Connecting Directors.com says Funeral Industry accepting Third Party Caskets?-YourFuneralGuy

Connecting Directors.Com has posted negatively on the Funeral Consumers Alliance

In a Blog posts that attacks the Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) and comments that discuss how to get rid of this organization, Connecting Directors.com states that the funeral industry is accepting Third Party Caskets.  From the Web Reaction and resentment  from Funeral Homes and directors on Walmart Selling Caskets, this is simply  not the case.

I think we learned from the article I posted yesterday (Funeral Director Reacts to Handling First Walmart Casket, You Might Be Surprised)that funeral professionals are open to and willing to accept third-party caskets.

via www.connectingdirectors.com

The FCA states that third party caskets are good for the consumer. This is true. You can have a beautiful casket for much less and come in under the average cost of a funeral by purchasing a casket at a place other than the funeral home.

In the Case of the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal, and the Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act  the Funeral Consumers Alliance was one of the first to speak up for consumer rights.

The Funeral Consumers Alliance has long been hated by Funeral Industry Insiders. Their Lawsuits have hurt Batesville, Service Corporation International,SCI and pointed out consumer ripoffs by these companies.

If funeral directors were more pro consumer and focused less on their own profit as the Connecting Directors  post above does, the funeral industry would not be in decline and there would be less need for the FCA and  more profit for the Funeral Directors. It also would create a  better situation for Funeral Consumer.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Batesville Casket Income Down Again-Your Funeral Guy

Batesville Casket Company in decline

The net income for the Batesville Casket Company is down in the third quarter of 2009. Hillenbrand Inc.’s (HI)Net Income is down 4.9%. Net revenues fell to $158.7 million from $165 million. But more significantly for the first 9 months of 2009 (Fiscal year)there is a huge loss.  In the First (3Qs {of (fiscal)2009} Revenues dropped to $496 million from $519.3 million.

The WSJ quoting Hillenbrand Inc.’s Chief Executive  Kenneth Camp.

“This recession has affected every part of the American economy, and for the first time, it’s also affected our industry,”He added that the results also pointed to consumers’ spending cutbacks affecting their funeral-purchase decisions.

Snippet From RTT:

Revenue came down to $496.0 million from $519.3 million in the same period (9 month) last year.

Funeral Industry Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

NYSE: HI is headquartered in Batesville, Indiana

Batesville Revenue points to Funeral industry Decline-YourFuneralGuy

Batesville Casket Had a 17.1% decline in net income, a bad sign for the funeral business.

The largest casket maker in the United States has posted a 17.1% decline in net income in their 2nd Quarter of 2009. This is another indication of  more decline in the funeral business. (Numbers here do not include litigation costs and spin off adjustments)

Hillenbrand Inc- Batesville Casket Co.

“Kenneth Camp, president and chief executive officer of Hillenbrand, Inc said, “The funeral services industry has experienced a decline in burials that is largely consistent with a mild influenza and pneumonia season, combined with an increase in cremations that may be more pronounced in the current economic environment. There also has been more intense competition in both the casket and cremation businesses.-(rttnews.com)

Excluding costs, net income was $28.6 million, down 17.1% from $34.5 million in the prior yearquarter.-(rttnews.com)

Batesville casket  did post a profit due to the reduction of operations-but operations cannot be reduced forever. A 17.1 decline in net income paints a steep decline in the casket end of the US  funeral industry. Not only was  there more cremation and  less burial , there was a significant  threat to the US funeral industry in the rise of high quality Chinese Casket imports.

That is  part of the rise in more intense competition.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Source(rttnews.com)

post updated at 12:54 Am on May13th 2009 due to inaccurate info fron 1st source.( revenue decline was 10.8% not 22%)