“It’s been a good run.” That’s what funeral director John Kaatz said according to this newspaper article announcing the sale of four funeral homes that he was associated with. Kaatz, who succeeded his father in the operation of Kaatz Funeral Home and eventually owned facilities in four Michigan cities, reflected on his career…
As we stop today to reflect on the memory of not only our military personnel from the Revolutionary War on, we remember that the holiday was officially started to pay respects to those who fell in action during the Civil War. Over time we realize that the Memorial Day holiday has moved…
StoneMor Partners left the world of public companies and was taken private by Axar Capital Management in November 2022. At the time StoneMor was arguably, by revenue, the second largest company in Death Care. Second only to Service Corporation International and, in revenue, ahead of Carriage Services and Park Lawn Corporation at the time.…
It’s not for me. . . .but neither is skydiving. I’m talking about Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) or what some lay people call “human composting”. NOR is a legal form of human disposition in at least 14 states by my count. The process used for human remains disposition was first legalized in the…
Security National Financial Corporation (SNFC), the Utah-based company that serves the Death Care profession through their funeral homes, preneed insurance, and other financial tools issued their 1st Quarter 2026 financial report last week. In that press release that you can access here you will note that Total Revenues dropped 3.6% from $82.7 million…
BUSINESS
The election is over, Congress has changed. If I ran NFDA here’s what I would do.
Now that the television advertising has stopped, I know that the United States recent election cycle is over. And, whether your favorites won or lost it is time, or it will be come…
Chptr wins NFDA Innovation Award, launches ChptrOne
Includes an NFDA Convention Highlight Let’s begin with an announcement that came from last week’s National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Here’s that announcement: Chptr, creator of the…
Another suburban Chicago funeral home sold
It was only ten days ago that Funeral Director Daily brought you this article about Park Lawn Corporation adding to its Illinois cluster by purchasing two funeral homes northwest of Chicago. We now…
FINANCE
Security National CEO on the 3rd Quarter 2026: “We had a rugged 3rd Quarter”
Security National Financial Corporation’s Chairman, President, and CEO Scott Quist made this comment in the opening remarks of the company’s 3rd Quarter Earnings Report earlier this week, “From the Income Statement point of…
Funeral homes in Kentucky, Indiana purchased by Landmark Funeral Group
We were notified in late October by this press release that Landmark Funeral Group had acquired the Funeral Excellence Group (FEG) that consisted of nine locations. All of the locations are located in…
Carriage Services 3Q26 Earnings Call: CEO explains comparable revenue drop
Carriage Services, one of three public funeral home and cemetery companies that are required to release finanical information to the public did so for their 3rd Quarter of 2026 last week. They also…
REGULATIONS
The election is over, Congress has changed. If I ran NFDA here’s what I would do.
Now that the television advertising has stopped, I know that the United States recent election cycle is over. And, whether your favorites won or lost it is time, or it will be come…
The Mid-term elections are a week away. Where do Death Care voters stand?
An NFDA Convention Discussion Topic The mid-term congressional and senatorial elections are right around the corner taking place one week from today. The direction and results of those elections will help America chart…
Can cemeteries be part of the “Battery Storage solution” and profit from it at the same time?
An NFDA Convention Discussion Issue One of the issues that we have in America right now is that utility companies need to “store electricity” to help meet peak demand periods. Here’s how a…
CEMETERY
Can cemeteries be part of the “Battery Storage solution” and profit from it at the same time?
An NFDA Convention Discussion Issue One of the issues that we have in America right now is that utility companies need to “store electricity” to help meet peak demand periods. Here’s how a…
The Start of Something Good
I learned of the advent of the upcoming first annual National Cremation Remembrance (or Placement) Day earlier this year from my friends at Crowne Vault. The company was one of the first to…
Will the dispersion of Natural Organic Reduction soil be an issue?
Back in August the Worcester (Maryland) County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) approved Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) firm Earth Burial’s request to spread NOR soil on a 14-acre property in the county. According to…
CREMATION
The Start of Something Good
I learned of the advent of the upcoming first annual National Cremation Remembrance (or Placement) Day earlier this year from my friends at Crowne Vault. The company was one of the first to…
Not a Good Look: “Dysfunctional Death Care System” becoming an issue in Chicago mayor’s race
In August of this past summer (2026) 56 decomposed bodies were found improperly stored in a funeral home in Chicago. It’s not the first time or the first place something like this has…
Will the dispersion of Natural Organic Reduction soil be an issue?
Back in August the Worcester (Maryland) County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) approved Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) firm Earth Burial’s request to spread NOR soil on a 14-acre property in the county. According to…
PRENEED
The election is over, Congress has changed. If I ran NFDA here’s what I would do.
Now that the television advertising has stopped, I know that the United States recent election cycle is over. And, whether your favorites won or lost it is time, or it will be come…
Wages, credit, inflation. . . . How are those factors coming together to influence revenue per case
“Revenue per Case” (RpC) is a very important metric in your funeral home to illustrate how much money comes into the your funeral home for every death call you care for. The goal,…
Preneed: Your funeral home’s reputation may be tied to your preneed provider
I came across an interesting article the other day that reminded me of the unease that I always had in selecting our funeral home’s preneed insurance partner. My unease had nothing to do…
PRODUCTS
Chptr wins NFDA Innovation Award, launches ChptrOne
Includes an NFDA Convention Highlight Let’s begin with an announcement that came from last week’s National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Here’s that announcement: Chptr, creator of the…
Can cemeteries be part of the “Battery Storage solution” and profit from it at the same time?
An NFDA Convention Discussion Issue One of the issues that we have in America right now is that utility companies need to “store electricity” to help meet peak demand periods. Here’s how a…
ASD named one of America’s Most Innovative Companies
Today’s Article includes an NFDA Convention Preview Who says Death Care is not “innovative”? Just this week I learned that ASD – Answering Service for Directors was named to Fortune‘s 2026…
