February 2017

B4 A1-A44 B1-B24

Page B4 FEBRUARY 2017 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on B
Free Jake
IMSA members get a free hour of consultation with
business strategist Jake Johnson of Johnson Consulting,
plus other acclaimed industry experts in marketing,
social media and law. All this and much more for just
$175 annual membership. Join, unite and thrive.
Empowering Cemetery &
Funeral Service Suppliers
Homesteaders Expands
into Nebraska
istry uses local florists, and items offered by the funeral
home to ensure they are delivered to the funeral service.
For each item purchased, the funeral home earns at least
a 15 percent commission.
“Many funeral homes are striving to personalize the fu-
neral service of each family. This should be extended to the
items that will help the family in the grieving process after
the services are over. We are excited to be the first company
to offer each family a unique experience where they can in-
form family and friends of the gifts that will matter most,”
said Greg Young, co-founder of Funeral Innovations.
A personalized registry benefits the grieving family by
communicating to loved ones what they need and want
during a difficult time. The Healing Registry is part of
Funeral Innovations’ new Social Site website platform.
To get started on an easy and affordable way to provide
families an unmatched, personalized experience, contact
Greg Young at .
Funeral Innovations
Introduces The Healing
Registry
Homesteaders Heroes Program Honors Outstanding
Employees
WEST DES MOINES,IA— Homesteaders Life Compa-
ny has announced the recipients of its inaugural peer-
nominated Homesteaders Heroes awards. The new award
program recognizes employees who demonstrate Home-
steaders’ values and make a significant impact on the suc-
cess of the company and its customers.
Homesteaders Heroes award winners were chosen based
on nominations from their colleagues. Homesteaders’ ex-
ecutive vice president of human resources and adminis-
tration Judy Ralston-Hansen noted that this selection
process makes the recognition particularly meaningful.
“We received a tremendous response for Homesteaders
Heroes nominations, both in the quantity of submissions
and in the powerful testimonials that employees provided
about their coworkers,” Ralston-Hansen said. “We’re proud
to recognize these exceptional employees who contribute to
our company culture and promote our values every day.”
Homesteaders Heroes award recipients were named in
four categories:
Danielle Burmeister, Marketing Communications
Specialist received the Rising Star Award which recog-
nizes an employee who demonstrates eagerness to learn,
commitment to Homesteaders and engagement with the
company and peers early in his or her career.
Travis Nelsen, Senior Research Application Developer re-
ceived the Innovation Award which recognizes an employee for
the successful implementation of a new or updated product,
service or program that results in a measurable improvement
in the company’s performance, processes or brand strength.
Jason Richards, Business Analyst received the Out-
standing Teamwork Award for being an outstanding
member of a project team who has demonstrated enthu-
siasm, cooperation, problem-solving skills, commitment
to success and a consistently positive attitude.
KarenKing, Regional Director received the Enduring Impact
Award which recognizes an employee for a significant, long-
term contribution or body of accomplishments to Homestead-
ers that make a lasting impact on the company’s success.
The company also presented a special Enduring Im-
pact Award to the family of Cheryl Phillips, a long-
time Homesteaders customer service representative, who
passed away earlier this year.
WEST DES MOINES,IA— Homesteaders Life Compa-
ny has announced the expansion of the Homesteaders
Assurance Trust® to include funeral homes in Nebraska.
“The Homesteaders Assurance Trust® is designed to
combine the convenience of a trust with the security of
Homesteaders’ insurance products, without the need for
an in-house licensed insurance agent,” affirmed executive
vice president of sales and marketing Lyndon Peterson.
“We are very excited to be offering this valuable product
to our customers in Nebraska.”
TheHomesteaders AssuranceTrust®, powered by ClearPoint
Federal Bank & Trust, provides the flexibility of trust fund-
ing while offering the benefits of doing business with Home-
steaders, including the PartnerPoints® and Casket Alliance
rewards programs. This new option also includes a multi-
payment plan for consumers who wish to make payments
over time as well as revocable and irrevocable options.
Homesteaders Life Company, a 110-year-old mutual
company, is a national leader in providing life insurance
products and services to promote and support the fund-
ing of advance funeral planning and end-of-life expenses.
ClearPoint Federal Bank & Trust is a federally chartered
savings bank based in Batesville, IN, and is dedicated
solely to the funeral home and cemetery industry. Inde-
pendently owned and operated, ClearPoint has provid-
ed customized funeral home and cemetery trust services
since 1998, and serves clients in over 40 states.
For more information about the Homesteaders Assur-
ance Trust® products, contact your Homesteaders account
executive or call customer service at 800-436-6110.
UPD Urns Opens Virginia
Fulfillment Center
Tyler Frazer cutting ribbon to new Manassas, VA facility
MANASSAS,VA— Ty-
ler Fraser, CEO of UPD
Urns, has announced the
opening of a new crema-
tion urn fulfillment center
in Manassas, VA. The ware-
house and office space is lo-
cated 40 minutes south of
Washington, DC.
Tyler said, “After visiting
hundreds of funeral homes
in person, I regularly hear
about the importance of
fast shipping. This is some-
thing we are passionate
about and our new Virgin-
ia fulfillment center is only
the beginning.”
UPD Urns’ new ware-
house will allow the com-
pany to better serve the fu-
neral homes located in the
eastern region of the Unit-
ed States. Funeral homes in
the District of Columbia,
Maryland and Northern
Virginia now have access to
same day delivery.
UPD Urns has hired two
new employees in north-
ern Virginia: Chris Mo-
nogan and Casey Duran.
Casey will help with ac-
count management while
Chris manages inventory,
logistics and distributions.
Chris said, “This is im-
portant work and I’m look-
ing forward to applying my
logistics expertise to UPD
Urns, so that we can better
serve funeral homes.”
Casey said, “It is a true
privilege to work for a com-
pany that has such quality
products to provide to its
customers. I look forward
to helping funeral homes
get access to all of our in-
credible cremation urns!”
UPD Urns offers crema-
tion urns, jewelry and me-
morials to funeral homes and
cemeteries worldwide. UPD
Urns was founded 16 years
ago, and greatly values integ-
rity and service to their cus-
tomers. Alongside offering
bestselling urns, UPD Urns
focuses on having a unique
collection to cater to the ev-
er-changing needs of crema-
tion. UPD Urns has offices
in Visalia, CA and Manassas,
VA, the greater Arlington
and Washington, DC area,
where CEO Tyler Fraser
plays an active role in com-
munity and business events.
For more informa-
tion on UPD Urns, visit
, email
, or call
Tyler Fraser at 213-261-4984.
Visit
NEWS F ME & CEMETERY
online
751 North Lincoln Ave., Fremont, NE 68025
2015 Cadillac Renaissance by Federal
with 2,300 miles. Stock #0783
Check out our great selection on the web at
Featured Car of the Month