In the day of almost universal cell phone use you might find this hard to believe but, the leading paging company in America says that they still have at least 800,000 pagers in use across the United States. That’s down almost 90% since 2004 when the company reported 6.6 million pagers in use,…
The world of Death Care has once again proved pretty small. In what was supposed to be a confidential offer, Park Lawn Corporation has confirmed, according to this Yahoo Finance article, that they have recently made a buy-out proposal to Carriage Services. And, Carriage Services, in this company press release, has…
“Park Lawn (Corporation) has further expanded its strategic growth in the southeast United States” according to a quote attributed to Park Lawn CEO J. Bradley Green in this press release from earlier this week. The expansion Green it talking about is the acquisition of the Cobb Funeral Chapel and the Cobb Suncrest Memorial…
Back in mid-May Funeral Director Daily published this article entitled “Thinking of an ownership transition? Here’s some straight-forward advice on getting started”. It was an article predicated on advice from the folks at accounting and business strategy experts Clifton Larson Allen (CLA). We recently noticed another article from the people at…
For the last six months or so you would have had to be hiding in a cave not to hear all the hype in the business and technology world about “Artificial Intelligence” or “AI” as it is simply called. Just the thought of what this powerful, intuitive, creation will be able to do…
BUSINESS
Might this be a trend in small community cemetery financing?
Nobody really likes taxes. . . .But, then again, nobody wants their loved ones forgotten either. If you are in the Death Care business you know of the costs to operate cemeteries. And,…
New York’s Green-Wood Cemetery becomes more immersive
This recent article from the Smithsonian Magazine mentions that “Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery—a sprawling, hilly burial ground filled with tombstones from the 19th and 20th centuries—has long been a destination for more than the dead.…
Is there something to learn here?
I’ll admit that I’m not the most tech savvy person when it comes to knowing how the internet and artificial intelligence might benefit my funeral home. But, I’m also a business person who is…
FINANCE
Rollings Funeral Service adds Michigan funeral home to the fold
In a recent press release Rollings Funeral Service, a privately held funeral home operator based in Peachtree City, Georgia, announced a partnership with the O’Brien-Sullivan Funeral Home. Here’s part of the press release as…
Carriage Services Earnings Call: Look for an acquisition announcement . . . and back to the basics in building market share
Last week Carriage Services reported their 1st Quarter of 2026 Financial Results and also conducted their Earnings Call with stock analysts. You can read Funeral Director Daily’s article on the 1Q26 earnings here. Today,…
Matthews International Earnings Call: Memorialization business, more acquisitions such as the Dodge purchase in the works?
Funeral home and cemetery products supplier Matthews International reported their January thru March 2026 earnings on April 30. The next day company CEO Joseph Bartolacci and company CFO Daniel Stopar answered questions from stock analysts…
REGULATIONS
Might this be a trend in small community cemetery financing?
Nobody really likes taxes. . . .But, then again, nobody wants their loved ones forgotten either. If you are in the Death Care business you know of the costs to operate cemeteries. And,…
California county sees fit to restrict Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) remains
Over the last month or so we have followed a growing discontent in Fresno County, California, and specifically an area along the San Joaquin River about the process of Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) remains…
Harvard business professor: Time to pay funeral expenses of organ donors
According to this recent article authored by Alex Chan of the Harvard Business School and Kurt Sweat of The School of Public Health at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center “In the U.S.,…
CEMETERY
Might this be a trend in small community cemetery financing?
Nobody really likes taxes. . . .But, then again, nobody wants their loved ones forgotten either. If you are in the Death Care business you know of the costs to operate cemeteries. And,…
New York’s Green-Wood Cemetery becomes more immersive
This recent article from the Smithsonian Magazine mentions that “Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery—a sprawling, hilly burial ground filled with tombstones from the 19th and 20th centuries—has long been a destination for more than the dead.…
SCI Earnings Call: CEO Tom Ryan answers on Preneed and Managing
Service Corporation International reported on their 1st Quarter of 2026 about ten days ago and then followed that up with an Earnings Call with stock analysts that follow the company. As usual Funeral Director…
CREMATION
Price: Calculated by Supply and Demand
I’m not an economics major but I know that the price I can charge for my goods or services is somewhat dictated by the supply and demand of those goods and services. Is that…
Are we asking the right question?
Over my years as an active funeral director I would be called to the place of death and eventually ask the family before I left, “Are you thinking about burial or cremation?” If you’re…
Heating homes with cremation emissions: An ethical question?
Energy transfer is not a new science. Yet I was surprised when I read this recent article published in The World – Public Radio that was titled “How cremations are helping to heat…
PRENEED
SCI Earnings Call: CEO Tom Ryan answers on Preneed and Managing
Service Corporation International reported on their 1st Quarter of 2026 about ten days ago and then followed that up with an Earnings Call with stock analysts that follow the company. As usual Funeral Director…
Survey finds continued growth in the Preneed market . . but, there are cracks in the armor
Preneed continues to grow. . . .but is the growth enough? That is a great question and, among other things, we will look at the percentage growth of preneed on a “revenue per preneed…
Park Lawn situation: In Substack article, author Russo opines on the events of last week
On Monday of this week Substack, under their “On Deathcare” platform released a very well researched article by author Tony Russo titled, “Why are we still pretending Homesteaders is ‘just’ a Park Lawn investor?”…
PRODUCTS
California county sees fit to restrict Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) remains
Over the last month or so we have followed a growing discontent in Fresno County, California, and specifically an area along the San Joaquin River about the process of Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) remains…
Parting Stone hires former customer and industry award recipient, continues march forward with funeral home partners
Parting Stone, the pioneer in solidified remains, announced last week in a press release that they have hired the 2025 recipient of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Inspiration Award, Katey Houston, “. .…
Batesville makes investment in Eterneva, will “leverage” client relationships
Last week Batesville announced in this press release that they had “made an equity investment in Eterneva and formed a strategic partnership with the company to expand access to custom memorial diamonds.” Batesville also…
