“Death Care” when I first heard the phrase, consisted of those businesses that offered funeral services, cremations, caskets, vaults, memorial products, prep room supplies, funeral home and cemetery supplies, and cemetery services.  While world-wide in scope. it was a pretty small circle of products and services that were deemed “Death Care”.

I recently read this article from investor oriented 24/7 Wall Street that is titled “U.S. Leads $147 billion global Deathcare industry as Private Equity bets on digital disruption”.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

I get somewhat leery when I read articles from some financial sources because many times the article is slanted in trying to convince the reader to buy one stock or another.  However, I took the time to check on the author of this article, John Seetoo.  Mr. Seetoo appears to be an expert in the financial markets and writes under his own byline for various publications.  And, in reading the linked article, it appears to me to be a general article on “Death Care” companies more than any advertising or marketing material.  Although one can never be totally sure that there is no ulterior motive for the article.

I’m treating this article as one of general interest rather than one with a marketing bent to it.  And, I think it is an interesting piece of knowledge to know when you think of the expanding definition of “Death Care”.  For instance, many of the companies that Mr. Seetoo refers to in this article have nothing to do with the disposition of a human body — but are in the peripherals of that industry. . . .in effect expanding the definition of Death Care.

Part of the article deals with the public companies that we know in Death Care — Service Corporation International, Carriage Services, Matthews International, and Security National Financial Corporation.  But, in another part of the article, Mr. Seetoo hypothesizes on which companies may be the next in the “Greater Death Care” world to seek an initial public offering to go public.  In total, he describes about a dozen companies in Death Care. . . . some of which you may be aware of and some of which you may not be.

Some of those companies which you may not be familiar with include:

• PlotBox
• Freewill
• Empathy
• Remento
• Settld

Those are some of the author’s bets on companies that will grow in Death Care.  As I mentioned, none of them deals with the handling of deceased human remains.  And, in my opinion, he’s missing a lot of companies who should be right up their with those companies as companies that might be a public company in Death Care at some point in time.  Some of those companies are:

• Better Place Forests
• Sunset App
• Return Home
• Fireless Cremation
• Recompose
• Parting Stone
• Tukios

If nothing else, just naming all of those companies that will be pulling their revenue dollars out of clients who are or have dealt with a recent loss of life shows how big “Death Care” is becoming.  Just the existence of the companies makes a point that Death Care is changing, growing,  and adapting to the needs and wants of those who have suffered loss.

That change and adapting also makes note that just because what you have done to bring in revenue in “Death Care” in the past does not mean that you will continue to bring in that revenue without the services that clientele is looking for in the future.  There may need to be “Adaptation” and “Optionality” in your offerings to the public to stay on top of the game.

In any regards. . . .a good read and a good discussion starter on where “Death Care” is going.

More news from the world of Death Care:

• Funeral director on why she speaks to dead people, her hardest moment, and one thing she wishes people wouldn’t do.  Sky News (Great Britain)
• “Not what we paid for”.  Families mourn cemetery’s decline at Mount Tamalpais.  KQED Radio – National Public Radio San Francisco (CA)
• Mortons Funeral Directors surges with innovative hearse fleet, redefining traditional services.  Word on the Street – AI Invest (Great Britain)
• Should water cremation be legal in MoCo (Montgomery County)?  City council seeks public input.  Bethesda Today (MD)

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