a visit to genesis casket company - The Southern Funeral Director ...

Casket & Shipping 2011 

www.southernfuneraldirectormagazine.com 

From Our Door 

to Your Door... 

Wishing You the Warmest 

Holiday Season and 

a Joyous New Year 

Business at the Speed of Light - Gary O’Sullivan 

Baby Boomers: The Economy Changes Even 

Their World - Larry Merington 

Succeeding in a Changing World - Joe Bartolacci 

SFD Visits Genesis Casket Company - John Yopp 

Top 10 Things to Consider When Dealing With 

Funeral Shipping - Angela Berwald 

Forms vs Function: Perfecting Your Forms With 

Function - Poul Lemasters 

Tall Tales From Bob Fells 

Non-Terrestrial Memorialization - Nothing 

Wasted Part II - Oscar Rios 

Heritage Resources: Are You Selling Any - 

Glenn Toothman 

The Southern Funeral Director • Alliance November 2011 1

The Federal MKT Stratford...Intelligent by Design. 

The commercial-size rear casket door features a 

rear-view camera, a 130-degree hinge, and a rear load door 

opening that measures 48-inches wide and 39.5-inches high. 

Standard interior features on the 

Federal MKT Stratford include the following: 

• Heated and cooled front seats 

• Intelligent Access with push button start 

• 8-inch Touch Screen with audio and climate controls 

• SYNC ® In-car Connectivity System, and much more… 

The rear side doors are 49-inches long and provide 

a large, spacious opening to the church truck, 

spare tire and umbrella storage compartments. 

The newest and most refreshing Federal funeral coach yet! The Lincoln MKT Stratford is built on the next-generation 

Lincoln professional vehicle chassis that features all-wheel-drive, heated and cooled front seats, rear back-up camera, 

and more. Combine these base chassis features with Federal’s intelligently-designed coach features, 

and you get what’s soon to become the most popular Lincoln funeral coach ever! 

PROUDLY FEATURES 

2 

800/292-6210 • WWW.FEDERALCOACH.COM 

VEHICLES 

The Southern Funeral Director • Alliance November 2011

Casket & Shipping Issue novEMBER 2011 

Alliance/The Southern Funeral Director 

The National Funeral Service Journal with a 

Southern Accent Since 1919 

Celebrating 92 Years of Service to the 

Industry 

Vol. 167 No.8 

POSTMASTER: 

Please Notify us of address changes 

by form 3579 to: 

The Southern Funeral Director Magazine 

P.O. Box 768152 

Roswell, GA 30076 

404-513-9405 | www.sfdmagazine.net 

Features 

4 Notes from the Editor - Guest, Katie Mueller 

8 Business at the Speed of Light 

12 Baby Boomers: The Economy Changes Even 

Their World 

16 Succeeding in a Changing World 

22 A Visit to Genesis Casket Company 

32 Top 10 Things to Consider When Dealing with 

Funeral Shipping 

33 Form Versus Function Perfecting Your Forms 

With Function 

36 Tall Tales from Bob Fells 

38 A Brief History of Early Non-Terrestrial 

Memorialization: Chapter Two – Nothing Wasted 

News Releases 

6 Florida Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association 

Endorses Eagle’s Wings Air 

19 “Cake Boss” Helps Matthews and Pontone Family 

Celebrate 80 Years in the Casket Business 

20 Thacker Expands Selection of Economical 

Personalization Options 

26 Master Grave Service adds Full Line of Signet 

Supply Metal, Hardwood and Cremation Caskets 

26 Johnny McClurd Joins Master Grave Service 

28 Custom Casket 

29 Custom Air Trays 

31 Service Casket Company 

40 C.J. Boots Casket Company Launches New 

Casket Line at World’s Largest Annual Funeral 

Service Convention and Expo 

42 Heritage Resources: Are you selling any? 

Departments 

45 Classifieds 

45 Ad Index 

Published by: 

Extreme Designs, LLC. 

P.O. Box 768152 

Roswell, GA 30076 

Contact us by email: 

johnyopp3@aol.com 

The appearance, reference or advertisement 

of any product or service in the publications 

shall not be deemed an approval or 

endorsement of these products or services 

by the Southern Funeral Director Magazine, 

or the owners therof. This publication cannot 

be responsible for the return of unsolicited 

material. 

John Yopp 

Editor/Publisher 

Subscriptions/Classifieds 

Accounts 


Ed Horn 

Associate Publisher 

ehornesq@openonline.net 

917-642-6266 

Elli Morris 

Staff Writer 

elli@wackophoto.com 

Ashley Eberhardt 

Design/Layout 

ashley@georgiaprinters.com 

For Advertising and Editorial Information, 

Contact John Yopp: 

404-513-9405 

www.sfdmagazine.net 


Please check out our new website at 

www.southernfuneraldirectormagazine.com 


My name is Katie Mueller. I am a licensed funeral director and a memorial 

counselor at St. Michael’s Cemetery. When asked what I do for a living, most 

people are confused and don’t understand. Why would somebody so young, 

with no connections in the industry be interested in that kind of career? The 

funeral industry is very challenging and rewarding at the same time because 

of the unique circumstances it presents. To be able to make grieving families at 

peace with the decisions they are making to memorialize their loved one is one 

of the most powerful, rewarding things you can do. It does become very difficult 

and demanding at times. People do not realize all that goes into a funeral. The 

labor, tasks, deadlines, and expectations that have to be met, to insure every 

family grateful for your work. As a funeral director, you develop a relationship 

with these families. 

You cater to every family you service, as if they were your own. They put their 

trust in you to honor and respect their loved one. This job is not for everyone. 

It is a true calling to be a funeral director. The distress families are in when they come for your services are 

challenging to deal with. Someone has been taken away from them, and it is up to you to so in a lasting and 

peaceful manner. It is my obligation to put a family at ease in such difficult situations. By my doing so respectfully 

and in a professional manner while expressing compassion and understanding families know I am taking care of 

their loved one which makes it all worth it. 

While I am a funeral director, I am also a memorial counselor at St. Michael’s Cemetery. An amazing opportunity 

opened up for me to work at St. Michael’s three years ago and I decided to go for it! This opportunity allows me 

to literally experience all aspects of the funeral industry from beginning to end. While most of the day involves 

handling the sales of graves, mausoleum spaces and headstones I usually end up providing services that go well 

beyond day to day sales. Sometimes families come to me when they want to start planning for their future. They 

often need guidance. Those are the easy days. Other times the need is more immediate and families are faced 

with the daunting task of making a loved one’s final arrangements. 

While the grief is fresh and weighing heavily on their minds it is my job to make handling these affairs as easy 

and stress free as possible. Families count on me to provide information that is suited to their needs trusting me 

to make suggestions that will honor their loved ones which grief permits them from rationally considering. I do not 

take this responsibility lightly and often find myself acting as their sounding board as they talk and reflect about 

their loss. I love what I do because I feel that I am given the unique opportunity to honor the lives of people and 

support the families that love them. 

Certainly dealing with death on a daily basis has an effect on my day to day personal life. It is very easy to 

get attached to a family that you are working so closely with in such a sensitive situation. I had to learn how to 

separate the two early on in my career. It is all about prioritizing! While my work is extremely important to me it 

is definitely a top priority of mine to make time for my family and friends. Being in this business offers me daily 

reminders of how important it is to be happy seeking a fulfilling life. 

Katie Mueller 

Guest – Notes from the Editor 

Memorial Counselor 

St. Michael’s Cemetery 

4 


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So What Is Bio Cremation? 

INDUSTRY NEWS 

Florida by: Paul Cemetery, Rahill, Matthews Cremation Division & Funeral Association Endorses 

Eagle’s There has been Wings a long lead Airup to the final development 

of technology and necessary legislative changes required 

to allow forward progress on a new cremation process 

TALLAHASSEE, 

called “Bio Cremation.” 

FL - The Florida 

Bio Cremation 

Cemetery, Cremation 

utilizes a 

and 

high 

Funeral 

pressure 

Association 

and high 

(FCCFA), 

temperature 

Florida’s 

cremation 

leading and 

chamber 

only 

association representing all sectors of the death-care industry, 

with a process called alkaline hydrolysis to reduce 

is proud to announce the recent selection of Eagle’s Wings Air 

human remains to their basic elements. 

(EWA) as the FCCFA Endorsed Partner for air transportation 

management services. 

Cremation by definition is reducing the body to its basic 

elements of bone fragments The through FCCFA Endorsed the use of Partner heat. 

CANA, The Cremation Association Program of represents North America, a carefully is 

the world’s largest and most selected respected group authority of suppliers on all 

things cremation. CANA has and progressively service providers defined who cremation 

as “the mechanical and/or are uniquely thermal positioned or other dissolution 

process that reduces offer human the FCCFA remains membership to bone 

to 

exceptional fragments.” value. Bio While Cremation considering technology whether to select replaces Eagle’s the 

Wings use of Air, flame FCCFA’s with Board the utilization of Directors of noted water, EWA’s blended innovative with 

and an trustworthy alkali solution reputation, of potassium its proven hydroxide airline and (KOH). aviation The 

security human expertise, body placed and its into advocacy a pressurized 

on stainless behalf of steel the entire cremation funeral 

efforts 

service chamber profession where within water and the alkali airline 

community. are automatically “One of our added missions and is the to 

identify 

temperature 

cutting 

is 

edge 

raised 

solutions 

to 350°F. 

which 

support 

Water, 

the 

alkali, 

ability 

high-heat 

of our members’ 

and highpressure 

working in harmony 


better serve their client families. This was 

an easy choice for us,” said Leigh Ann 

gently circulate over the body, 

Bradley, FCCFA Executive Director. 

causing a reaction that begins and 

FCCFA completes President, the cremation Lee Longino process. stated 

“EWA has tremendously helped our 

company, Let’s face specifically it, there are our not funeral many 

directors attractive in images saving when them we time envision 

the “transition” any headaches of a that human are 

and 

minimizing 

involved body to with bones shipping (B2B). human Within remains. the 

We complete are able to death allow our care funeral process, directors the 

to B2B do what transition they do is inescapable. 

best, creating 

memorable This is a journey celebrations all of for us the will families take 

instead regardless of spending of whether time arranging our end of air 

transportation. life choice is Our burial, funeral flame directors’ cremation 

is or where water it based should Bio be, Crema- 

with the 

focus 

families tion. they The serve end thanks result to will EWA.” be the 

Eagle’s same. Wings The Air’s difference president between & CEO, 

Frank burial, Kaiser flame cremation comments, or “When Bio 

considering Cremation human is the remains B2B transition shipping 

from time an line air transportation and the “catalyst” perspective, we 

“Heaven’s choose. Waiting With burial, Room” the (aka transition Florida) 

is may the largest take 25 market years in and the the country. catalyst The 

FCCFA to reduce member the body firms to are bones well-versed is soil 

in and dealing micro-organisms. with the various With airlines flame 

and cremation, making arrangements the transition for takes the approximately 

of 2-3 human hours remains. and It theis 

gratifying catalysts to to have reduce our the single-source body 

air 

transportation 


6 10 The The Southern Funeral Funeral Director • Alliance November Cremation 2011 2011 

bones are heat created by a chemical fuel (CH4 natural 

gas or C3H8 propane gas) mixed with oxygen. With Bio 

Cremation, the transition takes approximately 2-3 

service model recognized as a new option for FCCFA members 

hours and the catalysts to reduce the body to bones are 

to save time while also offering a higher level of service to client 

water (95%) and a chemical, potassium hydroxide 

families being served. We are truly honored to be partnering with 

(KOH). All of these choices begin with a body and eventually 

ends with bones. With the introduction of Bio Cre- 

one of the leading State Associations and their membership.” 

Established mation in we 2007, can Eagle’s Wings Air (EWA) is the leading 

provider determine of air transportation the management services to North 

American residual funeral effects homes our and shipping services. Through a 

centralized end of life customer decision service center, EWA leverages proprietary 

software will have and their on knowledge the of airline operations to find the best 

flight planet. itinerary, make the reservation, and proactively monitor 

progress from start to finish; thus delivering time savings and 

peace-of-mind It is important to their tofuneral service profession clients. 

address a few common 

misnomers 

For more information on Eagle’s Wings Air, visit 

www.eagleswingsair.com or telephone Frank Kaiser at 

(866) 

when 

550-1392. 

describing

15,000 

ship-outs 

and 

we’re just 

taking off. 

In 2007, a fourth-generation 

independent funeral home 

owner and an airline industry 

veteran recognized an 

opportunity to save you 

time and ultimately improve 

service to your families. 

You, or your staff, are often 

on your own when making 

flight arrangements for the 

air transportation of human 

remains. Contacting multiple 

airlines to find a desirable 

itinerary for you, your client 

family, and the receiving funeral 

home can be time consuming. 

Think of Eagle’s Wings Air 

as your Air Transportation 

Manager. Let our team of 

experienced airline professionals 

and our proprietary software 

do the work for you. We offer 

worry-free, one call access 

to all airlines. 

With one call, 

Your Air Transportation Manager 

® 

• Searches all available flights 

• Handles the airline reservation 

• Pre-pays the airline charges ® 


• Proactively monitors the status 

• Invoices either the shipping 

or receiving funeral home 

“Let us do the work 

so you don’t have to…” 

Frank Kaiser 

President & CEO 

Dave McComb 

Chairman 

Call or visit our website 

to learn more. 

® 


866-550-1392 • www.eagleswingsair.com 

The Southern Funeral Director • Alliance November 2011 7 

©2011 MKJ Marketing

Business at 

the Speed 

of Light 

By Gary O’Sullivan, CCFE 

I am sure you have noticed that things are a bit 

different these days. For example, as I was composing 

this article, I stopped, went to Google, and typed in 

“funeral homes and cemeteries.” In 0.28 seconds, 

Google gave me 38,100,000 results. That is a lot 

of information in a short period of time. More 

information is available and accessible today than at 

any other time in history. 

Not only are archives of information available at the 

tips of our fingers, but the Internet means that news 

now travels at an alarming pace. In Gregory Clark’s 

book, A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History 

of the Word, he discusses how long it took for news of 

significant events to travel in the past. In one example, 

the news of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination traveled 

3,774 miles—from the United States to London, 

England—in thirteen days. Clark calculated the 

speed at which that important news traveled: about 12 

miles per hour. Contrast that with today, when news 

travels at the speed of light. 

Can you believe that before 2004, YouTube and Twitter 

did not exist? And Facebook was still restricted to 

college students? Now Facebook has over 600 million 

users. From Fortune 500 companies to grandmothers, 

social conversations via the Internet have changed 

everything. 

You may be thinking, “Is this article about social 

media? The Internet? Technology?” No. “What 

then?” you ask. It’s about what the people in your 

marketplace are experiencing, how it affects them, 

and how their expectations are changing regarding 

how business is done. 

