Providence Equity is on a Death-tech Investment Spree… Here are the 3 Companies They Now Control.Whispers at NFDA 2018 were centered around rumors about the mystery investment firm sending inquiries to what seems like every company functioning in death-tech. People were asking, “Who was offered? Who was acquired? Who declined? What is each company worth? Why is a major investment firm even interested in death-tech?” No one had solid answers… Providence Equity did in Church-tech What They are About to do in Death-tech. Here’s What it Looks Like…Providence Equity rolled out an investment play in church technology that looks remarkably similar to their early moves in death technology. Massive Cheating Scandal Charges 7 AAMI Teachers and Invalidates 300 ExamsA New York Post article published this week began with the words “Don’t die in the Big Apple.” The grim phrase was a response to a massive mortuary school scandal at the renowned American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service based in Manhattan, New York City. The president of the institute, Mary Margaret “Meg” Dunn, has been… The FBI Raids Body Broker’s Funeral Home and Colorado Shuts it DownIn a previous story we reported on Sunset Mesa Funeral Home that was allegedly dealing the dismembered body parts of donated bodies as a side-business out of the same facility. The Montrose, CO, home and body broker business were run by Megan Hess whose business practices have come under fire after an onslaught of customer allegations… #mourningwhileblack Emerges after Raging Priest Kicks Families and Corpse out of FuneralThis week, Pastor Michael Briese became infuriated during the funeral of Agnes Hicks and harshly removed the black family, body, and hundreds of mourners from the church. In the process, Briese referred to the deceased Agnes Hicks as a “thing” and called the police on the family. The incident began at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Charlotte Hall, Maryland… In 17 Years, De-churching Millennials Will Rock the Funeral Industry…The Stats Are ShockingIn 17 Years, De-churching Millennials Will Rock the Funeral Industry…The Stats Are Shocking 13 Leading Death Professionals Predict the Future of Cremation… Their Ideas Will Surprise You.What does the future of cremation look like? We all want to know if we will see the type of massive change in the next 30 years that we saw in the past 30 years in death care. To get a glimpse of what might be ahead, we’ve interviewed some of the closest people to… “Ready to Embalm Laws” are Costing Your Families a Staggering Amount. See Where Your State Stands…The death care space is known for its protectionist legislation designed to discourage change, keep out competition, and to maintain the public perception of tight funeral rituals to encourage continued profits and high margins. 9 Pimped Out Hearses Like You Have Never Seen Before“Pimp My Ride” aired on MTV from 2004 to 2007. Rapper Xzibit would transform people’s run-down cars and “pimp” them out into a sweet ride. Mechanics at West Coast Custom (WCC) and Galpin Auto Sports (GAS) added insane features to the cars like, televisions, game systems and sick paint jobs. Batesville’s Massive Technology Revamp Just Made Your Job Way EasierNext week at NFDA, Batesville Casket Company will unveil their new unified funeral home resource merging their web-platform, Meaningful Selections, and their new consumer-facing app called Bridges. The days of sparsely updated free-standing kiosks are fading fast, giving way to an efficient, easy-to-use, and remote updated funeral management technology suite. Their new app called Bridges is accessible… 10 Visionary Death Care Entrepreneurs Revolutionizing How We DieLooking at the business that these 10 death care entrepreneurs have created, there is an overwhelming sense of certainty that this is the future. They are so obviously better than the status quo that it makes their old-model competitors look decades outdated. It’s true that the death care space has taken longer to see the… Learn About the Ongoing War on Imported Caskets. Winners, Losers, and Lawsuits…In 2015, Bloomberg Businessweek published a feature story on the U.S. casket trade highlighting it as one of the last standing industries of U.S. manufactured products that has not fallen to Chinese imports. In 2005, Jim Malamas was one of the first to enter the imported caskets business with his company ACE caskets. Malamas was acting on… The post The Most Read Funeral News Articles of 2018 appeared first on Connecting Directors. The Most Read Funeral News Articles of 2018 published first on YouTube via Tumblr The Most Read Funeral News Articles of 2018
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Dear Reader Are you connected to funerals in any way? Are you somebody who has an interest in what goes on in funeralworld? Have you had to arrange a funeral, or had to think about funeral arrangements for someone close to you? Or do you work in the funeral sector? Have you seen or heard things that you know are just wrong? Are you concerned about aspects of your work, prices that you can’t justify to clients, procedures that you have to follow that you find uncomfortable, things that have gone on behind the scenes that worry you? Have you been a bit busy recently and not got round to responding to the consultation launched by the Competition and Markets Authority at the end of November? YOU’VE ONLY GOT FIVE DAYS LEFT. (We wrote about the CMA’s Interim Report on the blog here and here if you want to refresh your memory) Comments are invited on