Airplanes, streaming documentaries, public Death Care companies. . . . readers want the information

By Funeral Director Daily December 17, 2025

  This afternoon’s edition of Funeral Director Daily marks our 12th and final “Most Read Articles” of the month for 2025.   Funeral Director Daily wants to thank all of you who have contributed to our year — a year in which we saw email subscriptions and daily page view numbers continue to grow to…

Hillenbrand sale progressing, but some questions remain

By Funeral Director Daily December 17, 2025

I had almost forgot that Hillenbrand Inc., the former parent company of Batesville, had itself agreed to be sold to Lone Star Funds last August (2025).  I was reminded of that transaction from this recent update in Financier Worldwide.   The $3.8 billion transaction “will take Hillenbrand private and marks a significant strategic shift for…

Cremations, and now tariffs creating headwinds for monument dealers

By Funeral Director Daily December 16, 2025

  American monument dealers have become accustomed to dealing with the rising cremation rates in the country and the dwindling sales opportunities for cemetery monuments that fact brings.   But now, according to this recent article from CNBC titled “An industry focused on death faces an existential crisis”, family-owned monument dealers have seen United States…

Give yourself some time

By Funeral Director Daily December 15, 2025

    Tomorrow night, Tuesday, December 16, Death Care professionals will come together with another of the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) sponsored virtual Funeral Professionals Peer Support Meetings. . . . .A press release from CANA makes this comment, “Between family obligations, work commitments, and winter weather, the holiday season can herald a…

Park Lawn purchases 8 funeral homes in greater Oklahoma City

By Funeral Director Daily December 15, 2025

  Late last week we received this press release that indicates that Park Lawn Corporation acquired eight stand-alone funeral homes in locations spanning the greater Oklahoma City market.  It represents Park Lawn’s entrance into the state of Oklahoma.   The press release announced “Park Lawn Corporation is pleased to announce that, effective December 1st, it…

BUSINESS

The election is over, Congress has changed. If I ran NFDA here’s what I would do.

By Funeral Director Daily | November 10, 2026

    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

By Funeral Director Daily | November 5, 2026

  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

By Funeral Director Daily | November 4, 2026

  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”

By Funeral Director Daily | November 13, 2026

    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

By Funeral Director Daily | November 12, 2026

    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

By Funeral Director Daily | November 11, 2026

    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.

By Funeral Director Daily | November 10, 2026

    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?

By Funeral Director Daily | October 27, 2026

    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?

By Funeral Director Daily | October 26, 2026

  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?

By Funeral Director Daily | October 26, 2026

  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

By Funeral Director Daily | October 13, 2026

    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?

By Funeral Director Daily | October 1, 2026

  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

By Funeral Director Daily | October 13, 2026

    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

By Funeral Director Daily | October 9, 2026

    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?

By Funeral Director Daily | October 1, 2026

  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.

By Funeral Director Daily | November 10, 2026

    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

By Funeral Director Daily | October 20, 2026

    “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

By Funeral Director Daily | October 2, 2026

    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

By Funeral Director Daily | November 5, 2026

  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?

By Funeral Director Daily | October 26, 2026

  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

By Funeral Director Daily | October 23, 2026

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…