From carvings in caves to smoke signals in the sky, 

and from social gatherings to social media, people 

have always shared their views. From trading hides 

for tools to renting out their own labor for credit 

at the company store, people have always bought 

things. These aspects of the human existence will 

never change; it’s how the process works that keeps 

changing. 

The challenge for businesses today is to keep pace 

with our changing consumer. We must learn how our 

customers want us to communicate with them and 

how they want to buy from our companies. These 

aspects of the selling process have changed—and 

will continue to change—at an unprecedented rate. 

Staying relevant is something every business faces 

today. How do we continue to gain trust, build 

relationships, and meet the expectations of our everchanging 

consumers? We must keep in mind that 

regardless of our own views, our customers are having 

a different experience. They will not trust a company 

that is not relevant. 

When I started my company in 2001, I was faced 

with this brutal reality. About six months after going 

out on my own, I was speaking a convention. After 

the opening session during which I gave the keynote 

address, a woman approached me and asked about the 

possibility of my speaking at another event for which 

she was the program chairperson. Of course, I was 

excited, and I handed her my card. She glanced at it 

with a puzzled look. Then she said, “I don’t see your 

website address on here.” To which I replied, “There 

is a reason for that. I don’t have one.” Then she uttered 

8 


the two-letter word that spoke volumes to me: “Oh.” 

With that one word, I realized that I was not relevant. 

The chairperson told me that, without a website, she 

could not review my experience, view video clips, 

see my references, or learn more about my company 

and me. I asked her what information she needed 

and promised to deliver it to her by week’s end. She 

quickly replied that, although she had heard me speak, 

the others responsible for speaker selection had not, 

and they may not have heard of me. Providing my 

information by week’s end was too late, and I lost an 

opportunity. 

That was over ten years ago. Today, a business with 

no Web presence is not in the game. Ten years ago, 

the speed of business was starting to change. And 

change it has. Almost everything moves faster than it 

did in the past. 

Let’s take a quick look back, and also think about 

today. Remember the statistics we were often told 

in the past? One dissatisfied customer tells eight to 

fifteen people, and one satisfied customer tells two or 

three. How that has changed! In his book, Running 

a Business in Today’s Consumer Driven World, Pete 

Blackshaw tells us, “Satisfied customers tell three 

friends, and angry customers tell 3,000!” And they 

can tell them fast! 

This is only one example of the things that have 

changed regarding how people do what they do. An 

angry or dissatisfied customer today doesn’t just share 

his dissatisfaction with a few friends over a period of 

weeks—he can now tell thousands in seconds. Before 

leaving your building, he can tell thousands in a brief 

Tweet and share more details of his frustration—valid 

or not—on his Facebook page. 

The consumer is moving fast. Are you? 

Now, more than ever, we must pay attention to the 

experiences our customers are having with other 

companies and with the world in which they live. 

Other companies are engaging people in conversations 

via the Internet. Are you? The world they live in is 

traveling at the speed of light. Are you? 

Here is another question about what has changed: 

Today, people want to be in control of the process. 

Do you give them control? You might say to me, “Oh, 

they don’t understand all they need to, so they should 

just talk to me.” I agree. However, our agreement does 

not require the consumer to respond to our views. We 

must engage people so they will want to talk to us. 

The $64,000 question (that may bring back a memory 

or two) is this: How? 

Recently, I was doing a video shoot for a client of 

mine. The clients had hired a production company 

to do the filming. I had worked with this company 

before and had come to know them well. During one 

of the breaks, I asked the producer to recommend 

a source where I might find audio equipment that I 

needed. He said, “I have one source I use for all my 

video and audio needs.” What information did he give 

me? Not a person, but a place: a website. That night, 

about 11:00, I visited that website. I felt good about the 

vast options I saw. I also read what other customers 

had to say about the products they had purchased. 

Some were pleased with the products and how they 

performed, while others were not happy at all. 

It was 11:00 at night, and I was reading what others 

had to say about their experiences with a company 

with whom I was considering doing business! At the 

speed of light, I had met the company, seen what they 

offered to meet my needs, and heard what others had 

to say about the various products. Now they had me 

engaged. The combination of product information and 

reviews, and the ease of using their site made me want 

to take the next step: I wanted to talk to someone. 

The site had given me enough information that, had I 

been an audio expert, I could have made my selection. 

But I am a consumer and not a technician, so I needed 

help. I called, and within minutes, my trust level— 

which had been begun to form with the referral from 

the reliable source, the producer who had told me 

about them—was now being increased by the agent 

on the phone. Not only was his expertise obvious, but 

his desire to ensure I made a decision on a product 

that would do what I needed it to do was also evident. 

Once we determined the best option, I could either 

order it from him or hang up and place the order 

online. He understood that consumers today want to 

be in control of the process, and they want what they 

want…fast. 

The company is in New York; I am in Florida. I 

needed it in two days. No problem. FedEx changed 


the speed of delivery years ago. Forty-eight hours 

after our conversation, my new wireless microphone 

was in my possession. 

For years, I have taught the adage, “Principles don’t 

change; only technique and application do.” The 

principles of my experience with the audio equipment 

company apply to most business experiences today. 

We still use trusted sources to guide us. Those trusted 

sources may or may not be people we know. We still 

want things done effectively, but today, responsiveness 

(i.e., speed) matters. 

Although the technique and application of the 

principles of certain situations may change, the 

principles of how they work don’t. We must pay close 

attention to the world our consumers are living in to 

determine the techniques or applications we need to 

apply. 

Time is no longer our friend, but speed is. If we emulate 

Google’s offer of instant information by using our 

own websites, hiring friendly customer service agents 

willing to answer questions immediately by phone, 

and offering fast-as-lightning services or shipping, we 

can match the experiences our customers are having 

in the other parts of their world. They are accustomed 

to “point…click…answers,” and we can fulfill their 

modern need for near-instant gratification. Or we can 

be left behind, like a business card with no website. 

Gary O’Sullivan, CCFE is President of the Gary O’Sullivan 

Company. Gary is a consultant, keynote speaker, and author, 

specializing in the areas of sales, leadership, corporate culture, and 

personal development. Gary has received an Honorary Doctorate 

from the ICCFA and in 2011 received a Life Time Achievement 

Award for the SCCFA. For over two decades he has been recognized 

as the Nation’s top rated speaker by ICCFA and is currently the 

Dean of the ICCFA, J. Asher Neel College of Sales and Marketing. 

Gary has been a leading innovator in our profession. His audio 

series, The Basic Approach to Selling Preneed, is the best-selling 

audio series in the history of preneed. He has also produced the 

DVD training program The Power to Sell Preneed, numerous audio 

CDs, and his book, PrinciplePower for Sales Success is a practical 

approach to sales success. 

Gary O’Sullivan, CCFE 

Gary O’Sullivan Company 

PO Box 770208 

Winter Garden, FL 34787 

P 407.877.8700 

go@garyosullivan.com 

www.garyosullivan.com 

PIERCE M ORTUARY C OLLEGES 

E XCELLENCE IN F UNERAL SERVICE E DUCATION 

The 

Right 

Choice! 

John Braboy, President 

Mid-America College 

800-221-6158 . www.mid-america.edu 

Patty Hutcheson, President 

Gupton-Jones College 

800-848-5352 . www.gupton-jones.edu 

Give Us A Call 800-527-6419 

IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 ( P.L. 88-352) STUDENTS ACCEPTED WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE , COLOR , NATIONAL ORIGIN , SEX , RELIGION , AGE OR DISABILITY . 

26 The Southern Funeral Director Alliance Cremation 2011 

10 The Southern Funeral Director • Alliance November 2011

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Baby Boomers: 

The Economy 

Changes Even 

Their World 

By: Larry Merington 

Stewart Enterprises 

The Boomer generation has long been 

identified as eternal optimists, seeking 

fun loving and live-life to its fullest 

activities with a never-get-old attitude. 

Then the recession descended into their world, a slow 

acting poison that as the recession deepened and 

lengthened resulted in a persistent sickness that has 

now changed Boomers’ views of their world. The 

impact is lasting; there will be no elastic return to 

the former viewpoint. The new status quo is a less 

optimistic group that is deeply upset with happened 

to their world in the past two years. 

Still, the Boomers are a lively bunch with an 

underlying desire to make their mark even in 

retirement, to belong to organizations that give back 

to their communities and to want to live experiences 

that make their heart pound fast with excitement or 

their mind race with curiosity. 

This generation is some 26 million people greater than 

the generation before, an aggregate total of 78 million 

in force. They are also the wealthiest generation ever 

with an approximate value of $40 trillion; a sum that 

will be partially transferred to the next generation, the 

sons and daughters of the Boomers. They invented 

rock-and-roll, defied authority, pronounced new 

religions and generally angled sharply away from 

the habits and practices of their parents. They have 

presence and power and they will not go quietly into 

the night. 

The Recession 

Two plus years of economic uncertainty has taken 

its toll on the planet’s population with no one being 

spared an impact. The Boomers reaction to this 

12 


Armageddon-like period is one of disgust – disgust 

with the nearly all institutions and the role each 

played in tipping over the pillars of confidence that 

once existed in the financial strength of America. 

They are distrustful now of all politicians, of bankers, 

of money managers and of the infrastructures that 

support them. 

Boomers now fear that the government will claw back 

Medicare and Social Security benefits, essentially 

breaking their contract with America’s citizens who 

elected them. This anger is not so much militant as 

it is unbelieving—how could the government do this? 

They also blame the media for “spinning” news and 

injecting bias, so much so that Boomers have largely 

ditched print and television news for online sources of 

information that meet their personal news preferences. 

Another indication of the stress the recession has had 

on Boomers is the migration of their children back 

into their homes. In 2011, there are more kids moving 

back into the parent’s house than are leaving. So now 

Boomers are once again supporting their children at a 

time when they believed they would be empty nesters. 

This situation creates not only economic strain on the 

parents, but also introduces the fear that the children 

will not be self-sufficient in the near term, just when 

the Boomers wanted to retire. 

customized to their needs and wants for a unique 

experience, often one that can be repeated again and 

again (think spa treatment). 

When selling to Boomers it is important to know that 

they will press for detailed information, they will 

research your product or service and compare your 

offer with that of your competitors. They will engage 

you in their process and expect you to address their 

needs in an honest and straightforward way. You may 

want to inject some humor into your marketing and 

sales efforts with this group. They find it hard to be 

serious for very long. 

Status and Stature 

We all wish to be remembered as a significant person, 

someone that added to the human experience while 

alive on planet Earth. The Boomers are obsessed 

about remembrance. 

Recognition or status are fundamental goals for 

Boomers—they want to be known for their skills, their 

insight, their commitment to causes and as mature 

spokespersons for what works and does not work in 

our lives. This is not a stagnant want; Boomers flood 

experience-based classes and skill honing events in 

Net effect, many decisions have been placed on hold, 

including additional vacations, summer homes, new 

cars and boats and the decision to retire. Boomers 

now feel they must work longer than expected to 

replace lost retirement benefits and funds and to pay 

for the support of other family members. They likely 

will avoid making long-term financial commitments 

unless they perceive overwhelming value in doing so. 

In true Boomer fashion though, they do not let a little 

old recession get them down. Instead, Boomers are 

adjusting to their new reality with more positive than 

negative responses. 

Engage With 

Boomers value engaged experiences above almost all 

other wants and needs. They are a generation that 

deeply values engagement—in all forms. They lust 

for information and discussion of topics, hence one 

of the forces behind the migration to online news 

systems that enable blogging and interaction channels. 

They seek personalization in products and services, 



the continual pursuit of adding even more capabilities 

to their resume. 

Boomers seek out venues to display their mastery, 

replacing the value placed on owning “things” with 

the value of being able to do “things” at the very 

highest level of skill. 

These traits must be taken into account when 

discussing with a Boomer how they would like to 

be remembered. This is such an important force in 

their decision making process and any short-cutting 

of listening to the response will reap a negative 

reaction. As primal as thirst is for humans, the need 

to be recognized, placed on a status pedestal, to have 

stature for Boomers is close to the same. 

A Generation of Volunteers 

Boomers will link status with the act of volunteering 

for causes and rewarding experiences in caring for the 

less fortunate. This generation, though thought of as 

somewhat self-centered, is one of the largest volunteer 

armies ever assembled in America. 

The primary volunteer commitment for Boomers is 

that of one related to caring for people. They want 

to help the homeless, sit with the lonely, smile with 

the cancer patients, build a house for the unfortunate, 

feed the hungry and help the youth survive their 

surroundings. 

They habitually choose brands of products that make 

them feel cared for. Boomers swarm Nordstrom, 

Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Southwest Airlines, 

Whole Foods and similar venues where caring 

for the customer means something. This do unto 

me as I would do unto you concept translates into 

volunteering for organizations that bring real care to 

those that need it. 

Want to find a covey of Boomers to meet up with, 

share ideas or join socially, then go volunteer your 

time to a worthy cause. There will be no shortage of 

contacts to make if you are genuinely interested in 

being a dedicated volunteer. 

Female Power 

Boomers are … a lot of females. In fact, females 

have now overtaken males in the workforce with 

approximately 51% of the US working force now 

female. Men, for the first time in history, have been 

usurped in jobs by the emerging power of females. 

Not only do they dominate the workforce statistics, 

females in households account for approximately 80%+ 

of all purchasing decisions, leaving them with more 

buying power than Spain or Greece. And the matriarch 

of this power is the Boomer female, a savvy, mature 

and engaging sort who is very comfortable being the 

ultimate consumer. She also has the most money. 

To more fully appreciate what marketers have come to 

know about female power, consider the advertisements 

for new cars which list power doors, extra cup holders 

and video systems that are tailored for women, not 

men. Several years ago portable toilet manufacturers 

woke up to a sea of complaints from women about 

the male dominated design of port-a-johns. So wisely 

they invented the Pink Porta Jane, a female friendly 

version that is now in high demand. 

The female Boomer is also one of the members of 

the Social Mavens, a sub-group of the youngest 

Boomers and oldest Gen-Xers, aged 45-54 that are 

highly engaged in societal happenings, act and 

are empowered in making decisions or having 

opinions to voice, experience seekers, users of all 

communication technologies that plug them into the 

net and are cheerfully vocal optimists who see life 

as a wonderful journey. This group is perhaps the 

uber-power segment. Marketers need to be wise and 

innovative to match wits with this cohort. 

The baby Boomers are a generation that has no 

peer. There is no comparison to make with other 

generations in other countries either as America is a 

unique experience that translates poorly to the history 

of Europe or South America or Asia. With this in 

mind, the goal for all that wish to know more about 

this group and how best to relate to them should 

be to commit yourself to learning. There is ample 

literature to be found on the traits and characteristics 

of Boomers and learning about this group is more 

fun than research. And despite the shift in their 

nature due to a devastating three years of economic 

upheaval, Boomers still view themselves as special 

agents that will find some way or ways to right the 

wrongs that they feel have been inflicted. 

