Orlando, Florida, February 9, 2021 — Foundation Partners Group continued to invest in innovation and methodically carried out a plan to acquire funeral service businesses with a high cremation mix to become one of the nation’s leading providers of cremation services and the second largest provider of funeral services by case volume, the company announced today. This was done in a year in which a global pandemic sent shockwaves through the funeral industry.
In the past year, Foundation Partners has bought eight funeral service companies with 25 locations, increasing its presence in three states where it already has operations and entering two new markets, Kentucky and New Mexico. The business, which is owned by Access Holdings, a buy-and-build investment firm with headquarters in Baltimore, operates almost 160 locations across 20 states and will provide services to more than 75,000 families this year.
According to Foundation Partners Group President Kent Robertson, “it’s been almost a year since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the funeral profession like a tidal wave, and the result has been a fundamental shift in the way many families think about the final disposition and memorialization of loved ones.” “While funeral planners all over the country soon shifted to online arrangements and streaming services, many families began to consider cremation for the first time due to concerns about illness, governmental constraints, and the realities of delayed memorials.”
The cremation rate in the United States increased to an all-time high of 54.6 percent in 2020 in a market expected to be worth $28.7 billion this year. A study by the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), published in November 2020, examined data from 15 states for the period from March to August 2020 and found that the average annual growth rate of cremations increased dramatically during the pandemic, from 1.5 percent to an average of 2.74 percent.
Robertson continued, “Foundation Partners was founded ten years ago with the belief that cremation is the future. “Our 86 percent cremation mix and industry-leading infrastructure puts us in an excellent position to capitalize on the current trends.”
The company’s M&A expansion plans are overseen by Tom Kominsky, the chief financial officer of Foundation Partners Group. According to Kominsky, “Our acquisition strategy is to work with independent funeral home operators who believe in giving families the best service possible regardless of the final disposition method they select.” “By increasing density in already-existing marketplaces and entering new ones, we achieve this. Foundation Partners distinguishes itself and is the buyer of choice for many funeral home owners by helping owners with their succession planning and by offering a partner to help further grow their businesses and extend their legacies. We support them at every stage of the process and provide open, straightforward guidance.”
The ability of the business to make use of the knowledge and experience of previous owners has been crucial to its expansion. Many former owners continue to run and grow their businesses with the assistance of Foundation Partners. Others have emerged as crucial players in the management group for the business.
All-States Cremation and All Veterans Funeral and Cremation, both based in Denver, joined Foundation Partners in 2019, according to Tommie Kamm “We were opposed to public corporations. Private company Foundation Partners operates. We sought a partner who supported reasonable, high-quality cremation. a business that is capable of facing up against our rivals. Foundation Partners has made investments in businesses like ours because they believe this sector has a bright future.”
Foundation Partners organizations provide families anything from multi-sensory ShareLife memorial experiences to straightforward cremation services offered under its Tulip Cremation brand in a novel, multi-channel approach to pre-need and at-need funeral service sales. The organization may reach a new audience at a fraction of the cost of opening and running physical sites by providing affordable, online direct cremation arrangements.
Tulip “lives at the confluence of digital and cremation,” according to Kominsky. “Online direct cremation planning increases efficiency, improves margins, and helps us keep up with the growing demand for straightforward and economical funeral services, in addition to giving families more flexibility. This year, we added four new markets to the Tulip service offering, and we plan to keep expanding it in the next years.”
Lynette Viviani of Foundation Partners Group can be reached at 973-534-1004 or [email protected].
Who is Smart Cremation’s owner?
Joanne Stewart is attempting to recover from a grueling procedure while also making preparations for her demise.
Stewart responded, “I wanted to surprise my kids with something they didn’t have to do for me.”
Stewart made the arrangements herself since she didn’t want to put her two kids through making funeral arrangements and paying for them.
She received an email solicitation asking if she was interested in cremation, to which she replied in the affirmative.
She received a visit from a sales representative from Smart Cremation of San Mateo who described the services.
To avoid finance charges, Stewart paid in full. She then consented to the salesperson filling in the remaining details on a blank contract. Then, everything started to go wrong.
Instead of $1,200, the bill stated that the plan cost $1,652. Stewart immediately dialed the salesperson.
“My contract with you was for $1,200, and when I mentioned it, she replied, “I’ll be right there.” She scheduled a meeting. I abandoned my own ideas. She didn’t appear, “Added she.
Stewart got in touch with the corporate office. The contract, according to a manager, was for $1,652. Stewart claims that she asked for a copy but was ignored.
I stated, “I want my money back because how do I know that when I do pass away, you won’t hit my children with well, your mother can’t get it done because she still owes this much money.'”
Stewart sought assistance from 7 On Your Side. We got in touch with Northstar Memorial Group of Texas, which is the parent organization of Smart Cremation. A copy of Stewart’s contract was delivered to her. It became out that she was subject to interest and monthly payments under a loan arrangement.
The business, however, informed us that it wouldn’t hold her to it: “The transaction was processed by Smart Cremation in its entirety. When it became clear that this client had remembered the terms differently than they had been written, we made the choice to either fulfill the smart plan on the terms she remembered or issue a full refund. We regret that we were unable to help this customer with her pre-planning, but we are grateful that we had the opportunity to meet her needs.”
Stewart stated, “It was very irritating to go through this and not get anything done until I did obtain your help.
This instance demonstrates how crucial it is never to sign a blank contract. In actuality, you should always obtain the terms in writing, consider them carefully, and then sign them. We sincerely appreciate Smart Cremation for providing Stewart with a complete refund and relieved her of so much stress.
What number of cemeteries do Foundation Partners own?
