Casket Side of Funeral Industry Decline-YourFuneralGuy

The amount of money people are paying for Caskets is less

The biggest sign of traditional funeral industry decline, is the decline in Casket Sales, and the decline in the amount of the Casket Sale.

The  Wall Street Journal is reporting that Casket  sales are in decline, and the amount of money people are spending on Caskets are reduced dramatically.

The World’s largest Casket Company Batesville Casket Company and it’s parent Hildebrand, Inc  are moving outside the casket sale to get income. Hildebrand has purchased K-Tron a non funeral industrial company.

In 2009, Casket sales dropped by 5 million caskets  as reported by the Wall Street Journal. This is different than the 80,000 reported by the Cincinati Business Journal

Snippet From the Wall Street Journal.

We saw a decline in the overall price of our caskets sold,” says CEO Joe Bartolacci. He’s now making acquisitions in areas of the funeral business he considers more promising, such as cemetery markers.

Other casket makers are making lower-priced models. Jonathan Field, president of Jonathan Field Collection, which specializes in military caskets, started noticing that his customers were ordering more of his lower-priced caskets in December 2008 as the downturn deepened. In March, he will start selling a casket for $1,200, less than half the price of his main model, which sells for $2,850. The cheaper version will have fewer embellishments.

But Laurie D’Onofrio, a 50-year-old nurse from Staten Island, N.Y., would still prefer to be cremated. In her family, most people choose burial, but she thinks traditional burials are needlessly expensive—and a little icky. “I don’t like the idea of rotting away,” she says. “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”

via online.wsj.com

This is the first time that Batesville Casket has been revealed as considering

Casket Sales down in the USA

getting into Cemetery Markers.

Batesvile Casket had it’s worse year in recent memory in 2009. Batesville  An increase in sales over last yaer has not happened yet in 2010. Even if Sales go up over last year it it ill not indicate a turn around.

Funeral Industry| Funeral News |Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Anti Funeral Consumer, Funeral Industry”trinity” NFDA, CANA, NFMDA -YourFuneralGuy

NFDA anfd two other associations are a part of an Anti Funeral Consumer Trinity

An anti funeral consumer “trinity” has come together to raise your funeral costs. Funeral Industry Giants:The National Funeral Directors Association(NFDA), Cremation Association of North America (CANA) and the NFDMA, National funeral and Morticians assocition -have come together to raise consumer funeral costs by lobbying Congress TOGETHER.  The three organizations websites are on your Funeral Guys soon to be published list of top anti consumer funeral industry websites.

Click here to see How CANA and the NFDA have come together to raise the consumers cremation cost.

Click Here to see how the NFDA has opposed The Funeral Rule the law of the land on Funerals.

“NFDA, CANA and NFD&MA representatives also agreed that focusing on a maximum of three issues would prove most effective during the upcoming joint congressional visits. Recognizing that the current session of Congress might also complete some of these issues, the group will therefore determine which three top issues their collective members will discuss with their elected officials closer to the Advocacy Summit in March 2010.

In advance of NFDA’s Advocacy Summit, March 8-10, the three associations will coordinate and set up state-based delegations across their respective memberships and schedule meetings with members of Congress. Thus, for the first time, members of three national funeral service associations will lobby members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate together and provide a powerful, unified voice on the key issues impacting funeral service.”-via connecting directors.com

In the past the three associations have attempted “a good face” for the Funeral Industry. With the economy and the Funeral Industry decline this appears to have fallen by the wayside.

Funeral Industry| Funeral News|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy-Funeral Director, Illinois and Virginia

Connecting Directors .com continues their blind support of the NFDA with recent posts that simply restate NFDA positions.

NFDA Logo -via connecting directors.com

Your Funeral Guy Booted for Pro Family Lower Cost Funeral Comments.

Your Funeral Guy has been booted by Connecting Directors, an attempt to throw him under the funeral industry bus.

Your Funeral Guy has been booted from a  major Funeral Industry Website for comments promoting the Pro family low cost funeral options. My agenda is the presentation of the low cost funeral alternatives. For many Funeral Homes this works well.On the whole the funeral industry is vehemently opposed to presenting  the lower cost funeral  in the arrangement conference.

Keep In Mind that The WEBMASTER WHO KNOWS WHAT’s Good for Funeral Service has never worked in a Funeral Home!

Disabled Account

Dear Brian,

I have decided that your commentary on my website is not for the betterment of funeral service or for my members. Although debate is healthy, I feel you are using my site to further your personal agenda.

I have disabled your account and any new accounts created as an alais will be disabled as well.

Sincerely,

Ryan Thogmartin, CEO
Connecting Directors
P.O. Box 430
4300 West Pike
Zanesville, Ohio

Your funeral guy was with ConnectingDirectors.com for 2 years referring professionals to the site..But no more.  At one point  early on I donated copies of the Low cost funeral book “REST IN PEACE to the  First Connecting Directors store for sale to help this site..

Testimonial: Shay Wheat -YourFuneralGuy is a very kind soul, he is very professional and always willing to help others, especially in a time of need.-Naymz

---

Statement From Your Funeral Guy:

Your Funeral Guy debates fair and honestly on the web. My agenda has always been THE LOW COST Funeral options for families and the consumer. I have never set up an account with aliases. Who I am and what I represent is clear to all.

Unlike Connecting Directors.com I am not beholding to funeral industry Corporation Advertisers. I can speak freely.

My internet and personal agenda are always clear. I have  not  actively promoted  funeral homes ( but have mentioned a low cost funeral home example once)or businesses  at my sites only the lower cost funeral. There are no advertisers, nothing advertised, (at Your Funeral Guy Blogs)save amazon .com and the “Rest In Peace” book so folks can access low cost funeral options.