And we should hope they do for as sons and daughters 

of the Greatest Generation, they obviously carry the 

gene that righted many wrongs and led to one of the 

most strengthening eras in American history. 

14 


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Succeeding 

in a Changing 

World 

By Joseph Bartolacci, Chief Executive 

Officer Matthews International 

Jack Welch, the former CEO of 

General Electric, preached “Change 

before you have to.” While change is 

the one constant in all of our business 

lives, it is also the thing we most 

generally want to ignore. Companies 

who have continued to succeed, like 

Apple and Microsoft, have one thing 

in common: they change before they 

have to. Ask yourself, “Have I changed 

my business?” This is a particularly 

relevant question in the funeral industry 

where cultural and economic trends 

are affecting traditions every day. 

We at Matthews International are trying to change 

before we have to and are looking to work with our 

customers and the industries in which we operate 

to help facilitate change as well. We have identified 

key trends affecting our industry, and created new 

strategic approaches that will allow us and our 

customers to grow in this ever-changing world. 

The first of these is the long-term trend of cremation 

without memorialization. While cremation is likely to 

grow, the work we have done with consumers shows 

that given emotionally-appropriate information about 

their choices, families are ready to memorialize their 

loved ones, even with cremation. In much of Europe, 

where cremation is already a significant means of 

final disposition, memorialization is a normal part 

of tradition and the grieving process. In Europe, the 

presumption is that you memorialize your deceased 

family members out of respect and dignity. 

This is consistent with another major trend we have 

observed, which is an increasingly strong desire by 

maturing baby boomers to remember their families, 

and to be remembered themselves. From Ancestry. 

com to Facebook, consumers are expressing a desire 

to connect, to remember, to leave a footprint, and to 

do so in highly personal and permanent ways. For our 

industry, this is certainly positive news and represents 

an opportunity. 

But it doesn’t mean we can continue business as 

usual—we have to give our families new and important 

reasons to create permanent memorials, and we have 

to educate them about their memorialization choices. 

This will require investment in niches and cremorials 

long before we may be sure to sell them but remember 

… new traditions are not created in a day. Instead, 

traditions by definition are rituals or beliefs passed 

down within a society, maintained in the present, but 

with origins in the past. Let’s create the traditions of 

the future today. 

To that end, we as leaders in memorialization 

have created new product lines like our Lasting 

MemoriesTM Memorials, and our new granite lines 

that feature innovative and personal ways for families 

to honor their loved ones. These new products allow 

families to design memorials that feature pictures, 

stories, and cameos, and in our granite line, to 

design personal monuments limited only by their 

imagination. 

While having the right products is important, we 

also need to help our customers build the demand 

for memorialization. So we’ve also created The 

Remembrance ProcessSM, the first national program 

in the industry to market to families on behalf of 

our customers. The Remembrance ProcessSM uses 

a national website, Internet Marketing, National PR, 

Social Media, and a Hospice/Clergy Outreach Program 

to reach families before they need our products, and to 

show them the value of “remembrance” and the many 

new choices they have for permanently honoring their 

loved ones. The website also features an exclusive 

search engine that allows families looking for a 

16 


SM 

THE REMEMBRANCE PROCESS 

We didn’t create these testimonials. 

(Just the program that made them possible.) 

“Finally, a supplier who is willing to help me market. 

matthews believes in our Future, and with remembrance process 

is helping me address a rapidly changing world.” 

Vinnie Faccinto, 

Managing Partner Signature Funeral Services 

“In a world in which competitive advertising 

and media combine to say that the services we provide are increasingly not 

necessary, it’s important for us to create our own positive message. 

The Remembrance Process is the first program to reach out to consumers, 

hospice and clergy with a message that says we are an important part of 

helping families deal with the worst times of their lives. 

With Remembrance, Matthews is sticking up for its customers.” 

Ken Varner, 

President, ICCFA and CEO Cypress Lawn 

“In today’s environment of withering loyalties and selfish behavior it is indeed a breath of fresh 

air to see Matthews step to the forefront. Our greatest gift to families is our service, support and 

care for them. Through the Remembrance Process, Matthews has recognized this. 

By providing their support and commitment to our service we can all better serve our 

communities in many different ways.” 

Mark Anthony, 

President, Anthony Funeral & Cremation Chapels Rochester, NY 

“The Remembrance Process is just one more example of how Matthews is equipping their 

customers to meet the changing needs of the families we serve. 

We can also be a part of establishing a standard of honesty and service set by locally 

owned funeral providers across the country.” 

David B Massey, 

Woodlawn Funeral Home, President, Texas Funeral Directors Association 

The Remembrance Process SM is the first national consumer-oriented marketing 

program focused on growing business for funeral homes and cemeteries. It educates 

consumers on the importance of remembering their loved ones and the vital role you play 

in that process. It also provides Authorized Remembrance Providers SM with the essential 

marketing tools to win in their local markets. 

For more information call your Matthews Sales Representative, or 1-800-223-4964, 

ext. 8433, or visit www.remembranceprocess.com 

Total Solutions 

©2011 Matthews International Corporation 


mains to their home and display them on the mantle or 

shelf cemetery have to the find constant one from reminder our of list their of loved Authorized one’s 

presence Remembrance and, the ProvidersSM. reminder of the physical loss. The importance 

of all families returning to a life of “normalcy”, 

is These so important! are just some It is of much the industry-leading easier to do so without initiatives the 

daily we are awareness undertaking or reminder to help of our sorrow industry by the grow. urn Based being 

present in their home. It is also a very important consideration 

to allow other members of the family or 

on our research with families we know change can be 

friends 

more than 

to visit 

a threat, 

the physical 

it can also 

location 

be an 

of 

opportunity 

the urn in their 

for 

desire real growth-- to occasionally long relate as we to change and to before pay respect we have to the to. 

life that lived! Where would you like this urn to be in 5, 

20, or 50 years? Who remains among the living that 

knew the deceased in 50 years? A cemetery or columbarium 

Joseph is C. the Bartolacci 

permanent location for cremated remains. 

President and CEO 

Those Matthews that International choose to scatter Corporation cremains or to bury cremains 

at sea are eliminating future generations from 

equating with the physical location of what was physically 

left of a human life. We human creatures primarily 

relate to physical existence and location, in all of our reflections 

in life and the feeling of prior existence, both 

physical and spiritual. Tourists travel the world over to 

visit the burial locations of significant individuals and 

events, even back to the days of the pyramids and the 

Taj Mahal and Normandy, and Ground Zero in New 

York City. 

Again, we must acknowledge that all of us human creatures 

do normally react to and relate to the physical locations 

in life that have meaning. The burial location of 

a loved one that we knew in life is a very tangible element 

Joseph in C. our Bartolacci, reflection CPA and and recollection JD of the past. Thus, 

we do visit the physical locations of not only burial locations, 

but the locations in which we worship and reflect 

Mr. Bartolacci on life joined and its Matthews origin and International its past. Corporation Temples, in 

churches, March 1997 cathedrals, as general or counsel. houses In of May worship 1999, are he the became best 

examples president of of Caggiati, physical the locations Company’s in which wholly-owned we frequent, bronze to 

pay subsidiary homage in Parma, to or give Italy, tribute where he to, lived in our until conviction, January 2004. belief, 

While and in Europe, perception he acquired of an Almighty and managed Creator nine businesses or Maker 

(God). 

to create 

It 

the 

is often 

largest 

said 

packaging 

“Why do 

graphics 

we get 

group 

dressed 

in Europe, 

up and 

go 

currently 

to a church 

with sales 

or a 

over 

temple 

$200M. 

to worship when we can worship 

and glorify our Maker at any location or point in 

Mr. Bartolacci returned from Europe to assume the role of 

life?” We do so, however, because it is a physical action, 

president of the Company’s casket operations until September 

an outright sign, and location that we believe houses the 

2005, when Mr. Bartolacci was appointed to president and 

spirit to which we relate in our faith. In some faiths it is 

chief operating officer of Matthews and was also elected to 

essential to worship in a specific building in which we 

the Board of Directors. On October 1, 2006, Mr. Bartolacci 

can sense and feel the presence of an almighty spirit and 

was appointed president and chief executive officer. 

creator. 

Prior to joining Matthews International, Joe was vice 

Therefore, those who choose to scatter cremains or to 

president and general counsel for Thrift Drug, Inc. During 

take cremains home in the form of an urn or a container, 

his tenure, Joe was solely responsible for negotiations of 

or bury cremated remains at sea, are eliminating future 

acquisitions, credit agreements, and supervised more than 

generations 

180 active lawsuits 

of having 

at any 

the privilege 

given time. 

to relate 

Preceding 

to a permanent 

Thrift 

Drug, 

physical 

Inc., Mr. 

location 

Bartolacci 

where 

was 

the 

an 

remains 

associate 

of the 

attorney 

vessel or 

at 

body 

Reed Smith 

that held 

Shaw 

the 

& McClay, 

spirit is 

focusing 

buried. 

on 

Psychologists 

the corporate 

and 

and 

those taxation professionals area with experience who study in litigation, the human real mind estate know and 

well estate the planning. importance Touche of Ross closure, & Co. - is - where - of relating Joe started to the his 

physical career as existence a senior auditor. that meant This so position much to afforded us in life. him We the 

all opportunity know how to practical difficult business, it is when tax the and bodies auditing or experience remains 

of in manufacturing, our loved ones, banking, such as retail the and POW’s, advertising. MIA’s, or those 

who were killed in action, are not returned to us, or those 

who A Pittsburgh were tragically native, taken Mr. Bartolacci in accidents earned where his there BA are in 

no accounting remains. at St. The Vincent consequences College in Latrobe, and the PA mental and received hunger 

of a Juris those Doctorate left behind degree want from to relate the University to the body of or Pittsburgh, the vessel 

School that of held Law. the spirit. Again, there is seldom closure 

without the presence of the physical remains. 

Guaranteed to Outperform the Competition 

Our Products are designed to: 

look & perform better 

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Offer the best value in the industry 

MANUFACTURING A FULL LINE 

OF CEMETERY, FUNERAL HOME, 

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SINCE 1962 

18 

sales@hollandsupplyinc.com 

1-800-527-8818 

The Southern Funeral Director • Alliance NFDA & CANA Pre Convention 2011 

www.hollandsupplyinc.com 

The Southern Funeral Director Alliance Cremation 2011 7

INDUSTRY NEWS 

“Cake Boss” Helps Matthews and Pontone Family 

Celebrate 80 Years in the Casket Business 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, December 1, 2011 – 

Renowned cake artist and television personality 

Buddy Velastro, better known as the “Cake Boss”, 

leant his artisanal culinary skills to Matthews for the 

Pontone family’s 80th anniversary celebration at the 

recent New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association 

convention. Velastro, master baker at Carlo’s City 

Hall Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey, is one of 

the most successful cake artists in the United States. 

His TLC-network show “Cake Boss” is viewed by 

millions across the country. 

The NJSFDA convention, held annually at the Trump 

Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, provided a forum for 

Matthews and other funeral industry suppliers to 

showcase their newest products. In addition to their 

trade show display, Matthews hosted a customer 

appreciation dinner and party at il Mulino restaurant 

for well over one-hundred New York and New 

Jersey funeral home customers. The party was held 

to express gratitude to customers and celebrate the 

Pontone family’s 80 years of dedicated service to the 

funeral profession. Following dinner, an elaborate 

sculpture-like cake was unveiled by the Cake Boss, 

intricately detailed to depict the Pontone’s original 

South Brooklyn Casket Company office and casket 

warehouse. Every detail of the Union Street address 

was painstakingly captured, from the weathered 

bricks to the wood grain of caskets sitting atop a 

delivery truck. The base of the cake featured a series 

of photos adorning its perimeter, showing members 

of the storied Pontone family past and present. During 

the party, Sales Manager Michael Pontone delivered 

a speech that thanked customers for their support 

and renewed the pledge that both Matthews and 

the Pontone family are dedicated to helping funeral 

directors succeed and grow their business for many 

years to come. 

Following the party, Vice 

President and General 

Manager Andrew Pontone 

commented, “The cake 

was an absolute work 

of art, and beautifully 

honored the history of the 

Pontone family business”. 

Sales Manager Steven 

Pontone added, “Hearing 

the wonderful feedback 

from customers means 

a lot to my family, and 

reinforces the fact that 

80 years later, Matthews 

continues to uphold the 

high ideals on which our 

family business began”. 

The Matthews International Casket Division is a 

leading United States-based manufacturer of caskets 

and other funeral service products. The Division 

produces a wide variety of high-quality wood and 

metal caskets and offers urns, showroom display 

systems, IMS management software and an innovative 

consumer-based marketing program known as 

The Remembrance Process. For more information 

regarding Matthews products, contact your local 

Matthews Sales Representative, call 800.223.4964 or 

visit Matthews on the web at www.matw.com. 


June - July 2011 SFD:- 9/20/11 1:06 PM Page 27 

INDUSTRY NEWS 

Thacker Expands Selection of Economical Personalization Options 

Thacker Caskets, Inc, the recognized industry leader in 

providing economical personalization options to their 

customers and to the families that they serve, announces 

two important additions to their personalized casket 

selection. The Summit 18ga steel casket, and the Fairfax 

Solid Poplar casket continue the Thacker “tradition of 

innovation” when it comes to attractive yet affordable 

personalization. 

In announcing these important additions Thacker 

President, C.J. Thacker said, “Heretofore our 

personalization initiatives have been primarily focused 

on our 20ga steel caskets. Our customers asked for the 

same economical Thacker personalization options but in 

18ga steel and in hardwood for those families choosing 

to select a bit higher. Our customers asked… Thacker 

listened and delivered”. 

Mike Beardsley, Thacker VP of Sales & Marketing 

added, “We introduced these exciting new designs 

at our National Sales Meeting held in September at 

our Florence, Alabama factory. Our Thacker sales 

representatives were elated. Initial sales of the Summit 

and Fairfax have exceeded our most optimistic 

projections. Funeral Directors easily see the opportunity 

for enhanced margins that these new caskets present all 

while enabling their families to express their sentimental 

feelings at a reasonable price. Families appreciate being 

able to “custom design” an appropriate final tribute for 

their loved ones.” 

The Summit 18ga casket is available in 2 attractive 

finishes: Silver shaded Ebony, and Dark Bronze shaded 

Copper. These caskets may be personalized in a number 

of popular themes for next-day delivery to most areas. 

The Summits feature hand-sewn interiors, FluidGard 

Plastic Tray Liners, 24” inside width, and highly 

detailed decals with carefully embroidered back panels 

in the optional Personalization Packages. 