Today, Foundation Partners manages 34 funeral homes and six cemeteries spread across 13 states, mostly serving suburban and rural communities with burial, cremation, and cemetery services. It is a portfolio company of Chicago-based investment corporation Sterling Partners.
What is the least expensive type of cremation?
unceremonial cremation (direct cremation) This is the least expensive and most economical choice for cremation, second only to complete body donation, which includes cremation at no cost.
What is the UK’s least expensive cremation?
Additionally, in 2021, people spent 2,484 on extras that make the send-off, on average.
The other bonuses are:
- Funeral and death notices
- Flowers
- a monument
- Addition limousines
- Order sheets for services
- the wake’s catering and venue rental
Because of this, a direct cremation is the most affordable method of cremation in the UK.
What happens at a direct cremation?
Following are typical events that occur before, during, and after a direct cremation:
- The funeral home arranges for the body to be picked up in a specialized vehicle.
- The body is brought to the mortuary where it is taken care of until cremation.
- The crematorium determines the time and day for the cremation, which occurs immediately.
- For the cremation, only employees of the Crematory are present.
- The ashes are processed and put in a straightforward container after the cremation.
- The ashes are either returned to the family or spread on the cremation grounds.
Some families decide to plan a separate memorial or celebration of life at a time and location that works for them since there is no funeral service.
What’s the difference between a funeral with cremation and a direct cremation?
The table below illustrates the variations between the services that may be offered as part of a traditional funeral with cremation and those of a direct cremation:
What is the cheapest way to be cremated, other than a direct cremation?
Although direct cremation is the least expensive option, it may not be the best choice for everyone.
Some people, for instance, may still like a modest gathering of family and friends to take place before the cremation but don’t want the hassle and expense of a traditional funeral service.
Fortunately, there are additional choices available to meet various needs and price ranges:
Is Smart Cremation a trustworthy business?
For almost ten years, Smart Cremation has served as a leading national funeral service in the US.
They appear to have established a respectable reputation in the communities where they operate over that time.
I’ll cover all you need to know about this provider in this review, including services, plans, costs, advantages and disadvantages, and much more.
The Neptune Society is credible, right?
The Neptune Society is an expert in providing compassionate and reasonably priced cremation and funeral planning services. To assist you in making arrangements for what will happen after your death, the firm provides qualified advice from cremation professionals. Making these preparations now relieves your mourning family of the responsibility and decision-making.
What is the Bible’s position on cremation?
The definition of cremation as a method of disposing of the dead in the Bible is not entirely clear. However, the New Testament does not include any explicit prohibitions against cremation. The practice of cremation is neither encouraged nor discouraged by the Bible.
However, a lot of Christians think that cremation would disqualify their bodies from the resurrection. Others, however, dispute this claim on the grounds that the body continues to deteriorate after burial.
In addition, given that God is supremely powerful, it shouldn’t be impossible for Him to raise the dead even after cremation.
Additionally, some people do not care about burial or cremation because only the spiritual body, not the physical body, is permitted to enter Heaven.
35–55 in 1 Corinthians 15 “The dead’s resurrection works in the same manner. When we pass away, our physical bodies on earth are buried, but they will one day be revived to eternal life. However, our bodies shall be risen in glory after being buried in brokenness. They are buried in fragility, yet they will rise in power. They are raised as spiritual beings after being buried in their physical human forms. Because there are spiritual bodies as well as natural bodies.
There have been instances where the body has been burned, like with Saul and Jonathan. The Philistines had mangled their corpses. To prevent them from being mocked by the adversary, their bodies were burnt and their bones were buried.
Another time, when Achan consciously committed the sin of stealing the spoils of the battle of Jericho, he and his family were stoned to death and then cremated.
Generally speaking, the Bible viewed cremation as more of a punishment than an act of honor. In actuality, the majority of those in the Bible who were burned were cursed.
Burning is often emphasized as having a purifying effect on the spirit in paganism. It also deters malevolent spirits and shields against the potential reappearance of ghosts.
Both the Old Testament and the New Testament make it clear that burial is the accepted method of body disposal.
So, whether you wish to be buried or cremated is a matter of personal preference. It is more of a philosophical and cultural issue than a scriptural one.
Is cremation possible without a casket?
In the UK, the only absolute rule governing this is that a body must be covered up in public. Coffins aren’t necessarily required by law for cremation; either a shroud or a coffin will do.
Even if it’s built of something extremely basic, like cardboard or wicker, in reality, you do need to be cremated in some sort of coffin. Because of how cremators are constructed, a body cannot be moved inside one safely or easily on its own; it must be placed in a container with a solid, flat foundation. While some crematories are content to use a board, others would rather use a coffin.
Can a cremation take place without a funeral?
One of the easiest ways to handle a cremation is through direct cremation funeral services, which often take place at the crematorium alone without a ceremony or any mourners present. The term “direct cremation” refers to a straightforward cremation with less financial outlay because there is no hearse or limousine and only a very simple casket is used. It is known as Pure Cremation. Everything has the same meaning.
- A direct cremation does not involve a funeral. There is no memorial service or viewing of the deceased. Although you are welcome to attend the committal if you so choose, there are often no mourners in attendance.
- With a direct cremation funeral, no embalming or other preparation is required. (We must remove the pacemaker if the deceased has one.)
- Direct cremation services don’t require a pricey coffin. We utilize a basic eco-coffin made of solid pine.
- Unlikely to be close to you, the cremation takes place at a location convenient to the funeral director. You won’t be able to pick the time, place, or day of the cremation, but at Pure Cremation, we always inquire about any holidays or significant dates you’d prefer us to avoid.