Funeral Industry| Funeral News Blog | by Your Funeral Guy

Nice present for the last day of 2009 and the end of a decade.

Your Funeral Guy Statement Original to this blog post

Sadly another funeral industry site says goodbye to alternative funerals, fair balanced and unafraid.

To make matters worse there are no forum|comment rules or guidelines at ConnecingDirectors.com

ConnectingDirectors.com chasing Batesville Vaults-YourFuneralGuy

Revenue for the Leading Casket Maker in the USA Is way down. pic-3D IStockPhotocasket

The Funeral Industry  Website Connecting Directors.com  has been chasing the Batesville Casket Company Selling Vaults(BetaTest). The story is important because it shows the effects of the recession on the Funeral Industry. The leading casket maker in the USA  has to go outside the casket sale to increase revenue.

Could  Cremation, The Economy  and Walmart (Third Parties)selling caskets have that much effect? YES

Check this out:

Batesville Casket C0.Testing Vault Sales after Very Bad Revenue Year

But as every fourth grader knows- ya need the who, what, when WHY and where. Although the beta  test has been going on since  September the young webmaster was not the first but one to get the story. He did get it to his credit.

But as the pattern at Connecting directors goes the whys neglected. Blind support of  the Funeral Industry supports  the STATUS  QUO which is quite sad. The Funeral Industry is not trusted  much these days-and the Scandals and financials prove it. The Website  ConnectingDirectors.com only repeats what is on the web and very rarely mentions  the “why” the story. We should not expect  real help for the funeral industry or the consumer from Connecting Directors.com in 2010!

Funeral Industry|Funeral News|Funeral  Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Your Funeral Guy under Fire for saying Excellent Free(Low Cost)Funeral Services available-YourFuneralGuy

Your Funeral Guy under fire from ConnectingDirectors.com

Your Funeral Guy- some fire today from Connecting Directors.com.  It was simply stated in a recent blog post that the consumer does not have to put up with(be ripped off) by High End Funeral (Specific)Services.. This is the main theme of your funeral guy blogs.

High Funeral Expenses are not to be paid  when the same high quality free and lower cost funeral services are available.

Here are  some of the  connectingdirectors.com comments on the post.

“Apparently their is someone in the funeral industry who believes that funeral homes, with the help of industry companies like FuneralOne and ConnectingDirectors.com, have came together in 2009 to formulate new ways to rip off the consumer. According to the statements, by ‘Your Funeral Guy‘ in the following article he apparently thinks that offering services like, online obits, Webcasting and better websites, services the consumer is demanding, is ripping them off because the funeral home charges for these services.

I strongly disagree with the article. It is ridiculous to think that a funeral home should offer these service and not charge for them. Also, funeral homes are not “pushing” these services on the consumers, the consumer is demanding and requesting these services!! The 7 “New and Improved Ways” funeral directors are ripping the consumer off”via www.connectingdirectors.com

Firstly ,Connectingdirectors.com, and FuneralOne.com are pro funeral owner, funeral director sites. Secondly, by charging high fees for for tech and other services that are available for free or at low cost they really are really not helping funeral directors or the industry.

Thirdly, I have seen no proof that Funeral Consumers are demanding these services. Funeral Consumers.are definitively not demanding services that they can obtain with high quality at no or little cost.

Fourthly, Funeral directors do have the right to charge for their services, but NOT OVER CHARGE WHICH APPEARS TO BE  THE PERPETUAL PROBLEM IN THE FUNERAL INDUSTRY.

Fifthly, OVER CHARGING  FOR YEARS IS THE REASON FOR THE CURRENT FUNERAL INDUSTRY DECLINE.

Funeral industry|Funeral Blog by YOUR FUNERAL GUY.

Read more reply at www.connectingdirectors.com

Yes the sites, people mentioned above and in the previous post did come together in 2009 to take more money from funeral consumers, families.:) That is rather obvious.

Counting down the Top Ten Funeral Websites of 2009-YourFuneralGuy

Here are the top ten funeral websites for 2009. These are the ones that are best for the Funeral Consumer. Countdown begins with #10 and ends with #1.

10. Deathcare.com is about death, dying, funerals, hospice and the deathcare industry. These folks research things well and are an important resource for funerals.

9.Ehow.com is an important resource for everything about a funeral  including handling a memorial service on your own.

8. Funerals A Consumer Guide is a good summary of the rules and what to expect when doing a funeral this comes via the Federal Trade Commission, The FTC.

7. Caring.com is a help when planning a funeral.

6. The AARP has done a series of articles that help with funeral and end of life issues.

5. The Digital Beyond.Com Did you know you can have your own facebook memorial when you die? Your Digital Assets your- Websites, blogs, e-mails, all have to be dealt with. This site shows you to handle this hidden funeral cost. The site will continue to exhibit leadership in 2010

4. Celebrant Pam.blogspot.com. This funeral celebrant (Pam Vetter)is full of great ideas and real life examples to help with your funeral and funeral expenses.Consider hiring a funeral celebrant-ditch  the funeral director or only use some of his services.

3. The Good Funeral Guide.Com This site from across the pond has helpful tips on everything funeral from grieving to funeral cost. Charles Cowling is a very helpful blogger.

2. Funeral Program Templates.Com This site will help you do a beautiful funeral program-At NO COST TO YOU.

1. Otrib.com Best Site to leave a Free Obituary. Featured in Fox News in 2009. There is much detailed information here. This is the number 1 site to help you come in under the average cost of a funeral. Resources include funeral home profiles and a caring community.