The Fairfax Solid Poplar casket sports a rich, hand 

polished Cherry finish, and a hand-sewn rose tan crepe 

interior. The classic “post and beading” design coupled 

with the attractive personalization options make the 

Fairfax a “can’t miss” addition to any selection room. 

Today’s “Baby Boomer” consumers are particularly 

drawn to the warmth, beauty, and individuality founds 

in nature’s own hardwood. 

The Summit and the Fairfax join the wildly successful 

Hartley and Olympic (extra-size) caskets to give Thacker 

the broadest selection of affordable personalization in 

the industry. You can count on Thacker innovation to 

provide the products and services so valued by Funeral 

Directors and consumers alike in these troubled 

economic times. 

EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR READERS OF 

SOUTHERN FUNERAL DIRECTOR MAGAZINE 

Would you like to try the new Summit, the Fairfax, or 

BOTH for 30 days without obligation? You can take a 

“sneak preview” simply by calling your Thacker Sales 

Representative or the Thacker Customer Service Offices 

in Clinton, Maryland at 1-800-637-8891. You must 

mention that you read about the Summit and the Fairfax 

in the Southern Funeral Director magazine to receive 

this FREE TRIAL OFFER. Certain conditions apply. 

Not all callers may qualify. Your sales representative or 

our Thacker Customer Service Associates will share all 

the details. 

Thacker Caskets, Inc. is America’s 4th largest 

manufacturer of metal caskets. Thacker is also 

proud to produce this country’s “most American-made 

metal caskets”. Thacker utilizes no imported 

components in the production of their caskets. 

If “Made in the USA” and keeping jobs in this 

country are important to you then be sure to contact 

Thacker at 1-800-637-8891, and visit the Thacker 

website at www.thackercaskets.com. 

SELLING your 

FUNERAL HOME 

or CEMETERY? 

We provide the service you expect! 

TOTALLY DISCREET MARKETING 

–or Listing on Our Web Site– 

Receiving over 23,000 hits monthly. 

We maintain a large data base 

of qualified buyers. 

We also can simplify loan processing for: 

• Purchase 

• Expansion • Working Capital 

• Inventory • Equipment 

CONVENTIONAL or SBA LOANS 

1-800-341-0100 

“As a family owned 

and operated 

business, you have 

my guarantee of 

personal service.” 

DICK MATISE 

www.matise.com 

www.alliance’04 The 8-6-04 Southern Funeral Director Alliance Cremation 2011 27 

20 



A Visit to Genesis Casket Company 

Discovering a New and Innovative Way to Meet the Demands of the Funer al Profession 

By: John Yopp 

Earlier this year, Southern Funeral Director magazine 

made plans to attend the Casket & Funeral Supply 

Association of America (CFSAA) Fall Conference in 

Indianapolis on November 14 & 15. While in town, 

we decided to see if a visit to the new Genesis Casket 

Company plant could be arranged to learn more about 

this new venture. 

The folks at Genesis were happy to have us stop by 

and we soon learned we would not be the only guests. 

The company was conducting its first Genesis Listens 

session with a number of funeral directors. Southern 

Funeral Director magazine was invited to “tag along” 

during the session to observe the Genesis operations 

from a funeral director’s perspective. 

most devoted to production. We learned that the 

previous owner, SMC Corporation, used the facility 

as its North American headquarters as well as for 

manufacturing and distribution – the same things for 

which Genesis is now using the building. 

The afternoon started with a quick tour of the product 

showroom located just off the lobby. There, several of 

the caskets are shown on displays that showcased the 

unique features of the casket. The room also features 

large graphics and several multi-media presentations. 

During this part of the tour, we learned a little 

bit about Genesis’s relationship with its partner, 

Gestamp, a global leader in the steel, automotive 

components and renewable energy industries. The 

company’s North American headquarters is based 

in Troy, MI, and designs, develops and manufactures 

metal components, metal stampings and structural 

systems for many premier auto companies, including 

Ford, GM, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and 

Volkswagen. Gestamp North America is a subsidiary 

of Gestamp Automoción, S.L., a privately held 

company based in Madrid, Spain. 

Gestamp has 100 industrial plants in more than 25 

countries, spanning four continents. With a worldwide 

workforce of more than 21,000 employees, Gestamp 

brings considerable expertise, talent, technology 

and experience to the table. Gestamp is one of the 

world’s largest buyers of stainless and carbon steel. It 

appears that Gestamp’s experience in product design, 

engineering, processing, tooling, mig and resistance 

welding, robotic assemblies, roll forming, stretch 

bending, operations, and delivery has been invaluable 

as Genesis developed and finalized its product 

manufacturing and assembly. 

When we arrive at the location, we couldn’t help but 

notice the size of the plant. The building is situated 

on 18 acres on the east side of Indianapolis. The 

facility has almost 250,000 square feet of space, with 

Once the showroom tour is finished, a rear door in the 

room takes you directly to the production floor. From 

there, we were led on a plant tour that showcased the 

Genesis manufacturing process. During this tour, 

we were able to see firsthand the manufacturing of a 

Genesis casket. 

Thanks to their Gestamp connection, Genesis has 

adopted a number of innovative manufacturing 

22 


processes that are used extensively in the automotive 

industry to produce metal caskets. The first of these 

is roll forming. Roll forming is a continuous bending 

operation in which a long strip of sheet metal taken 

from a large coil is passed through sets of rolls 

mounted on consecutive stands, each set performing 

only an incremental part of the bend, until the desired 

casket cross-section profile is obtained. At the end of 

the operation line, the roll formed panel is cut to the 

required length. 

system that provides a finish that’s second to none. 

If the unit is to be brushed, there is a separate area 

located next to the paint area where this takes place. 

Upon exiting the paint area, the casket then enters the 

final assembly area. This is where the hardware and 

interiors are installed as well as joining the cap to the 

shell. Upon leaving this area, the casket is inspected 

before moving to the logistics warehouse. 

The metal piece or “stick” is then taken to the stretch 

bender. In stretch bending, a length of sheet metal (in 

Genesis’s case, one that has just come from the roll 

forming machine) is positioned over a die block and 

the die block stretches and bends the sheet to form 

the U-shape part. These two parts are then joined via 

a robotic weld at both the front and back of the casket 

to form the upper shell of the casket. This upper shell 

is then joined to the bottom panel of the casket via a 

robotic weld. 

Located within the building is the Genesis 

Indianapolis warehouse, from where all caskets are 

As for the caps, they are stamped much like other 

metal caskets, but this process is not done in 

Indianapolis. Rather than tie up capital in a die press, 

we learned the head and foot caps are stamped in 

one of Gestamp’s automotive plants and shipped to 

Genesis. (Interestingly, the Gestamp plant in South 

Carolina that stamps these caps is also currently 

supplying steel automotive parts to the BMW plant 

located in nearby Spartanburg.) 

At this point, the shell and cap are then put through 

a number of robotic weld stations in preparation for 

painting. After welding, the casket and shell are place 

on a carriage conveyor system and put thorough a five 

stage wash system. Once they exit the last station, the 

cap and shell enter the paint system where they are 

then primed and then painted using a robotic paint 


use of these uniforms gave the 

overall plant operation a sense 

of real professionalism. 

Following the tour, we 

adjourned to a conference 

room. The funeral directors 

in the group were then asked 

a series of general questions 

about caskets and how they 

select them. We were placed 

in smaller groups and we 

accompanied one of the groups 

to another room where a Genesis 

casket was on display. Each 

group was asked to carefully 

inspect the casket and make a 

list of the positive and negative 

attributes for the casket. We 

then reconvened and presented 

these to the management team 

at Genesis. They were very 

appreciative of the candor of 

the group and took notes of 

what was presented. 

24 

Find us in more places than just campus. 

distributed. Some will go directly to funeral homes 

in Indiana, but most will be shipped to one of the 

Genesis distribution centers. Presently, the company 

has identified seven states where they will initially 

locate warehouses. These warehouses will supply 

funeral homes in the surrounding area. 

Aside from the facility being state of the art, the 

other thing that’s noticeable is the cleanliness of the 

facility and the production team. The manufacturing 

employees on the floor were dressed in white uniforms 

and the logistics personnel had blue uniforms. The 

The Southern Funeral Director • Alliance November 2011 

The teams were also asked 

about what they value in a 

casket by way of features. The 

session was then closed with a 

discussion about where Genesis 

should devote their new 

product development activities 

in the coming months. And as 

you might expect, the funeral 

directors were not hesitant in 

coming forth with suggestions 

and ideas. 

What lies ahead for Genesis is unclear, but we left 

with a new appreciation for what they are trying 

to accomplish. Tony Colson has assembled a 

knowledgeable and dedicated team and we could 

sense from everyone at Genesis – from the support 

staff to the front line associates – that they believe 

they can and will make a difference in funeral service. 

What we do know is that Genesis now employs almost 

100 associates that are responsible for manufacturing, 

distributing and selling a casket that is worthy of 

consideration by funeral professionals throughout the 

United States.

Set the bar high. 

Expect more from your casket supplier. 

You have high standards for your funeral home and it’s time to expect more 

from your casket supplier. Genesis Casket Company will deliver. 

Through the automotive expertise of our partner Gestamp Automoción, we’ll 

set new standards for fit, finish and appearance. Combining revolutionary 

design with best-in-class production and paint application technology, you’ll 

find exceptional value in an appealing line of affordable metal caskets. 

Discover what sets us apart. With our Flash-Dri paint system, Cap-Check 

hinge, and several other patented manufacturing processes, you’ll see why 

the same old thing just isn’t good enough for your funeral home today. 

Visit www.genesiscasket.com to learn what markets were presently serving. 

3011 N. Franklin Road • Indianapolis, Indiana 46226 

855-618-4501 www.genesiscasket.com 


INDUSTRY NEWS 

Master Grave Service adds Full Line of Signet Supply Metal, 

Hardwood and Cremation Caskets 

Signet Supply was created in response to the funeral 

homes’ need for lower cost, quality caskets delivered 

with uncompromised service. In the midst of the current 

national economic crisis, funeral homes are facing 

pressures from consumers, steady growth in cremation, 

and ever increasing product costs, all of which result in 

compressed margins. 

Grave Service only sells to licensed funeral home 

establishments. 

Master Grave Service, Inc. has been at the forefront in 

the funeral service industry since 1966. We have always 

been a service oriented business. Our background as 

funeral directors has helped us serve our customer base 

from a unique standpoint. 

Warren Chandler, Sr (left) and Johnny McClurd (right) in the new casket 

show room for Master Grave Service’s Signet Supply. 

Signet Supply strives to simply fill the gap between 

cost and quality, creating value for your funeral home 

and the customers you serve. We will, at the same time 

provide the trusted service you are accustomed to in the 

ordering, inspection and delivery of the product. 

By holding down our 

overhead costs, Signet 

Supply can provide you with 

very competitive pricing 

at the time of purchase - 

no discounts to calculate 

or rebate to track or wait 

on. In addition, Master 

We proudly offer opening and closing graves, 

personalized burial vaults, monuments and professional 

graveside set ups. We feel by adding the Signet Supply 

casket line it will help us become a more complete 

company. 

Signet Supply has 

established a solid 

supply chain and by 

offering a focused 

product line, will 

keep inventory cost 

down and production 

efficiencies up. We 

hope this new venture meets with your acceptance and 

more importantly, your orders. As always, we stand 

behind our products and service and encourage your 

feedback. 

Thank you very much for your past and present business 

and we look forward to serving you in the future. 

Sincerely, 

Warren Chandler, Sr. 

Owner & Founder 

Johnny McClurd Joins Master Grave Service 

26 

Warren Chandler, Sr., recently announced that Johnny 

McClurd, Ocilla, GA, has joined Master Grave Service 

as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales for their 

Signet Supply line of funeral products. Signet Supply offers 

a full line of high quality metal, hardwood, and cremation 

caskets. 

“Johnny brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise and 

founded relationships to our company and thankful to have 

someone of his caliber and professionalism to represent our 

company in the state of Georgia.” Mr. Chandler continues, 

“He has over 40 years of sales experience of funeral service 

products and understands the needs for the funeral home 


owner to adapt to the ever changing funeral industry.” 

Prior to Johnny’s new appointment with Master Grave 

Service, McClurd has been with many notable companies 

such as, Classic Metal Vaults/Doric Products, USA Vaults, 

Dixie Vaults and begin his career with Clark Grave Vault. 

Johnny is a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in the 

state of Georgia and recently received his 40 year pin at 

the Georgia FDA convention this past summer. He also 

is a member of the Academy of Graduate Emblamers of 

Georgia, Georgia Funeral Supply Sales Association (Past 

President and Secretary), Past President’s Club of Georgia, 

and associate member of Georgia FDA and Independent 

Funeral Directors of Georgia.

Benton-Glunt Funeral Home, Henderson, KY (Photo of James Veccia, Owner and Wayne 

Justice, Ambulance & Coach). Also, Ellis Galyon, Ambulance and Coach, delivering car keys for 

new INDUSTRY fleet of S&S NEWS Limo's delivered to the Central Kentucky that provides Livery assistance Service with children’s as shown funeral in front expenses of the 

Accubuilt Building, Lima, OH. 

for families in need. 

Organizational Affiliations 

Custom Casket 

Georgia We are FDA members Summer of the following Convention organizations: 

Independent Funeral Directors of GA (IFDG), Casket 

and Funeral Supply Association of America (CFSA), and 

National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). 


Company Description 

Custom Casket Company is an American owned and 

operated company located in Northern Georgia. We 

specialize in custom, personalized hardwood caskets, 

and have 30 years experience in providing fine wood 

products. We offer a hand-crafted, American-Made 

design that allows you to create a unique, memorable, 

and personalized experience for you or your loved one. 

Our patent pending handle will hold over 1/2 ton (1,000 

pounds), and the unique design allows the sides, head 

and foot to be decorated in any way imaginable. The 

straps of the handle which run along the bottom of the 

unit, adds extra strength and security, allows for a better 

grip for carrying, and protects during transportation. 

Customer Demographics 

We primarily distribute to Funeral Homes in Georgia 

and the Southeast, but we have also shipped units as far 

away as Kansas and New York. 

Community Involvement 

We have a program in place to donate a unit to families 

of fallen heroes (military, firefighter, or police officer) 

in the state of Georgia who fall in the line of duty. We 

have also donated a unit for a K-9 Officer. We are also 

working with Charlie’s Little Angles, an organization 

Branch Locations 

Pierce & Pierce, Buford, GA: We are proud to have 

Pierce & Pierce as our main manufacturing plant for 

our hardwood caskets. They have been in business for 

30 years and use only the best grades of quality select 

hardwoods, which are produced by some of the top 

lumber providers in the United States of America. 

