The accelerating trend over the past 20 years towards cremation as a method of final disposition has not only affected how funeral homes and cemeteries operate.  It has created issues with casket companies, burial vault companies, and monument dealers as well.

I came across this article from Columbus CEO which exhibits some ways in which monument companies are trying to be relevant with the death care consumer in this changing environment.  The article features Jonathan Modlich as he brings new ideas to the 80-year old family business, Modlich Monument Company.

According to Modlich, the end of life decision making process and its changes have forced the company to pursue new products, services, and technologies.  Modlich still very much favors monuments and markers but now with the advent of families scattering or keeping their loved ones cremation remains at home, a monument in a cemetery is out of the picture.  He suggests markers that don’t have to be in a burial place and could, for instance, be in someone’s landscaping, and be portable should a family move.

Modlich concludes that the grieving process very much needs to memorialize a person, but it does not have to be in the traditional way.

Funeral Director Daily take:  If you have followed me for any length of time you know that I am very much against scattering or keeping cremated remains in the home.  In my opinion, scattering is irreversible and many times done without a great deal of thought process by the family and keeping the remains in a home eventually becomes somebody else’s problem when the homeowner passes away.

I much prefer earth burial, even of cremation remains, in a cemetery for a perpetual memorial to the loved one.  While Modlich is working hard on alternative reasons for buying a memorial marker or plaque, it is my opinion that as much good could come to the monument business by simply stressing the positive aspects of burying the cremated remains in a cemetery.

In order to keep sales up it would, in my opinion, be good business for monument companies to re-visit their agreements with funeral homes and cemeteries to get these entities to move their products for them.  The time to make a sales pitch for a monument is at the time or pre-arrangements or at-need arrangements simply by making the plans for where the cremated remains will be memorialized.  If they are placed in a cemetery, as compared to being brought home, a need for a monument/marker will materialize.

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