affect only a small destructive path. If you happen to be in that 2-5…
This article from the Salt Lake Tribune brings up the subject that indigent deaths paid for by the county has been increasing quite drastically in the past year. The article points out the over 20% increase in year over year numbers has happened fast. . . going from about four deaths per week earlier this…
I read and then viewed this news story from KPLC-TV of Lake Charles, Louisiana and thought to myself, “Wow they did a pretty fair job of telling of the plight of paying for a funeral when no planning has been done.” You see, a lot of people like to blame the unexpected expenses of a…
We recently came across this article from the Manchester Ink Link which informed the public that the Phaneuf Family Foundation had been set up with a tripartite mission for the benefit of individuals and families of New Hampshire and Vermont. The foundation will be led by Arthur O. “Buddy” Phaneuf, President of Phaneuf Funeral Homes…
The other day Funeral Director Daily published an article on the transformation of Hillenbrand Industries. We explained that while the trajectory has not been perfect and steady – as a matter of fact it has sometimes been downright rocky – they have now transformed their business and business model so that their founding business, caskets,…