Master Craft Engineering, Tifton, GA: Our patentpending 

handle is being manufactured by Master Craft 

Engineering. Master Craft has been in business for 

over 50 years. Since 1979, the Tifton location, with two 

adjoining facilities, has been headquarters of the entire 

Master Craft operation. Both Georgia facilities are 

expandable to meet the growing needs of the industrial 

south. 

Cherokee Specialty Caskets, Griffin, GA: Our casket 

interiors are provided by Cherokee Specialty Caskets, 

located in Griffin, Georgia. They have been the funeral 

industry for more than 65 years, and provide top quality 

casket interiors; and also provide specialty adult caskets 

to funeral homes across the United States and around 

the World. 

Custom Casket Company 

Bottom Handle 

Funeral Coach Inventory 

2011 S&S Medalist Cadillac - White -NEW! 

2011 S&S Medalist Cadillac - Blue - Oval Window - NEW! 

2011 S&S Medalist Cadillac - Black - NEW! 

2010 S&S Medalist Cadillac - Black/Silver - NEW! 

2007 S&S Medalist Cadillac - Black - 14K Miles 

2006 S&S Medalist Cadillac - Black/White - 21K Miles 

2006 Crown Sovereign - Black - 49K Miles 

2004 S&S Masterpiece Cadillac - Blue - w/Pull-out Table - 75K Miles 

1999 S&S Masterpiece Cadillac - Black/Gray - w/Pull-out Table - 51K Miles 

2005 S&S Limo 

6 Door 

Limousine Inventory 

2005 S&S 47" Cadillac w/Executive Roof - Black - 38K Miles 

2005 S&S Lincoln - 6DR - White - Leather - Reversible Center Seat -14K Miles 

2005 S&S 6DR Cadillac - Black/Silver - 18K Miles 

2005 S&S 6DR Cadillac - Silver - 24K Miles 

2005 Lincoln 46" 6DR - White - 23K Miles 

2004 S&S 6DR Cadillac w/Executive Roof - Dark Blue - 48K miles 

Custom Casket Company | 1603 Gibbs Drive | Gainesville, GA 30507 

(877) 57 – CASKET | info@customcasketcompany.com | www.customcasketcompany.com 

2010 S&S 

Cadillac Medalist 

American Made 

2005 S&S 

6 Door Cadillac Limo 

28 


The Southern Funeral Director Alliance Cremation 2011 17 


INDUSTRY NEWS 

Custom Air Trays 

Custom Air Trays opened its doors for business in 1992. 

What started as a suggestion from a close friend in the 

body removal business has grown to a nationally known 

manufacturer of high quality air trays and cremation 

related products. 

The company started in a very small building in 

Portsmouth, Virginia- so small that we didn’t even have 

inside plumbing. The original owners’ idea and dream 

was to have a company that put the customer first and 

make the best trays available at a competitive price. 

That philosophy continues today and is the key to our 

success at Custom Air Trays. 

As business grew it became apparent that additional 

space was needed. A move to nearby Virginia Beach 

provided room for growth... it also had nice bathrooms! 

Over the years a warehouse was added that allowed 

finished product to be stocked. “Same day shipping is 

the Rule, not the Exception” became the new slogan and 

added benefit for our customers. 

In 1998 one of the original owners decided to sell his 

interest to a group from North Carolina who were longtime 

suppliers and close friends. This added a new 

dimension to Custom Air Trays as the new owners 

brought an extensive background in the corrugated 

industry, a large part of the raw materials used in air tray 

production. Their cremation container designed in 1995 

with leak proof corners and moisture resistant coating is 

now one of Custom Air Tray’s best selling cremation 

containers and an industry standard. September of 2003 

brought a hurricane to Virginia Beach, which hastened 

our move to our current location of High Point, NC. This 

provided us more room for growth and better access 

to raw materials and freight carriers used to move the 

product to the customer. We have added new product 

design and better efficient manufacturing and are now 

very well positioned as Custom Air Trays prepares to 

celebrate our upcoming 20th year anniversary! 

Jim Hardy is one of the owners and serves as General 

Manager handling the day-to-day operations. Our team 

is very talented and experienced, led by Office Manager 

Cindy Davis and Plant Manager Jim Shinn. We are all 

dedicated to creating happy customers! 

Custom Air Trays has recently redesigned our website 

offering a user-friendly way to place orders via the 

Internet. Customers can check prices and get total 

YOUR WORST-CASE SCENARIO... 

WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED WITH OUR 

PERFORMANCE TESTED COMBINATION TRAY. 

We test ours in 

the lab so you 

don’t have to 

test it in the 

real world. 

1-800-992-1925 | CustomAirTrays.com 

© Custom Air Trays 


fragments.” Bio Cremation technology replaces the address a few common 

use of flame with the utilization of water, blended with 

misnomers 

an alkali solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH). The when describing 

Ambulance 

human 

and 

body 

Coach, 

is placed 

Nashville, 

into a pressurized 

orders and stainless 

TN delivers new fleet of white hearses, limo's and van to 

costs Ambulance 

Benton-Glunt for their Funeral 

Coach, including steel Nashville, cremation 

Home, freight Henderson, 

TN delivers 

KY (Photo 

new fleet 

of James 

of white 

Veccia, 

hearses, 

Owner 

limo's 

and 

and 

Wayne 

van to 

cost, Benton-Glunt Funeral Home, Henderson, KY 

Georgia 

(Photo of James 

FDA 

Veccia, 

Summer 

Owner 

Convention 

and Wayne 

Justice, instantly. chamber 

Ambulance We where service water 

& Coach). customers and alkali 

Also, Ellis Galyon, Ambulance and Coach, delivering car keys for 

through Justice, Ambulance Coach). Also, Ellis Galyon, Ambulance and Coach, delivering car keys for 

new fleet out are the automatically 

of S&S US from added 

Limo's locations and 

delivered in the 

to the Central Kentucky Livery Service as shown in front of the 

North new fleet temperature of S&S Limo's is raised delivered to 350°F. to the Central Kentucky Livery Service as shown in front of the 

Accubuilt 

Accubuilt Carolina, 

Building, 

Building, Texas 

Lima, 

Lima, and Virginia. 

Water, alkali, high-heat OH. 

OH. and highpressure 

These Michael additional Mims, “mini Cherokee working 

plants” 

in 

allow 

harmony Casket us President Receives 

to offer our products and great service 

at a 

Compassionate 

gently circulate 

competitive price while 

Friends 

over the body, 

reducing 

Professional Award 

causing a reaction that begins and 

delivery time completes and cost. the cremation process. 


Oak Brook, IL— Recognized as a in the United States and around the world, more than 

professional who has contributed greatly in the 10,000 a year. 

area Custom of supporting Air bereaved Let’s Trays families face produces it, after there a wide death are not variety many 

“As a bereaved parent I truly feel The 

of a child, Michael Mims, president and owner of 

of laboratory 

attractive 

tested, IPPC 

images 

registered 

when we Compassionate envision 

in Griffin, the “transition” Georgia has been of a compassionate human friends willing and able to offer 

and Friends is an organization of 

Cherokee Child Caskets 

awarded approved the Professional air trays Award and by combination the nation’s units. 

body to bones (B2B). Within support theto bereaved families,” says Michael Mims. 

largest Many self-help sizes bereavement organization, The 

complete are in death stock care and process, custom the 

Compassionate Friends. 

For more information about Cherokee 

sizes can be B2B quickly transition built is if inescapable. necessary. 

Casket Company, visit them on the web at www. 

We also “Michael’s have This quiet three is support a journey different of bereaved all of us styles will cherokeechildcaskets.com take of 

or call 800-535-8667. 

families exemplifies the best companies that 

cremation units regardless depending of whether on the our needs end of 

interact with those grieving the loss of a precious 

child,” of says the Patricia user. Loder, life Cremains choice executive is director containers, burial, of flame The rollers cremation 

products She or presented water are based the also award Bio available. Crema- 

630 chapters in the United States offering support to 

The Compassionate Friends has more than 

Compassionate and other Friends. 

to Mr. Mims at the recent Compassionate Friends bereaved families. Annually the organization sponsors 

We continually 

tion. 

look 

The 

for 

end 

new 

result 

and 

will 

better 

the 

National Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting 

same. The difference between 

the second Sunday in December in remembrance of all 

as more ways than to 1,000 build bereaved our parents, products siblings and and serve our 

burial, flame cremation children or Bio who have died at any age from any cause. Many 

grandparents customers! looked on Cremation in appreciation. is the B2B transition bereavement organizations and groups, including funeral 

Cherokee time Casket, line founded and the in 1941, “catalyst” homes, we sponsor services open to the public in conjunction 

specializes in and only supplies handcrafted with the event. 

You can learn choose. more With burial, about the Custom transition 

infant, children’s, and youth caskets to the funeral 

For more information about The 

Air Trays may via take 25 the years Internet and the catalyst @ 

industry. To support bereaved families, Mr. Mims’ Compassionate Friends and its many programs for 

company www.customairtrays.com reduce the body 

sponsors and then purchases or to 

special at bones call bereaved 

is soil us families, call toll-free 877-969-0010 or visit them 

reprintings at 800-992-1925. 

of The Compassionate and micro-organisms. Friends You brochure, may With on flame also 

the web at www.compassionatefriends.org. Also on 

Facebook at The Compassionate Friends/USA. 

“Understanding contact Grief cremation, 

Jim After a Child Hardy Dies.” the transition A copy directly is takes approximately 

casket that the company 2-3 hours ships and the 

at 

then included in every 

jimh@customairtrays.com. 

catalysts to reduce the body to 


Custom 


Casket 

Casket 

Company 

Company 



2011 S&S Medalist Cadillac - White -NEW! 

2011 Cadillac Masterpiece - Black w/Gray Leather Interior - Only 400 Miles! 

2011 S&S Medalist Cadillac - Blue - Oval Window NEW! 

2011 Cadillac Hearse - Blue w/Blue Leather Interior - Low Mileage 

2011 S&S Medalist Cadillac - Black - NEW! 

2010 Cadillac Hearse - Black on Silver - Gray Leather Interior - Excellent 

2010 2008 Cadillac S&S Medalist S&S Masterpiece Cadillac -- Blue Black/Silver w/Blue Leather - NEW! Interior - 38K Miles 

2007 2006 Cadillac S&S Medalist S&S Medalist Cadillac - Blue - Black w/Blue - Leather 14K Miles Interior - 31K Miles - Sharp 

2006 Cadillac S&S Medalist S&S Medalist Cadillac - Blue - Black/White w/Blue Leather - Interior 21K Miles - Call for Mileage 


2006 Cadillac S&S Masterpiece - Blue w/Blue Leather Interior - 34K Miles - Nice 

2006 Crown Sovereign - Black - 49K Miles 

2006 Cadillac Superior - White w/Gray Leather Interior - 15K Miles 


2004 S&S Masterpiece Cadillac - Blue - w/Pull-out Table - 75K Miles 

2006 Cadillac Hearse - Silver w/Gray Leather Interior - Only 13K Miles! 

1999 2006 Cadillac S&S Masterpiece S&S Masterpiece Cadillac - Black - Black/Gray w/Black Leather - w/Pull-out Interior - 39K Table Miles - 51K - Must Miles See! 

2004 Cadillac S&S Masterpiece - Blue w/Blue Leather Interior - Call for Mileage - Excellent 


2004 Cadillac Hearse - Black on White w/Neutral Leather Interior - Call for Mileage 

2003 Cadillac S&S Masterpiece - Black w/Blue Leather Interior - 43K - Very Nice 

2005 S&S 47" Cadillac w/Executive Roof - Black - 38K Miles 


2005 S&S Lincoln - 6DR - White - Leather - Reversible Center Seat -14K Miles 

2005 S&S Limo 

2011 Cadillac 6 Masterpiece 

Door 

2010 S&S 

2006 Cadillac Superior 

Cadillac Medalist 

American Made 

2005 2007 Cadillac S&S 6DR S&S Cadillac Limo - Dark - Black/Silver Blue w/Blue Leather - 18K Miles Interior - Only 15K Miles! 

Custom Casket Company | 1603 

2005 2006 Lincoln Gibbs 

S&S 6DR Limo Drive 

Cadillac - 65” Stretch | 

- 

Gainesville, 

Silver - White - 24K w/White Miles Leather GA Interior 30507 - 24K Miles 

(877) 57 – CASKET | info@customcasketcompany.com 2005 Cadillac S&S Limo - Silver w/Gray Leather | www.customcasketcompany.com 

Interior - 23K - Very Nice 

American Made 

2005 Lincoln 46" 6DR - White - 23K Miles 

Custom Casket Company | 1603 

2004 Cadillac 

Gibbs 

S&S 

Drive 

Limo - Dark 

| Gainesville, 

Blue w/Blue Leather 

GA 

Interior 

30507 

- Call for Mileage 

2004 S&S 6DR Cadillac w/Executive Roof - Dark Blue - 48K miles 

2007 Cadillac 2005 S&S 

(877) 57 – CASKET | info@customcasketcompany.com | www.customcasketcompany.com 6 Door Cadillac Limo 


30 





INDUSTRY NEWS 

News Release 

Display Room/Warehouse: 

1014 14th Street 

Service Casket Company 

Genesis Casket Names High Profile Leader as Special Advisor Post Office Box 5664 

Robert G. Horn to Provide Guidance to Genesis Board of Directors Columbus, Georgia 31906 

Since 1981, Service Casket Company, Inc. has 

provided high quality, competitively priced products 

1-800-226-1245 

and 

Casket 

the absolute 

manufacturer 

finest 

Genesis 

in customer 

Casket 

service. 

Company 

We 

today announced 

that Robert G. (Bob) Horn has accepted an appoint- 

(706) 322-2791 

are a family owned business with locations in 

ment to the Genesis Casket Board of Directors as a special 

Fax: (706) 322-2745 

Columbus, Georgia and Havana, Florida. Service 

advisor. Horn began serving in this capacity at the Genesis 

Casket Company distributes a full line of top quality 

August 30th board meeting. 

SCOTT JONES, CEO 

hardwoods, metal, cloth, youth and a large selection scottjones@servicecasketcompany.com 

of oversized 

“We are pleased 

caskets. 

and honored that Bob has accepted our invitation 

to serve and that he will be involved with our company,” BETTE COLEY, Office Manager 

stated Genesis WE President DISTRIBTE and Chief Executive Officer William bettecoley@servicecasketcompany.com 

A Full Anthony line (Tony) of metal Colson. caskets “I am personally – bronze, looking copper, forward to 

stainless working steel, with 18 him gauge, and 20 for gauge Genesis gasketed, Casket 20 and gauge all of funeral Florida Representative: 

nongasketed. service to benefit A Full from line the of Hardwood wisdom and Caskets expertise – he brings. 

