The first time I visited Hawaii was in 1988. I’d been working as a funeral director for about eight years at the time and knew that funeral service in Hawaii was a little bit different than in Minnesota simply because of the oriental and polynesian cultural influences on the customs as well as the, at…
I’m using Friday’s column to catch up with some things I’ve seen in the industry concerning acquisitions over the past 2-3 weeks. It’s interesting but not surprising that we continue to see acquisitions in the industry over that time period. In the last three weeks we have seen: Thacker Casket acquire Madison Casket Company. According…
On Sunday I heard of a potential hostage situation at a funeral home in Las Vegas. According to the Las Vegas Review it was not a hostage situation but a situation of a man threatening to shoot himself inside the Davis Funeral Home in Las Vegas. Authorities were called to the funeral home, roads —…
Every year the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) publishes their Cremation and Burial Report. This year’s much anticipated copy was released on July 6, 2017. It is an interesting document filled with statistics, research, and dialogue that should be a must read for every person in the Death Care industry. You can read it here.…
An article I read in SouthernMinn.com piqued my interest about the potential for public relations. The article featured the small community of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, and some of the events that were going on there in conjunction with the community’s 150th anniversary celebration. One of the events that caught my eye was that of a…
BUSINESS
National “Cremation Placement Day” coming on October 17
If you are in the Death Care business you know that the number of cremated remains that reside in peoples’ homes is a large, and more than likey, growing number. Some estimate that…
Can “Roll-ups” work in a “Price-Sensitive” environment
Earlier his week I heard from a couple of people who notified me that Foundation Partners Group (FPG) apparently had a recent round of employee layoffs. That seems to be confirmed by employee and…
Somebody finally said it, “Industry revenue for Death Care is estimated to drop”
Over the years that I owned and operated a funeral home I saw an increasing cremation percentage almost every year. And, like most funeral homes, my charges for traditional burial were more than my…
FINANCE
Can “Roll-ups” work in a “Price-Sensitive” environment
Earlier his week I heard from a couple of people who notified me that Foundation Partners Group (FPG) apparently had a recent round of employee layoffs. That seems to be confirmed by employee and…
Somebody finally said it, “Industry revenue for Death Care is estimated to drop”
Over the years that I owned and operated a funeral home I saw an increasing cremation percentage almost every year. And, like most funeral homes, my charges for traditional burial were more than my…
Private Equity: Is there a slump in redemptions going on?
Private Equity (PE) ownership in the funeral, cremation, cemetery, casket, and Death Care supply industry has been a hot topic over the past couple of years. Private Equity companies have been purchasing, aiding in…
REGULATIONS
Texas “regulatory issue case” and resulting lawsuit moving forward
In March 2025 the Texas Funeral Service Commission sent a cease and desist order to the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) ordering “the mosque to stop what it alleged were unlicensed funeral services, and…
Parting Stone enforces patent protection
It’s just the way it works. If you are a company or other entity that seeks patents to protect your intellectual property you have to be able to fight off others who may…
Recompose: On the “Grow”
I started publishing Funeral Director Daily about the same time that entrepreneur Katrina Spade was involved in a pilot research project with Washington State University on the possibility and merits of composting human remains. …
CEMETERY
National “Cremation Placement Day” coming on October 17
If you are in the Death Care business you know that the number of cremated remains that reside in peoples’ homes is a large, and more than likey, growing number. Some estimate that…
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…
CREMATION
National “Cremation Placement Day” coming on October 17
If you are in the Death Care business you know that the number of cremated remains that reside in peoples’ homes is a large, and more than likey, growing number. Some estimate that…
Can “Roll-ups” work in a “Price-Sensitive” environment
Earlier his week I heard from a couple of people who notified me that Foundation Partners Group (FPG) apparently had a recent round of employee layoffs. That seems to be confirmed by employee and…
Pure Cremation exec: Is the “At-Need choice” death market contracting?
The number of deaths in the United States is expected to grow 26.3% from 2019 (the last year prior to the pandemic) until 2040 by certain estimates. Estimates for the number of deaths in…
PRENEED
Pure Cremation exec: Is the “At-Need choice” death market contracting?
The number of deaths in the United States is expected to grow 26.3% from 2019 (the last year prior to the pandemic) until 2040 by certain estimates. Estimates for the number of deaths in…
Anthem Partners announces strategic partnership with Family Shield Credit
In a press release from earlier this week funeral home operator Anthem Partners announced that they have formed a partnership with Family Shield Credit in order to provide families with “flexible, budget-friendly payment options while…
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…
PRODUCTS
“Complimentary Disposition”. . . Another uphill climb for the traditional operator?
Recently, to prepare for a presentation at the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) annual convention I’ve been looking into the future to try and see where Death Care is going. And, I’ve been…
OneRoom’s “Stories” feature is proving successful
There seems to be an amazing number of technological advances coming into Death Care that can help funeral homes, crematories, and cemeteries enhance the services that they provide. Many of these breakthroughs can…
The Natural Funeral brings Natural Organic Reduction to the local level
In a press release we received last week we learned that The Natural Funeral, Inc. of Colorado is bringing their Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) program to the Northeast and Southeast parts of the United…