the CMA’s provisional decision to make a market investigation reference (MIR) in relation to the supply of services by funeral directors at the point of need and the supply of crematoria services in the UK. Such comments should be provided no later than 5pm on 4 January 2019 to: Funeral market study team Competition and Markets Authority Victoria House Southampton Row London WC1B 4AD E-mail: [email protected] This is hugely important. It could completely change the landscape of the funeral sector for the benefit of people who need to arrange funerals. And that, effectively, will be all of us. Please, make sure that the CMA hears from people from all walks of life who have an interest in how the funeral sector is currently operating. If you have relevant experience or thoughts on the proposed investigation into the funeral sector, then make your voice heard. If you don’t take the time to write and tell the CMA what you think, the responses received will be dominated by replies from corporate funeral operators and trade associations. Your experience matters. Your opinion matters. You are the people the CMA need to hear from. It’s time to speak up. The full interim report and details of the consultation can be downloaded here, along with the findings of the research commissioned by the CMA to understand the behaviour, experiences and decision making of people who had recently engaged the services of a funeral director. The report is a lengthy document but well worth reading – if you haven’t got time to do so, then here is a precis of what the CMA is inviting comments on: ‘The CMA considers that this interim report identifies significant concerns about the effectiveness of competition in relation to the supply of funeral services at the point of need and the supply of crematoria services in the UK.’ ‘The CMA welcomes representations from interested parties on the provisional decision set out in this document. The CMA wishes to stress the importance of the consultation process in assisting the CMA’s decision making and urges interested parties to engage with the consultation. Respondents may wish to reply in relation to the supply of services by funeral directors at the point of need, in relation to the supply of crematoria services, or both. In doing so, respondents may wish to consider the following questions: Do you consider that the CMA’s analysis is correct with respect to the suspected features of concern in the supply of:
‘8.31 Based on the evidence and our analysis set out in section 4, our provisional view is that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that one or more of the following features or combination of features prevents, restricts or distorts competition in the supply of services by funeral directors at the point of need in local areas:
‘8.33 Based on the evidence and our analysis set out in section 5, our provisional view is that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that one or more of the following features or combination of features prevents, restricts or distorts competition in the supply of crematoria services in local areas:
Do you consider that the CMA’s analysis is correct with respect to the reference test being met in relation to the supply of:
Do you agree with the CMA’s proposal to exercise its discretion to make a reference in relation to the supply of services by funeral directors at the point of need and the supply of crematoria services (see paragraphs 8.38 to 8.96)? Do you consider that the proposed scope of the reference as set out in the draft terms of the reference in Appendix F, would be sufficient to enable any adverse effect on competition (or any resulting or likely detrimental effects on consumers) caused by the features referred to in paragraphs 8.31 and 8.33 to be effectively and comprehensively remedied? Do you consider that the features which the CMA has identified that may prevent, restrict or distort competition are capable effectively and comprehensively remedied by UILs (undertakings in lieu of a MIR)? Do you have any view on our current thinking on the types of remedies that an MIR should consider (see paragraphs 8.66 to 8.86)? Are there other measures we should consider? Funeral director services:
Crematoria
Other possible remedies The CMA would particularly welcome any specific evidence from respondents in support of their views. In addition to the above, the CMA would also welcome evidence and views on the following matters:
Our intention is to publish on the CMA’s website an aggregated and anonymised summary of submissions from individuals, although if you prefer, you can indicate that you would prefer for your response to be published in full. We intend to publish all responses from business and other organisations on the CMA’s website, except those responses marked as confidential. Respondents may request that their response be kept confidential. If you would like your response to remain confidential, clearly mark it to that effect and include the reasons for confidentiality. Please restrict any confidential material to the appendices to your response. We will redact, summarise or aggregate information in published reports where this is appropriate to ensure transparency whilst protecting legitimate consumer or business interests.’ We have a chance to make a change. Right now. Do you want to improve things for bereaved people? Do you want to be a responsible citizen who stands up for what they know is right? Then find ten minutes to tell the CMA what you think. Thank you. Time to speak up published first on YouTube via Tumblr Time to speak up Considering cremation but concerned about the carbon footprint? Memorial Reefs International offers a way to improve the oceans while giving those cremated remains a memorable permanent final resting place. via Tumblr Memorial Reefs International Helps You Save the Seas Ed Michael Reggie, CEO of Funeralocity, explains how they help consumers connect online to local funeral homes. via Tumblr Funeralocity Helps You Compare Funeral Homes In this video interview recorded at the National Funeral Directors Association convention and expo, Dennis Welzenbach, President & CEO of Wilbert Funeral Services, provides an overview of the company’s many different products and services. via Tumblr The Unique Offerings of Wilbert Funeral Services This is a power packed ‘Christmas’ episode that features 8 first time guests and only 6 of them are human?! Jeff and Ryan lose complete FN control of this episode. Buckle up. The post This Episode Goes to the Kids…and the Dogs | Funeral Nation 135 appeared first on Connecting Directors. This Episode Goes to the Kids…and the Dogs | Funeral Nation 135 published first on YouTube via Tumblr This Episode Goes to the Kids…and the Dogs | Funeral Nation 135 In this video, Certified Thanatologist Gail Rubin introduces you to the New Mexico tradition of Christmas Eve luminarias and cemetery visits. via Tumblr Christmas Eve Luminarias: A New Mexico Tradition It’s Not Too Late To Find The Perfect Present! Finding the ideal Holiday content can be a challenge, which is why we decided to make it as easy as possible with our FREE Holiday Video Bundle! Showcasing our Holiday Themed video content for your Facebook page or social media marketing plan! That’s right, in 3 clicks you will receive an email with your download link, ready to start whenever you’re ready with no expiration date.
Plus we’ve included Holiday images as a little special extra! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD*Reminder, if you have any questions about the Holiday video bundle or how DISRUPT Media can help your funeral home or business, please email [email protected] or schedule a demo about our social media process, click here! The post FREE Holiday Video Bundle – Download Now! appeared first on Connecting Directors. FREE Holiday Video Bundle – Download Now! published first on YouTube via Tumblr FREE Holiday Video Bundle – Download Now! National Guardian Life Insurance Company teamed up with Ancestry to create WeRemember.com, a free website designed to celebrate and share the stories of our loved ones. via Tumblr Introducing the WeRemember.com Memorialization Service Orlando, FL – Foundation Partners Group, a leading provider of innovative funeral, cemetery and cremation experiences and products, has announced the acquisition of Edwards Memorial Funeral Homes, Chapels and Crematories. The acquisition of the firm expands Foundation Partners’ network in Washington’s South Sound area to seven locations. “We see in Derek and Brianne Edwards and their team the qualities we value in a company – an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong commitment to their community and the families they serve,” said Bob Bukala, Foundation Partners Group’s President and CEO. “This is a wonderful acquisition for us as it allows us to add a multi-location funeral services provider that complements our current footprint, while continuing to build our presence in the growing South Sound community.” “We are very excited to become part of the team at Foundation Partners,” said Derek Edwards, owner of Edwards Memorial. “We believe Foundation Partners has the right cultural fit for our business and our staff. We look forward to working with them to continue to deliver exceptional and compassionate care to our families while continuing to grow the business.” Edwards Memorial was founded in 2005 when Derek and Brianne Edwards were in college and wrote a business plan together for an affordable alternative to traditional funeral homes. On advice from their professor, they secured funding, launched the business, and never looked back. Over the years, Derek and Brianne grew the business organically into one of the largest providers in the state of Washington. “Edwards Memorial and Foundation Partners are a natural fit as we share the same desire to provide the highest level of personalized service to those we are privileged to serve,” stated Jason Widing, Vice President of Business Development at Foundation Partners. “Edwards Memorial has an outstanding reputation in the South Sound area and is a wonderful addition to the Foundation Partners family.” About Foundation Partners Group: Foundation Partners Group (FPG) is a leading provider of innovative funeral, cemetery and cremation experiences and products. As one of the largest privately-owned funeral and cemetery operators, FPG owns and operates funeral homes, cremation centers and cemeteries in 17 states, and is actively seeking to expand its locations throughout the U.S. With headquarters in Orlando, Florida, FPG is committed to revolutionizing the funeral profession through their innovative ShareLife® customer experience-centered approach and harnessing the power of relationship and partnership. For more information, visit the Foundation Partners Group website at www.foundationpartners.com. The post Foundation Partners Group Adds Edwards Memorial appeared first on Connecting Directors. Foundation Partners Group Adds Edwards Memorial published first on YouTube via Tumblr Foundation Partners Group Adds Edwards Memorial |
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