Carlos Barrett 

cloth His covered dedication wood to funeral caskets. service Artline and stellar Caskets reputation and will help Cell: (850) 933-9421 

Oversize Genesis Caskets. address Also several Burial of the Garments issues facing – regular funeral professionals 

oversize, today. Funeral ” Director Umbrellas, Air 

and 

Trays, C ombo Air Trays and Cremation Trays, 

High 

Body Horn Bags, began Register his career Books in the and funeral Acknowledgement 

profession almost 50 years 

Quality 

Cards, ago at Casket a small Head family-owned Panels mortuary and Selection and retired Room as CEO and 

Displays. Chairman of Keystone Group Holdings in 2007. Prior to co- 

Competitively 

founding Keystone, a multi-state funeral acquisition and operating 

firm, Bob was Chief Operating Officer and Partner of 

Robert 

Priced 

G. Horn 



Top 10 Things to 

Consider When Dealing 

with Funeral Shipping 

By: Angela Berwald 

When it comes to making shipping arrangements for deceased 

family members, many people are confused and anxious of the 

process that is critical to bring their loved ones home. As experts in 

the field for over 30 years, National Mortuary Shipping has helped 

Funeral Directors reunite thousands of families with their loved 

ones to say their final goodbyes. But as a funeral director, what do 

you need to know on your end to get the job done as effortlessly 

and stress free as possible? 

Many times, deaths away from home are straight forward and 

the arrangements go smoothly. However, there is that percentage 

that does not. It can be that the person died outside the United 

States, there are flight problems, the doctor is not available, or the 

condition of the deceased themselves creates a challenge. While 

these issues do inevitably arise at times, there are certain things 

you can do to prepare yourself for cases such as these. 

At National Mortuary Shipping, we have put together what we 

consider our “Top Ten Things to Consider When Dealing with 

Funeral Shipping.” While the process can seem overwhelming at 

first, if you follow a laid out protocol for these cases, you will soon 

find it to be significantly easier. 

1. Do not set times for the service until you know when the 

remains will arrive. Once this information is determined, 

always leave enough time to allow for flight delays. You never 

know what might come up last minute. 

2. Obtain all of the vital statistics from the family immediately. 

We do realize this can be an issue if you are helping a family 

that is extremely distraught. However, many states have gone 

to an online death registration system and all information is 

needed in order to obtain the permit to ship. An option may 

be to take the information over the phone, explaining why the 

information is needed so quickly. 

3. Contact someone to handle the shipment that is familiar with 

all of the shipping regulations at the place of death. 

4. Although it may sometimes be a delicate subject, talk to 

family about the size of the deceased. Some airlines have a 

weight limit of 300lbs and this may be the only airline that 

handles remains from the city of death. 

5. Take into consideration the location of the deceased. Some 

facilities are located far away from a jetport city. Some 

facilities don’t release in the middle of the night. And some 

facilities require the families’ signature before they will 

release. 

6. The day of the week the death occurred can also affect 

shipment. Some government offices, hospitals, and morgues 

are not open on weekends or holidays. This can cause a delay 

in both the release of the deceased as well as the acquisition 

of paperwork such as permits and death certificates. 

process. Some cases may require a Medical Examiner to be 

involved. This can increase a delay depending on the Medical 

Examiners case load. It is also important to give the embalmer 

enough time to prepare the deceased properly. Some remains 

may require more time than others and additional time for 

observation may be requested by the embalmer. 

8. Communicate with the family that every state, county, 

province, parish and country has different requirements. If 

the person was in your care, you can easily schedule with the 

family the date of the service, but since the death is out of 

your area, you will need to explain to the family that although 

you understand their need to have their loved one home, there 

are requirements that need to be met. 

9. Make sure Shipping Funeral Home or Mortuary Service is 

aware of final disposition so proper paperwork is obtained. 

This is of significant importance especially if the final 

disposition is cremation. In some areas the Medical Examiner 

must view the remains prior to issuing a permit. 

10. The questions of when can I plan services for an out of town 

death does not have a simple answer and many variables come 

into play. NMS can handle your out of town deaths both 

nationally and internationally. Shipping is what NMS does 

on a daily basis and we are accustomed to working through 

all of the logistics so you can focus on taking care of your 

families. 

As experts in the funeral industry, families turn to you for your 

guidance and support during this difficult time. By knowing how 

to handle national and international shipping, your families will 

remember how you made their final moments with their loved one 

as memorable as possible. 

For over 30 years, NMS has worked alongside funeral directors 

to aid families dealing with an already difficult situation – death 

away from home. Our staff of Shipping Specialists is here 24 

hours a day, seven days a week to help, and our worldwide network 

of representatives supplements this knowledge in providing both 

national and international shipping solutions. Combined our staff 

has over 160 years of experience in the shipping and cremation 

industry. 

About National Mortuary Shipping: 

National Mortuary Shipping is 

considered to be a leader in the 

funeral industry working alongside 

funeral directors to aid families with 

death away from home. NMS offers 

removal services, domestic shipping, 

international shipping, embalming, 

livery, direct cremation, disinterment 

and graveside services. Unique to 

NMS, shipping specialists are available 

24 hours a day to assist funeral homes 

with any questions or needs. For more information, visit www. 

natlmortuaryshipping.com. Angela Berwald is President of National 

Mortuary shipping. She has been assisting funeral directors for over 

25 years. 

7. The circumstances of the death also play a role in the shipping 

32 


Form Versus Function 

Perfecting Your Forms 

With Function 

by: Poul Lemasters 

Leave it to an attorney to over-legalize anything and everything. Just look at the cup of 

coffee you bought this morning and read the cup: “Caution - Contents Are Extremely Hot.” 

Really? Does our society require the most obvious disclaimers and notices? Is our society 

so litigious that businesses believe they have to limit their potential liability at every turn? 

The simple answer is yes. But, there is a huge caveat that goes along with the plethora of 

forms. That proviso is function. The concept is that a form to simply reduce a potential risk 

is not really the perfect form. To be a perfect form, it must reduce the risk and serve some 

greater purpose, such as education or even marketing. 

It is amazing and frustrating to see how many forms are 

available in the funeral profession. (Keep in mind that 

the goal of this article is not to reduce forms but rather 

to perfect the forms already in place). Far too often 

businesses resolve problems with forms. For example, 

a family informs you that they want to view an unembalmed 

body that happens to have been autopsied. 

The business finds a release it used for viewing a trauma 

case. The business adds some more language that talks 

about an un-embalmed deceased, and then has the 

family sign it. This form is saved on the computer and 

quickly forgotten. Years later when a similar situation 

presents itself, the business finds the recycled form, 

makes a few more additions / deletions and keeps going 

forward. The problem with this process is twofold. 

The first problem is that the form may not actually be 

offering the business any true protection. Anytime 

a form is “forced” it typically will not offer the best 

protection. Forms should be created to address the 

specific process and risks present at that moment. 

There is no universal release that covers every situation. 

To create the form for the situation you need to identify 

the entire process and then be sure to address all the 

concerns. This will change from situation to situation 

and from time to time. 

The second problem is that if you are creating a form to 

just react to the situation you are doing a great disservice 

to the family and your business. A perfect form will 

help educate the family and also serve as a marketing 

tool for your business. In this way, your forms should 

never come across as a legal document or a standard 

form – but rather a tool that will aid the family and the 

business. The easiest way to demonstrate these concepts 

is through an example. 

Consider a somewhat common form that many funeral 

businesses use, but few have perfected. The form is 

a “Method of Payment” form used to identify how a 

consumer will handle its financial obligations to the 

business. (For a free download of this form, please visit 

WEBADDRESS INSERT) To create this perfect form 

there are three steps to consider. The steps include: 

identifying the problem; determine the solutions; and 

creating the marketing/education side. 

The main problem, which results in the creation of a 

form, is typically the easiest to identify. In this case the 

problem is not getting paid. However, as stated above, 

there are always smaller problems or potential issues that 

can arise and if they are not identified, then they will go 

unresolved and can and typically will result in future 


issues. When thinking of unpaid contracts, the other 

issues include: timing of payment; responsible party; 

collection methods; cash advance items; late payments; 

and business reputation. There are many more possible 

problems that may face your business, and that is part 

of the process of creating a form. Again, no form is all 

things to every business. Identification of your business 

concerns is a critical part to anything you do. 

Now that there is a list of problems, there has to be a 

matching set of solutions. Every problem will have a 

different solution. Solutions can range from: special 

options to avoid the problem; specific language to 

address the problems; or even alternative measures to 

simply reduce the potential problems. Depending on 

the form and the problem the solutions will vary. In 

relation to the problems set forth above the solutions 

could include: identifying when payment is due, 

specifically by the day services are provided; use 

language as a notification that all parties signing will be 

jointly and severally responsible for payment; provide 

a list of alternative forms of payment; and identify the 

consequences of late payments and how your business 

will attempt to collect. 

At this point, many businesses will type everything up 

and voila, a form is created. However the final, and in 

my opinion, the most important element is the education 

and marketing. A business needs to not only identify a 

problem and offer solutions, but the bigger concept is to 

educate so that the problem is communicated and future 

issues can be avoided. Plus, a good form will be a tool 

for everyone – both the family and the business. 

In the case of final payment options, the education side 

is important because the business wants to make sure 

families realize not only that the money is due now, 

but also educate them on how to pay now; how to avoid 

issues in the future; and why it is important to everyone. 

For your business, this form can be a tool to make their 

job easier and therefore avoid uncollected accounts. 

The items to add to this form, to create this education 

and marketing piece, include a list and description of 

available payment options such as cash, check, credit 

card, insurance assignment, pre-need, and any other 

options available to your business. As important as 

what you accept is listing what you do not accept. This 

may include estates, payments, and loans. For all of 

these items, it is important to list some information that 

describes the method. Again, this is a communication 

tool to educate. 

On that same note, think of how this form will work 

as a tool for your business and those that use the form. 

Simply handing over a form and saying read and sign is 

not a valuable resource. Your business must know how 

to use the form and what the ultimate goal or goals may 

be. For example, in the case of final payment your goals 

may include determining how this transaction will be 

handled and setting up a pre-need lead. To accomplish 

these goals your form may include a section that lists 

pre-need as a payment option. Obviously, if they had a 

pre-need they would simply initial that option and this 

would be done. However, for the families that do not 

have pre-need you, as a business, or already educating 

the on how to avoid this in the future and starting a soft 

sell on the benefits of preneed. 

Listed above was the reference for the family to initial 

their choice. All forms need to have accountability. 

One of the goals of final payment is not for them to 

just realize they owe money, but rather for the family 

to identify specifically how they will pay. By putting a 

line by each option, the family will have to initial their 

choice and therefore be accountable to it. As a tool for 

your business, the arranger can set this form in front 

of a family and say something along the lines of, “One 

thing we need to do is discuss the financial payments 

for the services and merchandise you selected. I am 

going to leave this payment option form with you, and 

I would like for you all to read it, initial how you want 

to proceed, and then sign the form. While you do this, 

I will be getting some other items prepared.” The 

arranger can then leave and let the tool, your form, do 

the work. 

Again, this form has now gone from a basic form that 

will hopefully protect the business, to a perfect form. 

This form now identifies the issue of paying the bill 

and provides solutions to the problem. The form now 

obtains the families accountability on how to solve 

the problem, not just a realization that they know they 

should pay. Most importantly, this form serves as a tool 

to educate the family and help market your business as 

a resource, not just a business that wants a signature to 

cover its risks. All forms should follow the principles 

and process used to create this form. By creating forms 

in this manner your business will not only be reactionary 

and by reducing the risks of potential liabilities, it will 

be proactive by educating the families on the issue at 

hand and how to resolve it differently in the future. The 

businesses that can be proactive are the businesses that 

will be a resource to the families they serve – not just a 

business that they may need. 

http://lemastersconsulting.com/forms 

34 


Tall Tales from Bob Fells 

By Bob Fells 

Ed Horn invited me to write a sort of “after hours” 

column for the Southern regarding one of my hobbies. 

While I have a lot of “after hours” interests including 

playing the piano (or trying to), exploring 18th and 

19th century classical music (plus my intuitive love of 

1920s and 30s popular music - it’s so optimistic), and 

reading early western novels (ever read The Virginian 

by Owen Wister?), my first and primary hobby is 

vintage films. By that I mean watching them, reading 

about them, writing about them, and collecting them. 

But “old movies” is a subjective term and increasingly 

I hear people tell me, “Oh I love those old movies – 

from the 70s and 80s.” To me, those are fairly recently 

movies and not what I consider “old movies.” 

So what DO I consider old movies? Anything from 

the 1910s, 20s and 30s. True, that first decade of 

films can be rough going but you’re actually seeing 

an artform being created before your eyes year by 

year. Everything that movies do today was being 

done by the 1920s – even color and 3-D. The last real 

innovation in movies was sound, and that was in 1927. 

The only genuine development in films since then has 

been to make their content more violent, profane, and 

often just plain dirty. I do have some favorite films 

from the last several years but we can discuss those in 

a later column. Even a broken watch will give you the 

correct time twice a day. 

For now, let me set the tone and format of these 

columns. My goal is to leave you with a couple of 

recommendations at the end and these will be movies 

that are easy to get a hold of. I’m a big fan of Netflix 

video streaming and now Amazon is getting into the 

act by licensing some 11,000 films for streaming. So 

anything I suggest you watch I’ll make sure is readily 

accessible at least by rental but ideally through 

streaming. I will also explain WHY you should see 

a particular film. If you’re not into old movies – what 

I call old movies – I don’t expect an easy sell. I’d 

probably have an easier time selling you burial spaces. 

Also, please contact me with requests and I’ll be a 

happy to comply. For example, you might ask if 

there are any color films from the 30s that are any 

good (yes) and look really good (YES!). Perhaps you 

might ask that if you could only see one silent film 

(or for that matter you were coerced into watching 

a silent film), what film would that be? You get the 

idea. Anyway, for this initial column I’ll play safe 

and recommend two films from a very popular genre, 

murder mysteries. I’ll even venture into territory that 

I consider more “recent” films, the 1940s. 

My first recommendation is THE POSTMAN 

ALWAYS RINGS TWICE from 1946. It’s based 

on a novel by James M. Cain and considering the 

strict movie censorship code in effect back then, the 

wiseacres all agreed that the story was unfilmable. 

