A recent press release from Batesville give us information that the company has been named to “Newsweek’s list of Most Trustworthy Companies in America for 2024.” According to the press release “Batesville achieved a top 25 ranking in the Consumer Goods category, alongside a variety of global brand leaders, coming in at number…
According to at least one survey 76 million American Baby Boomers will reach the age of “Life-Expectancy” between now and 2042. Another survey I looked at mentioned that there are “only” 71.9 million boomers alive at this time. So, while the number is “murky” the one fact remains that there will be a…
It was announced in this recent Pulse 2.0 article that Canada’s online-operated cremation provider Eirene has recently received over $4 million in seed funding led by Relay Ventures with participation from at least two other entities. According to the article that brings a total of $5 million in funding to the company that was…
It was announced in this press release from last week that C&J Financial would be expanding by “becom(ing) the exclusive insurance assignments partner for Tribute Technology, taking over operations previously managed by the Tribute Insurance Assignments division”. Jamie Meredith, Executive Vice President of C&J Financial, made this prepared comment in the press release,…
On Wednesday of this week arguably the most innovative and edgy marketing tool was turned loose on the funeral buying public when Direct-to-Consumer casket company Titan Casket unveiled their new relationship with Elan Gale’s “The Year of Elan’s Productions” and actor David Dastmalchian in releasing “Grave Conversations”. Here’s what an article from…
BUSINESS
Knowing the value of the “Front-Line” worker
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve had the opportunity to visit with many from the “Death Care” or “Funeral” industry. Those discussions made me realize that our profession has came a long…
Banks report “Weaker loan demand”, Consumers pull back on credit: What does that mean for your funeral home?
During this week I read two articles and when I did I wondered how the subject of each might affect funeral homes and the funeral business going forward. The articles included this one…
Take a cue from Apple. . . Sell more services
Apple has been seeing sales of its iPhone declining. The product, which makes up about 1/2 of the company’s sales, dropped in sales revenue another 10% in the last quarter according to…
FINANCE
Carriage Services CEO Quezada on 1Q Financials: “A significant milestone for Carriage’s history”
Funeral home consolidator and operator Carriage Services reported their financial results for the 1st Quarter of 2024 last week. In the Earnings Call following the release of the financials Carriage Services CEO and…
SCI’s 1Q24 results point out some Death Care headwinds
Service Corporation International (SCI) reported their 1st Quarter 2024 financial results last week. North America’s largest death care provider did show an increase in revenue of 1.6% to about $1.045 billion for the…
A transition in leadership at Foundation Partners Group
We learned late last week that CEO Kent Robertson was leaving cremation centered acquisition group and operating company Foundation Partners Group and also learned that the interim management of the Orlando, Florida, based…
REGULATIONS
Federal Trade Commission bans “Non-Compete” agreements
“This rule affects every segment of the American economy and in a simple 3-2 vote destroys billions of dollars in value that employers have spent in compensation for a covenant not to compete”. …
Dignity, care, and respect. . . bringing the fallen home
On Saturday night I was at a movie, came home and turned the television on to catch the news and learned of the missile bombardment of Israel that Iran took responsibility for. Now,…
Might the Baltimore Bridge collapse cause a “funeral tax” in Maryland?
A week ago today I woke up to the news of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Harbor. It wasn’t so long ago that I was in Baltimore…
CEMETERY
County governments seem to have lots of problems, are human remains another one?
Funeral Director Daily recently learned through this article from Public Media for Central Pennyslvania that Centre County will be building a 160-unit columbarium in Zion, Pennsylvania, to house urns that have went…
America’s military cemeteries face financial backlog for upkeep and improvements
Kansas United States Senator Jerry Moran recently testified at a United States Senate Veterans Affairs Committee meeting that “When mourning a death the last thing a grieving family needs is some bureaucratic hurdle…
Looking outside the grave for cemetery revenue
Back almost three years ago in July 2021, Funeral Director Daily brought you this story of how a renewable energy company, Verogy, had put a 7,000 panel solar energy farm inside a…
CREMATION
Take a cue from Apple. . . Sell more services
Apple has been seeing sales of its iPhone declining. The product, which makes up about 1/2 of the company’s sales, dropped in sales revenue another 10% in the last quarter according to…
Because that’s where the money will be. . . .
Again today I’m building off some of the impressions that my friend, Rolf Gutknecht of LA Ads – A Marketing Agency had during his time at the recent ICCFA Convention in Tampa. As…
Eirene receives $4 million in seed funding, expands into the United States
It was announced in this recent Pulse 2.0 article that Canada’s online-operated cremation provider Eirene has recently received over $4 million in seed funding led by Relay Ventures with participation from at least two…
PRENEED
Banks report “Weaker loan demand”, Consumers pull back on credit: What does that mean for your funeral home?
During this week I read two articles and when I did I wondered how the subject of each might affect funeral homes and the funeral business going forward. The articles included this one…
Take Ring Ring Marketing for a Test Drive
When it comes to technology I am a confessed “Novice”. And personally, with Social Media I am pretty quiet too. . . . or maybe my life is dull enough that none of…
Cash is King. . . .make sure that you turn your services into cash
Last week Funeral Director Daily published this article titled “Know your customer — How’s their credit”. That article delved into the American consumer credit profiles and why, before extending credit, you needed to…
PRODUCTS
Take a cue from Apple. . . Sell more services
Apple has been seeing sales of its iPhone declining. The product, which makes up about 1/2 of the company’s sales, dropped in sales revenue another 10% in the last quarter according to…
Technology will be/is here for your funeral home
A pager that allowed me out of the funeral home. . . .telephone transfers that allowed death calls to be “transfered” to one’s home phones. That’s about the extent of technology when I…
Because that’s where the money will be. . . .
Again today I’m building off some of the impressions that my friend, Rolf Gutknecht of LA Ads – A Marketing Agency had during his time at the recent ICCFA Convention in Tampa. As…
