Family-owned Quinn Hearse and Limousine, headquartered in Northern Ireland recently received funding from the United Kingdom’s Innovate UK Fund, Invest Northern Ireland, and others to develop the “Coffin Pod”.  According to this article, “The Coffin Pod is a sealed glass pod which will allow funeral directors to transport coffins safely, and allow families to have open coffin wakes while observing social distancing measures.”

Here’s what Patrick Quinn, a Director of the company said in the article, “Innovation and new product development have been core to the business’s continued success. We had the idea to develop the Coffin Pod, after seeing the impact that Covid-19 was having on families being unable to properly mourn for their loved ones; and to protect funeral directors in transport to their final resting place.”

According to this source, the company received over US $60,000 in apparent grants to hasten the product to development.

Here is the web-site for Quinn Hearse and Limousine.

Funeral Director Daily take:  The great thing about doing this blog is the research that I do.  There is no doubt that I discovered a great funeral livery fleet building company with this article.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

That being said, I don’t really have a real clear picture of the “Coffin Pod” and its usage necessity from the little I have seen.  And, the little I have seen is the small picture connected with the linked article.  So, I will hold my critique until I know more about it.

I do think that this article does relate in some capacity the flow of investor money going into the death care industry/profession at this time.  I don’t know if it is the Covid situation or just the timing, but the time appears right to receive funding for implementation of new products or ideas in the death care realm at present.

I also think the flow of money for new ideas in our profession indicates that, at least to the investing world, death care, funeral services,  cremation services, and memorialization as we have known them for the past generation are expected to change.  Investors are trying to find the next big thing. . . . some may find it. . . others may miss.

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