But miracle of miracles, this film captures the mood 

36 


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The Southern Funeral The Southern Director Funeral Alliance Director PreNeed Alliance & Personalization Cremation 2011 29 37 


A Brief History of 

Early Non-Terrestrial 

Memorialization 

by: Oscar Rios 

Chapter Two – 

Nothing Wasted 

As the needs of early non-terran communities grew 

and changed so too did the customs, priorities and 

sensibilities of those populations. Methods of final 

disposition and memorialization for the deceased 

began to reflect the cultural identities of those living 

and dying beyond the planet earth. As the first 

generation of non-terrestrial humanity neared the end 

of its lifespan the ties to and traditions of the Earth 

within their communities had began to fade away. A 

prime example of this is The Lunar Forest Memorial 

Park. 

As one walks the winding trails through this forest, 

listening to the sounds of birdsong, inhaling the 

natural scents of grasses and flowers, under the shade 

of oak and birch trees, it is easy to forget that you are 

on earth’s moon. This two square mile park, housed 

within four massive interconnected domes, stands as 

a hallmark to the ingenuity of the first generation of 

Lunar settlers. The plants and animals living here 

are all genetically altered in ways which allow them 

to thrive within the moon’s lower gravity. Sunlight 

is regulated in a natural pattern, giving the biosphere 

a discernable day and night cycle. Artificial wind is 

created, as is rain, and the temperature is adjusted 

slightly each day to simulate seasonal patterns. 

While it took nearly fifty years to expand and perfect 

The Lunar Forest became a closed system. A closed 

system is a system which produces what it consumes 

and consumes what it produces. It is a perfect loop, 

an unbroken circle of energy and resources. A closed 

system wastes nothing and draws from no other 

source but itself. It is an independent perpetual cycle, 

a prime example of the Lunar cultural foundation of 

self sufficiency. 

The Lunar Forest Memorial Park produces oxygen, 

purifies its own water, draws energy from the sun, 

feeds its animals with what its own plants provide and 

in turn its animals nourish the soil with their waste. 

It is an elegant and fully functioning ecosystem, a 

bubble of natural life protected from the lifeless lunar 

surface. While some may refer to the forest as being 

earth-like, those of the Lunar Republic bristle at the 

term. “None of these plants or animals ever existed on 

Earth, they were all genetically altered to cope with 

the unique challenges of the Lunar environment”, 

comments Minister Gail Tender, Director of the 

Lunar Forest Memorial Park. “What we built here has 

never existed, or could ever exist, anywhere else in 

the universe. This is a Lunar environment, and those 

of the Lunar Republic made it, with our minds, our 

hands, our spirits and our dead.” 

It is easy to forget that at its core this beautiful 

forest, this wondrous and unique environment, is in 

fact a cemetery. It is not a cemetery in its traditional 

sense, as Terrans would think of it, but to those living 

on Luna, this method of memorialization is the 

preferred method of final disposition. Today, roughly 

83% of those living in or native to the Lunar Republic 

choose this form of burial. While The Lunar Forest 

Memorial Park is the oldest, currently it is only one 

38 


of six memorial biospheres operating on the moon. 

The newest of these replicates a marine environment, 

where a vast 6 million gallon tank houses a self 

sustaining ecosystem complete with genetically 

altered corals, fish and a pair of sea turtles. The water 

used comes from melted Lunar ice. 

Those of the Lunar Republic pride themselves on 

being self sufficient. The axiom of “Nothing Wasted” 

is a cultural centerpiece for those who identify Luna 

as their homeland. Nowhere is this as true as in 

their memorial biospheres. More than sixty five 

thousand human bodies have become part of the 

Lunar Forest Memorial Park biosphere alone. Lunar 

soil is naturally very poor, providing little in the way 

of sustenance to a biological ecosystem. However, 

under the right conditions and with proper treatment 

it can be transformed into a nutrient rich foundation 

for a thriving biosphere. This treatment is a process 

called Lifecycling. 

typically wear jumpsuits of green and brown, carry 

a belt of ceremonial gardening tools, and are treated 

with reverence within their communities. Today, the 

surname of Tender is shared by most of the employees 

of Lunar Memorial Biospheres. 

Who gets to enjoy these memorial parks? Who is 

allowed entry into such biospheres to enjoy their 

beauty? Entry is restricted to only those whose 

family members have become a part of it. For every 

family member whose remains have been lifecycled 

into a memorial park, a family is allotted a certain 

amount of time each year. It is a comfort to many 

to watch the plants, animals, and now fish, living 

and thriving, while knowing that part of your loved 

one is housed within each of these living things. It 

is also a comfort to many to know that one day their 

bodies will similarly be reborn into these natural, 

living ecosystems and that their descendants will be 

allowed to enjoy them. 

In Lifecycling, the mortal remains of the 

dead are allowed to freeze in an unheated 

chamber during a Lunar night cycle. This 

drops the temperature within the chamber 

to below -150 degrees Celsius. Since 

Lunar Night only occurs every twenty eight 

days, there are usually a fair number of 

bodies waiting to be processed. While the 

remains could be artificially frozen those 

of the Lunar Republic prefer to allow the 

temperature to reduce naturally. Artificial 

freezing would require power while Lunar 

Night does not. Again, Lunar sensibilities 

require that nothing is wasted and as little 

is consumed as possible. The dead are 

then taken to a processing chamber, called 

a Harmonic Compoter, where the frozen 

corpses are bathed with sonic waves. These 

vibrations of sound reduce the remains into 

smaller and smaller fragments until they 

are about the consistency of gravel. The 

largest Harmonic Compoter can process a 

dozen sets of human remains in just over 

an hour. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The remains, now called Life-base, are 

then used to fertilize the soil of a Memorial 

Biosphere. Those who do this are called 

Tenders, which became a hereditary 

position with Lunar communities. Tender’s 

 

 



INDUSTRY NEWS 

C.J. Boots Casket Company Launches New Casket Line 

at World’s Largest Annual Funeral Service Convention and Expo 

Anderson, Indiana based C.J. Boots Casket Company 

was proud to introduce their new casket line at the 

recent 2011 National Funeral Directors Association 

Convention held in Chicago October 23-26. This 

year’s convention was co-hosted by the Cremation 

Association of North America (CANA), a first for 

both associations. 

The “anéo” solid wood, veneer casket line was 

created to provide A New Economic Opportunity 

(anéo) for consumers in today’s 

challenging economy. “We have 

completely reengineered traditional 

casket construction and assembly 

to reduce labor cost yet providing 

a product with high eye appeal at 

a fraction of the cost,” stated Chris 

Boots, President of C.J. Boots Casket 

Company. The anéo casket line 

provides an alternative to imports 

and other low cost options, yet 

maintains the tradition of excellence 

in quality and craftsmanship for 

which C.J. Boots Casket Company 

built their name. 

represent more than 10,200 funeral 

homes in the United States and 

internationally. Nearly 6,000 

funeral directors, mortuary science 

students, exhibitors and other allied 

professionals from more than 40 

countries, regions and territories 

attended the NFDA Convention. 

The reception to the new product 

was overwhelming. “We are very 

excited and encouraged by the 

comments and orders received at 

the convention” stated Chris Boots. 

“We believe the anéo casket line will 

be a game-changer in our industry. 

It is a new economic opportunity for 

both funeral homes and families” 

Boots added. 

C.J Boots Casket Company was founded in 1999 and 

was the recipient of Indiana University’s Kelley School 

of Business Growth 100 Award for 3 consecutive 

years. The company plans to continue creating new 

and innovative solutions for the Funeral Industry 

and beyond. C.J. Boots will be promoting the new 

product at the Casket and Funeral Supply Associations 

National Trade Show held in Indianapolis November 

14th and 15th. 

The NFDA is the world’s leading 

funeral service association serving 

19,000 individual members who 

40 


Georgia Funeral Supply Salesman Association 

Wishing You a Merry Holiday Season and a Happy New Year 

Addison, Keisha 

Aurora Casket Company 

Humber, David CFSP 

Eagle Burial Vaults 

Reel, Harold 

Harold W. Reel & Company 

Ward, Doug 

Bailey Monument & Vault Co. 

Armes, David 

Cincinnati Equitable Life 

Hurley, Floyd CFSP 

Batesville Casket Company 

Robinson, Kevin 

Funeral Call 

Watts, Barry 

Olde South Casket Co. 

Barber, Nancy Pierce 

The Pierce Company 

Hutcheson, Pam 


Sanders, John 

A. R. K. Lewis Dry Goods 

Yopp, John III 

John Yopp Publications 

Benton, Larry 

Investors Heritage Life Insurance Co. 

Benzinger, Walt 

Association Benefits & Service 

Bowen, Coll III 

Wilbert Burial Vault Company 

Bowen, Glen 


Cameron, Dale 


Chandler, Walter 

Master Grave Service, Inc. 

Chandler, Warren 


Chandler, Warren, Jr. 


Cotter, Paul G. 

Deaton-Kennedy 

Hutcheson, Patty CFSP 

Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service 

Johnson, Tommy 

Pierce Chemicals/Royal Bond 

Jones, Scott M. 

Service Casket Company 

King, J. Mike 

A.R. King Burial Vault Company 

Kinsey, Dwight 

Matthews Casket Division 

Loudin, Ron 


McCarthy, Jeff 

The Dodge Company 

McClurd, Johnny 


Mims, Mike 

Cherokee Casket Company 

Scruggs, Stanley 

Cemetery Funeral Supply 

Shields, J. Brandon 

Shields Southeast Sales, Inc. 

Shipman, Peggi 

Cincinnati Equitable Life 

Singletary, Hal 

Ambulance & Funeral Coach Sales 

Skeen, Phil 


Snyder, Dave 

Southeastern Funeral Directors Service 

Spears, Tommy 

Vantage Products 

Spell, Tony 

Columbian Financial Group 

Tuggle, Bob 

Southern Funeral Supply, Ltd 

Honorary Members 

Adkins, Robert 

Allen, R. Clyde 

Armstrong, Ray 

Brady, Pat 

Brown, Winston 

Carrico, Norman 

Dane, David 

Durden, James 

James, Bubba 

Joel, Richard 

Lucken, Lowell 

Lunsford, Ernest 

Mims, Dean 

Moody, Harry 

Moore, Tom 

Powers, Dennis 

Sheets, Tom 

Wheeler, Bill 

Wylie, Buddy 

Dobbins, Jim 

Security National Life 

O’Neal, Sam 

Crain M & M Sales 

Turner, Barry 

Ogeechee Technical College 

Dollar, Dennis 

Airport Mortuary Shipping Service 

Pawdawer, Randall 

Applied Lighting Solutions, Inc 

Edwards, Ric 


Perkins, Bill 

Capital City Casket Company 

Gilmer, Aaron 

Eagle Burial Vaults 

Powell, Mitchell 

FD Suits 

Grimsley, Chris 

Pierce Chemicals/Royal Bond 

Putnam, David 


Hardy, Ben 

Thacker Casket Company 

Reece, Dan 


Hernandez, Lindsay 

BWT Risk Advisors 

Hill, Shannon 


Holland, Meghan 



INDUSTRY NEWS 

Heritage Resources: 

Are you selling any?... an approach whose time may be now. 

By: Glenn Toothman, Owner of Memory Medallion 

In the past couple of years there has been a significant 

commercial expansion of genealogy. This has long 

been a serious hobby for some, a casual interest 

of many, but with the burgeoning expanse to the 

common use of computers and SMART devices 

such as cell phones, iPads and PC tablets, there are 

now significant revenues being generated within and 

around this growing public interest. One need only 

look at the rise of Ancestry.com and its blitz of family 

tree commercials and its creation of the TV show Who 

Do You Think You Are? as supporting confirmation. 

Even though with this genealogy increase, over these 

same past couple of years (and more) there has been 

a genuine decline in the consumer’s embrace of the 

more traditional methods of funeral, internment 

and memorialization. Now then, how should an 

acknowledgement of these two trends serve to guide 

you in your coming business strategies? Several 

industry focus-groups in recent years have confirmed 

that the deathcare consumer is still very much interested 

in personalized, customized memorialization and 

remembrance options. Yet more and more in this 

harder economic climate, these same customers are 

inclined to spend their final-arrangement dollars very 

judiciously. What may bring more of these clientfamilies 

to your door might just be a decision on 

your part to feature a final arrangement package that 

offers and includes a HERITAGE RESOURCE; a 

term found spread throughout the serious genealogy 

community. Making a move to more directly feature 

attention to facilitating the preservation of the long 

term family legacy regardless of where that family 

might exist on the socio-economic scale is really 

being in tune with both the notion of customized, 

personalized remembrance and the embrace of the 

growing interest in genealogy. As a specific example, 

at the recent National conference of the NFDA in 

Chicago a small company featured a device big on 

allowing all types of deathcare businesses to provide 

an affordable, easy-to-use, powerful tool that fits the 

definition of a heritage resource. This exhibit displayed 

a device called a Memory Medallion. This is a small, 

Patented, award-winning product that has been used 

on the NYC monuments honoring the lives of the 

firefighters and police officers lost in the 9/11 incident 

and it is produced by a company of the same name 

being in business since 2000. The unique feature of 

this little device that is attractive to the genealogy 

crowd is that it allows for complete life-story and 

family history information to exist at any location 

of internment or remembrance (not just online); it 

requires no maintenance, its information can be edited 

by its owner (the family not you)from the comfort of 

their home computer at anytime via online access, it 

uses any SMART cell phone, iPad or tablet to read its 

information wherever located via a standard, free app 

already in place on most SMART devices and it can, 

in most instances, easily be installed by any deathcare 

professional without special tools. This device allows 

client-families, even multiple family members at a 

time, to create, at their own pace, and place at any 

location of family remembrance unique heritage 

resources containing their collections of relevant 

family history information such as photos, video, 

documents, life stories and family trees; some were 

even displayed showing video segments of grandma 

in her kitchen making the favorite holiday candy 

and this then being a part of the legacy information 

made available by the family via the Medallion at 

the place of remembrance. As a part of its built-in 

features it allows family-clients to link to any larger 

heritage resource data base such as FamilySearch. 

org or Ancestry.com. Also, as a marketing feature 

that serves to raise the visibility of its seller (YOU) 

each Medallion can be made to automatically exhibit 

a prominent, “clickable” vendor logo as a part of its 

displayed contents when anyone should read it out at 

its location further expanding the public’s ability to 

know about and interact with you, the business that 

sold it and better know about the additional services 

you provide if they click through the logo link. The 

Memory Medallion requires only a one-time purchase 

with no follow-up expense with retail prices ranging 

from $99 to $499 and wholesale prices and accounts are 

provided. All of the Memory Medallions, regardless 

of price, provide the same heritage resource features 

as to the information permitted to be loaded. The 

more expensive versions of the Medallion allow for 

custom covers and customized methods of placement 

42 


for diverse site installation. The custom covers can be 

personalized with a laser-etched photo of anything the 

customer may desire with an easy-to-do digital image 

upload made at the time of order. Once a Memory 

Medallion purchase is made it is immediately 

available in your MM account and can be transferred 

to your client family via email at anytime for allowing 

them to begin the life-story building and their creation 

of their own heritage resource. The Medallion storybuilding 

process allows the family to create their own 

Username and Password for accessing their account 

and this access can be done as many times as they like 

for years to come. From this account login they have 

the ability to begin building their heritage resource 

right away at the www.MemoryMedallion.com 

website. The actual Memory Medallion will arrive in 

the mail approximately 10-14 days after the purchase 

and it can be immediately mounted at any selected 

location even before the story content is complete 

because its content becomes active at anytime the 

customer clicks PUBLISH while creating the story 

online. The Memory Medallion Company seems to 

have a committed interest in genealogy as it has had 

a Certified Genealogist on staff from its beginning 

eleven years ago and this person, Candice Buchanan 

serves as the fulfillment coordinator to assist with any 

help needed in helping families in the building of their 

Medallion content. For more information see online 

videos at www.memorymedallion.com and under 

their FAQ section as well. 

