For the past three days Funeral Director Daily has ran feature articles that deal with the major public companies in our profession — Matthews International, Service Corporation International, and Carriage Services.  While lots of attention goes to those big companies I continually remind myself that “Death Care” is a local and home-grown business.

If a firm was not doing well in their own backyard taking care of the owners friends and neighbors and doing so in a profitable fashion, there would be no reason for a consolidator to purchase that entity nor would a supplier be interested in selling supplies to a dwindling market.  So, it is always good to plant our feet and remember. . .. all death care business is truly local.

With that said, and after three articles on public companies, today is time to tell of some local firms growing in their own localities.  This article from the Time-Post of Pendleton, Indiana, tells of the Bozell family of Lapel, Indiana, announcing it has acquired three additional facilities.

In the article, funeral director and CEO Todd Bozell makes the comment that “We want to continue the tradition of both family and local ownership while making every effort to keep funeral costs within budget for the families that we love and serve each and every day.”

Here is the website for the Bozell Funeral Homes

Funeral service is local across the Atlantic Ocean also.  We bring you this article from Business News Wales that tells of the Coles Funeral Home opening a chapel in the Whitchurch community.  From the company website, which you can access here, it appears to be the Cole family’s 4th chapel.

And, in staying with today’s theme that “Death Care businesses are truly local”, here’s what Managing Director Gareth Coles said of the new venture, “We are excited to become part of the vibrant Whitchurch community.  Just as we have built strong relationships in and around our other funeral homes, we look forward to establishing trust and providing compassionate care to families in Whitchurch.”

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  I found it somewhat imperative that this article went in Funeral Director Daily today after three days of articles about public companies in our profession.  From my point of view, we are all interested in the public companies, like to see what is happening with them, and try to learn from what they are doing  —  that goes for both “following examples from them”, and at times, “avoiding examples from them”.

As a 4th generation funeral director and funeral home owner, however, there is nothing like having the responsibility to take care of the families in your own community and holding your head high while doing so.  That is truly the service we were called for.

Finally, that is not to say that being profitable businesses is bad in your community.  The funeral homes cited today are great examples of taking care of their communities while building growing businesses of their own. . . . . . Who said you couldn’t have it all???

More news from the world of Death Care:

• What is water cremation, and how is it better for the environment.  News video story and print article.  WPTV – Channel 5 – West Palm Beach (FL)
• Australia’s first all-natural burial cemetery, Walawaani Way in Bodalla, aims to reforest disused farm land.  ABC News (Australia)
• Going out in a blaze?:  Why Floridians are ditching burials for cremation.  GulfLive.com  (FL)

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