Last week Matthews International Corporation announced the acquisition of Star Granite & Bronze of Elberton, Georgia, for $41.2 million. According to the release from Globe Newswire that you can read here, Star Granite & Bronze is a family-owned business that manufactures and distributes granite and other memorialization products to customers across the United States. The…
I did an article last Tuesday about the Krause Funeral Home and their low-key approach to Pre-Arrangement presentations with their “Pizza and Pre-Need” get-togethers. It made me think about how I’ve presented Pre-Need in a seminar format and how my approach has been refined over the years as both the consumers and the product (death…
Hillenbrand Industries reported 1st Quarter 2018 earnings on January 31. You can read the company’s press release here. President Joe Raver made the following comment, “We are off to a strong start for 2018 with continued momentum in the Process Equipment Group. We remain closely aligned with our customers by providing applications expertise and high…
The Funeral Director Daily Death Care Index (DCI) dropped roughly 2% for the month of January in contrast to the Dow Jones Industrial Average which recorded a 5.79% gain. The DCI, a composite total of eight death care industry public stocks, stood at $290.78 at the close on January 31 in comparison to its mark…
I’ve mentioned before in this blog that Angie and I are in our first year as empty-nesters as our youngest headed off to college this year. It is an interesting feeling, with no children in the house everyday, but it has been a time for the two of us to do some things that we…
BUSINESS
Employee benefits in today’s employment environment
I noticed this article in Yahoo Finance this week proclaiming that “Your 401(k) match may not be as generous as it once was“. Here’s what peaked my interest as I read this article, …
Canadian funeral firm sells three funeral homes to non-profit organization
We learned last week from this article in the Peterborough (Ontario) Examiner that the Hendren Funeral Homes have sold their three funeral homes to Opus Tribute Group. According to the article, “Opus Tribute Group…
Jefferson movie to soon be streaming
It’s been about three years since we told you that Producer Dean Jones and actor Kevin Sorbo were filming the production of a movie based on the real-life of funeral director Danny Jefferson. …
FINANCE
Propel Funeral Partners acquires three firms, provides guidance
Propel Funeral Partners recently announced that they had acquired three funeral businesses that operate out of four separate properties and do an approximate combined 700 services annually. The company announced that the aggregate revenue…
Canadian funeral firm sells three funeral homes to non-profit organization
We learned last week from this article in the Peterborough (Ontario) Examiner that the Hendren Funeral Homes have sold their three funeral homes to Opus Tribute Group. According to the article, “Opus Tribute Group…
Everstory Partners adds New Jersey cemetery to its group
Everstory Partners the cemetery heavy company that operates more than 460 cemeteries, funeral homes, and crematories in the United States and Puerto Rico announced last week that they had acquired the Franklin Memorial…
REGULATIONS
Employee benefits in today’s employment environment
I noticed this article in Yahoo Finance this week proclaiming that “Your 401(k) match may not be as generous as it once was“. Here’s what peaked my interest as I read this article, …
Canadian funeral firm sells three funeral homes to non-profit organization
We learned last week from this article in the Peterborough (Ontario) Examiner that the Hendren Funeral Homes have sold their three funeral homes to Opus Tribute Group. According to the article, “Opus Tribute Group…
Cemetery sued over private casket-lowering policy
When I was a practicing funeral director I was well aware of safety concerns at the cemetery when the casket was lowered into the vault and grave. Our good friends from Wilbert Vault were…
CEMETERY
Everstory Partners adds New Jersey cemetery to its group
Everstory Partners the cemetery heavy company that operates more than 460 cemeteries, funeral homes, and crematories in the United States and Puerto Rico announced last week that they had acquired the Franklin Memorial…
Cemetery sued over private casket-lowering policy
When I was a practicing funeral director I was well aware of safety concerns at the cemetery when the casket was lowered into the vault and grave. Our good friends from Wilbert Vault were…
Cuba’s crisis with death
Cuba, the island country only 90 miles off the Florida coast has a crisis with death and Death Care. If you look at the Wikipedia page for Cuba you will notice that the population…
CREMATION
Pizza Hut, Batesville, and CANA
Pizza Hut, Batesville, and CANA? A reader sent me an article earlier this week that brings these three topics into a Venn diagram sort of picture for me. First of all, the…
Cuba’s crisis with death
Cuba, the island country only 90 miles off the Florida coast has a crisis with death and Death Care. If you look at the Wikipedia page for Cuba you will notice that the population…
Is the “Choice” of cremation a mirage that may disappear??
On a rainy Monday Minnesota morning earlier this week I was doing my run indoors on the treadmill while I watched CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” business news broadcast. On that show Softbank CEO…
PRENEED
Connecticut budget includes money for victims of allegedly stolen pre-arrangements
Earlier this month, as you can read in this article from NBC Connecticut, the legislature of Connecticut passed their state budget which included the “Act Concerning Unlawful Funeral Service Practices”. The state appropriated…
Consumer Preneed motivations from Homesteaders survey results
Preneed insurance provider Homesteaders Life Company released their 8th annual Preneed Motivators survey last week. According to this press release from which you can download your own copy of the survey results, “. .…
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…
PRODUCTS
Jefferson movie to soon be streaming
It’s been about three years since we told you that Producer Dean Jones and actor Kevin Sorbo were filming the production of a movie based on the real-life of funeral director Danny Jefferson. …
Everstory Partners adds New Jersey cemetery to its group
Everstory Partners the cemetery heavy company that operates more than 460 cemeteries, funeral homes, and crematories in the United States and Puerto Rico announced last week that they had acquired the Franklin Memorial…
Pizza Hut, Batesville, and CANA
Pizza Hut, Batesville, and CANA? A reader sent me an article earlier this week that brings these three topics into a Venn diagram sort of picture for me. First of all, the…