The concluding point to make here is that so much of 

what generally is done for the family in the process 

of providing the final arrangements serves mostly 

to address the in-the-moment remembrance as this 

has been the traditional business practices for the 

funeral directors. Yes there have been wonderful 

options developed for this portion of the service but 

the core point of this article is to encourage you to go 

the next step. Feature and offer in your marketing 

materials and services a message that you are in tune 

with the importance of providing your families with 

meaningful, long term remembrance that will serve 

them as heritage resources. In doing this you will 

be helping them to have something that allows them 

to fill in and relate to their family tree all the while 

accommodating their focus-group-determined desire 

for customized, personalized, life-story remembrance. 

Embracing this approach may actually bring some of 

the genealogy revenue-stream flowing by your door. 

Moments Captured. Memories Shared. 

How do you want to be remembered? 

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We are the only company with a Patent 

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Want to give it a 

try? Scan the Memory 

Medallion below with your 

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Contact us at 

www.memorymedallion.com or 

877.418.8107 


44 


FUNERAL DIRECTOR/ EMBALMER 

Immediate 

Opening 

Ambulance & Coach 30 

Andover Marker 23 

Astral 48 

Bill Black 44 

Columbian Financial 31 

Custom Air Trays 29 

Custom Casket Company 28 

Doric 11 

Eagle’s Wings Air 7 

Federal Coach 2 

Frigid Fluid Company 15 

Large, beautiful, well established family owned 

funeral home and cemetery organization, East 

Coast FL., seeks a highly motivated licensed funeral 

director/embalmer or intern. 

Successful candidate must be able to work independently, 

multi task, and demonstrate exceptional 

integrity and customer service. 

Alternating weekends, easy on call schedule, no 

night or weekend removals, and limited prep-room 

work. Must be able to obtain a Florida Funeral 

Directors License. 

Please contact Pamela at 386-267-1100 

fax your resume to: 386-267-1101 

or email: daytonafd@lohmaninc.com 

ADVERTISING 

All classified advertising needs to be paid in 

advance by check, credit card or have billing 

arrangements made through The Southern Funeral 

Director, prior to printing of the issue. Rates are 

$1.00 per word, with a $25.00 minimum charge. 

The Southern Funeral Director 

Classifieds 

Attn: John Yopp 

404-513-9405 | 678-691-7431 Fax Only 


1750 Peachtree Street | Atlanta, GA 30309 

www.sfdmagazine.com 


Cremation 2011 AD INDEX 

Ambulance & Coach 17 

Casket & Shipping 2011 Andover Ad Index Marker 28 

Batesville Casket 13 

Genesis Casket Company 

Bill Black 

25 PSI Funds 

31 

39 

IBC 

Holland Supply 18 Service Casket 6 

Columbian Financial 18 

Hoyt Matise 


20 

Casket 

Service 

Company 

Casket Company 

23 

30 

John A. Gupron College 

Doric Vaults 

45 Southern Craft 

5 

5 

Lemasters Consulting 

Federal 

35 

Coach 

Sutton Slover Law 

2 IFC 

45 

Master Grave Service, Inc. 27 Thacker Caskets, Inc. 21 

Frigid Fluid Company 15 

Matthews International 17 Ties for You 13 

Holland Supply 7 

Memory June Medallion - July 2011 SFD:- 43 9/20/11 Vantage 1:07 PM Products Page 30 Corporation 15 

Hoyt Matise 27 

Ogeechee Technical College 24 Wilbert 47 

John A. Gupton 27 

Pierce Companies 37 

Master Grave Service 9 

Pierce Mortuary Colleges 10 

Ogeechee Tech 19 

Pierce Chemicals 29 

Pierce Mortuary Colleges 26 

PSI Funds 24 

FUNERAL DIRECTOR/ EMBALMER 

SELLING your 

Service Casket Company 10 

4 

Sutton Slover Law 30 

Ties for You 28 

Wilbert Funeral Service 

32 BC 

Super Nova Mfg. Immediate 

FUNERAL HOME 

Opening 

or CEMETERY? 

Large, beautiful, well established family owned 

funeral home and cemetery organization, East 

We provide the service you expect! 

Coast FL., seeks a highly motivated licensed funeral 

TOTALLY DISCREET 

director/embalmer POSITION MARKETING 

or intern. OFFERING 

A –or multi Listing location on Our Web Southern Site– metropolitan full service 

funeral over 23,000 provider hits monthly. with cremation emphasis 

Receiving 

Successful candidate must be able to work independently, 

growth of qualified 

We seeks maintain a President a large data who basewill facilitate continued 

multi and reputation task, 

buyers. 

and as demonstrate a market leader. exceptional The primary 

and role customer will be to service. drive customer satisfaction 

integrity 

“As a family owned 

through excellent operational activities, build a 

We also can simplify loan processing for: 

and operated 

Alternating strong team weekends, and execute easy growth on call strategies. schedule, Experience 

no 

• Purchase 

business, you have 

night • Expansion or weekend 

in preneed 

• Working removals, 

contracting, 

Capital and limited 

marketing, 

my guarantee prep-room 

operations 

and P&L responsibility is desired. 

of 

work. • Inventory Must be • Equipment 

personal service.” 

able to obtain a Florida Funeral 

Directors CONVENTIONAL License. 

SBA LOANS DICK MATISE 

Funeral Director license and knowledge of Funeral 

industry is a plus. Salary and bonus package 

Please commensurate contact Pamela with at experience 386-267-1100 and results. Please 

fax your forward resume your to: resume 386-267-1101 and salary history to Advertiser 

#310, 

www.matise.com 

or email: 

1-800-341-0100 

daytonafd@lohmaninc.com 

c/o Southern Funeral Director Magazine, 

P.O. Box 768152, Roswell, GA 30076. 

www.alliance’04 The 8-6-04 Southern Funeral Director Alliance Cremation 2011 27 

ADVERTISING 

All classified advertising needs to be paid in 

advance by check, credit card or have billing 

arrangements made through The Southern Funeral 

Director, prior to printing of the issue. Rates are 

$1.00 per word, with a $25.00 minimum charge. 

The Southern Funeral Director 

Classifieds 


404-513-9405 | 678-691-7431 Fax Only 




A multi 

ice fun 

seeks a 

growth 

mary ro 

through 

strong t 

rience i 

tions an 

Funeral 

neral in 

commen 

forward 

tiser #3 

zine, P.O 

The Southern Funeral Director • Alliance November 2011 45 

Ambula 

Andove 

Batesvil 

Bill Bla 

Columb 


Doric V 

Federal 

Frigid F 

Holland 

Hoyt M 

John A. 

Master 

Ogeech 

Pierce C 

Pierce M 

PSI Fun 

Service 

Super N 

Sutton S 

Ties for 

Wilbert

or email: daytonafd@lohmaninc.com 

ADVERTISING 

All classified advertising FOR SALE needs to be paid in 

Horse 

advance by Drawn 

check, credit Hearse, 

card or have by billing 

James 

arrangements Want To Own made Your through Own The Funeral Southern Home! Funeral 

Cunningham & Son. Very ornate 

Let 

Director, 

Extreme 

prior 

Marketing 

to printing 

Group 

of the 

help 

issue. 

you with 

Rates 

your 

are 

$1.00 carvings, 

per word, original 

with a $25.00 lamps, 

minimum curtains. 

charge. 

financing on acquisition or expansion projects. 

Fully The restored Southern ready Funeral for Director 

funerals, 

parades or display 

Classifieds 

to purchase firm from their in owners funeral to current 

parlor. 


owners Call 404-513-9405 wanting or email to acquire | for 678-691-7431 info,Grant other firms Fax in Gilbert Only their area. 

All 256-729-1980 

inquiries held johnyopp3@aol.com 

in strictest confidence. Email 


requests or sales@webejeeping.com 

to extrememktgrp@aol.com 

This includes independent funeral directors wanting 


Wilbert Funeral Service 

32 BC 

Classified Ads 

POSITION OFFERING 

A multi location Southern metropolitan full service 

funeral provider with cremation emphasis 

seeks a President who will facilitate continued 

growth and reputation as a market leader. The primary 

role will be to drive customer satisfaction 

through excellent operational activities, build a 

strong team and execute growth strategies. Experience 

in preneed contracting, marketing, operations 

and P&L responsibility is desired. 

Milton Fields in Georgia's ONLY state regulated endowment 

care GREEN cemetery. We are looking for a career 

minded individual seeking full time employment as a 

cemetery sales advisor. If you want to help families plan 

a simpler, more economical, natural alternative, we would 

like to talk with you. 

www.miltonfieldsgeorgia.com or 770-751-1445. 

Funeral Director license and knowledge of Funeral 

industry is a plus. Salary and bonus package 

commensurate with experience and results. Please 

forward your resume and salary history to Advertiser 

#310, c/o Southern Funeral Director Magazine, 

P.O. Box 768152, Roswell, GA 30076. 

INDIVIDUAL WANTING TO PURCHASE 

AND 

OPERATE FUNERAL BUSINESS 

Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer i n 

two Southeastern 

states, wants to purchase and relocate to your town. Licensed 

twenty plus years, not part of a corporation or group of 

investors. I am an individual representing myself. Please send 

inquiries to: Advertiser #345, c/o Southern Funeral Director, 

P. O. Box 768152, Roswell, GA 30076 or send emails to; 


Wanted: 

SPECIAL SUMMER OFFER! 

South Any Georgia orders for funeral the home, "Caring a member Organizer of Selected 

C.D.s" 

Independent placed in June Funeral will Homes, cost seeks $6.95 Georgia per C.D. 

licensed 

funeral a saving director/embalmer. of $3.00 each 

Benefit package includes 

health and profit sharing. Salary negotiable. Forward 

PLUS FREE Shiping Mimium order of 25 

inquiry and resume to Advertiser #350, c/o Southern 

Order today www.hearttoheartsite.com 

Funeral Director, P.O. Box 768152, Roswell, GA 

or call Dick Perl @ 1-866-269- 0861 

30076. All inquiries held in strictest confidence. 

Notice is hereby given to the public that on June 30, 2011, the Chancery Court of Shelby County, Tennessee entered its 

Order Granting the Receiver’s Verified Petition to Approve the Sale of the Assets of Forest Hill Funeral Home and Memorial 

Park – East, LLC (“Forest Hill”), a funeral home and cemetery 1998 concern Cad S&S located Masterpiece in Memphis, Coach, Tennessee, blu 

and approving 

bidding procedures and other matters incident to such sale. All persons interested in the purchase of the assets of 

Forest 2007 Hill Chevy should Express contact Max Van Shelton, w/casket Receiver, tbl 

for additional information concerning bidding procedures as soon as possible, 

but (8 no built-in later than rollers) August & 5, entry 2011. ramp 

1994 Cad Eureka 6 door limo, blk 

Contact 2004 information Chevy Astro for Van Mr. w/casket Shelton tbl 

1994 Cad Eureka Coach, blk, 36k mi 

is: (901) 525-1455; Fax (901) 526-4084; e-mail mshelton@harrisshelton.com 

Richard Palandech 

Exceptional Value 

(8 built-in rollers), blu 

(312) 259-8434 


Cemetery / Funeral 

Home COO – Cemetery 

/ Funeral Home Combo 

located in a Gulf Coast 

State is seeking an 

experienced cemetarian / 

funeral director to oversee operations. This combo 

location has a great heritage in the community 

and is family owned and operated. We’re seeking 

a highly motivated leader with a demonstrated 

record of strong organization, sales and supervisory 

skills who can assist in the day-to-day operations 

of this business and become a part of our family 

structure. The compensation package will include 

incentives for meeting sales performance goals and 

operational profitability. 

Responsibilities: 

• Manage and lead Funeral Directors, Sales 

Managers and location staff. 

• Assure the operating practices comply with 

appropriate regulations and company policies. 

• Assure that staff understands location goals, 

policies and procedures. 

• Develop staff with the skills necessary to 

serve family’s needs. 

• Ensure all services exceed the expectations of 

the families we serve. 

• Increase marketing and overall community 

involvement. 

• Serve as a mentor and coach to all employees. 

• Practice and promote teamwork among all of 

the staff. 

Requirements: 

• Minimum 5 years experience as a funeral 

director/cemetarian/funeral manager, 

preferred. 

• Minimum 3 years management or office 

management experience, preferred. 

• Familiarity with Alabama Laws. 

• Knowledge of various funeral management 

software programs, including HMIS, 

preferred. 

For confidential consideration Email 

poul@LemastersConsulting.com or fax resume to: 

1(888) 407-1147 

Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F/D/V 

46 


The Southern Funeral The Southern Director Funeral Alliance Director PreNeed Alliance & Personalization Cremation 2011 29 

37

Wilbert. 

Supporting the local community. 

When you order burial vaults from Wilbert, you’re supporting your community. 

Through a network of independently owned licensees, our vaults are manufactured 

at nearby plants and distributed locally with a focus on service that only comes 

from people who truly care. 

Wilbert is part of your community. We’re your friends, your neighbors, your fellow 

citizens. We create jobs for local workers. We pay local taxes. We participate in 

community events and support local causes. 

Above all, Wilbert is a name you can trust. Our high strength concrete reinforced 

with plastic and metal liners offers structural integrity and resistance to the elements 

that are unmatched by other materials. And your families will appreciate the wide 

range of personalization features that make a Wilbert vault a memorable part of 

the graveside service. 

Contact your local Wilbert representative to find out why you should put your trust 

in our lined concrete vaults. 

Uncompromised quality. Peace of mind. Personalized memorials. 

It’s the Wilbert Way. 

Wilbert and the Wilbert script logo are registered trademarks of Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. © Copyright 2011 by Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. All rights reserved. ADV-11010403-NOV11-SFD 


CONCORD 28” 

83½” Outside 

83” Inside 


28” Inside 

CONCORD 32” 


87” Inside 


32” Inside

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