Fifty years ago services were almost all traditional casketed funerals with earth burials.  Then, for the next 50 years cremation choice by the consumer started building until we now have an approximate 60% cremation rate of disposition across the United States.

So, what is next?  Consumers have started adding eco-friendly options to their choice of disposition.  There are “green funerals”, natural organic reduction, and alkaline hydrolysis to choose from now.  I think we are beginning to enter the days of the “niche disposition”.

By that, even while flame cremation continues to grow percentage wise, I think that each of those eco-friendly options will also grow and at some point in time flame cremation will reach its percentage plateau and all other forms of disposition will continue to grow percentage wise, knocking some percentage off of the flame-cremation lead. . . . . When that happens, we will truly be in a “niche” disposition line of business.

The question then becomes. . . . “How will your funeral home service the different disposition methods available?”  Will you make the investment necessary to provide for an alkaline hydrolysis system and natural organic reduction system in your current business? . . . . Or, might you look to partner with others who have those dispositions already in place?

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

I recently saw this press release and investigated further to learn that Van Orsdel Funeral & Cremation Services located in southeast Florida has partnered with Florida’s Gentle Water Cremation of West Palm Beach to offer alkaline hydroysis services to clientele who may prefer that disposition method.

From my point of view, it is one way a funeral home can enter this “niche” disposition business without the investment in their own facility.  It’s not unlike the early days of flame cremation where many smaller funeral homes used trade cremation businesses until their own numbers were high enough to justifiy an investment in their own cremation equipment.

And, by directly advertising that your firm can accommodate those who wish alkaline hydrolysis or “water cremation” before others do so, you are potentially building up your expertise in the “niche” faster than your competitors.  Again, in my way of thinking, it is a great way to gauge the market and get a jump on the competition for this form of disposition without adding an alkaline hydrolysis equipment investment at the present time.

Especially with what I expect to be growing trends in alkaline hydrolysis and natural organic reduction, now might be the best time to put a plan in place on how your firm will handle these services for clientele who prefer them.

Here is the website of Van Orsdel Funerals and Cremation Services

Here is the website of Gentle Waters Cremation (Alkaline hydrolysis)

More news from the world of Death Care:

• Funeral business’ slow but inevitable march attracts investors to these stocks.  Stamford Advocate (CT)
• Local funeral director receives national and state recognition.  KIMA – CBS News (WA)
• This Tennessee mortician finds healing in talking to the dead.  Here’s why.  The Tennessean (TN)

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