May 2018

Page B4 MAY 2018 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on B Handful of Home – Bringing the Earth of Ireland to United States Funerals! Aifric O  Byrne and Dominika Hyriakova Ceremonial Canister BOSTON,MA— Handful of Home helps the millions of Irish in America do something powerful - to lay their loved ones to rest on the land of Ireland. The beautifully designed Ceremonial Canister filled with 2 pounds of pure Irish earth allows each family member to take a handful of earth in their hands, feel the cool soft land of their ancestors, and release it onto the coffins or urns of their loved ones. Handful of Home invites funeral homes, cemeteries and crematories to unite families and friends at end of life celebrations with this unique twist on an ancient tradition. From April onwards, the Handful of Home Ceremonial Canister is avail- able for delivery throughout the United States. Significant discounts are avail- able from their website www.handfulof- home.com , as well as easy online pur- chase, multiple payment and shipping options starting from next day delivery. For the Irish, the land of their ances- tors runs through their blood. The cool, dark earth defines who they are, and how they lived their lives. Help bring Irish families a true sense of peace, knowing that they can lay their loved ones to rest in the United States, but amidst the land of Ireland. Boston based “Handful of Home” is created by Dublin, Ireland’s Original Irish Dirt Ltd, owned by Aifric O By- rne and Dominika Hyriakova. The company is creating a range of Irish earth products allowing Irish in Amer- ica celebrate their cultural roots at some of the most emotional moments in their lives. Visit www.handfulofhome.com to learn more. Thacker Caskets Ranked #1 for Service in Funeral Service Insider Survey Doug Troup has worked as a tractor trailer driver for Thacker & Loretto Casket for almost 40 years. He plays a critical “behind the scenes” role in making sure product gets to where it needs to be. CLINTON,MD— In November 2016, Kates-Boylston Pub- lications published its Annual Casket Survey. In this survey, Thacker Caskets was ranked #1 in service amongst industry giants including Matthews-Aurora, Batesville, Astral and the Chinese casket companies. In addition to Thacker’s #1 rank in service, Thacker ranked #2 with regards to Product Innovation and ranked #3 of all casket companies with re- gards to Product Quality. “I remember just five years or so ago, we were not even a company that was big enough to be included in the survey. In just a few short years, we have gone from not only being included to achieving a gold, silver and bronze metal, so to speak, in the largest industry survey!” CJ Thacker, CEO of Thacker Caskets, proudly remarked. This year’s survey drew responses from hundreds of funeral professionals across the country. It seeks opinions from funer- al directors on many “hot topics” with regards to caskets and its suppliers including: casket company contracts, casket in- novations, caskets coming in fromChina, casket presentation methods and more. On the topic of product innovation, part of the survey asked about unfulfilled gaps when it comes to caskets. Thomas Parmalee, editor of the Funeral Service In- sider and several of the funeral director respondents cited the lack of ability to offer different interior choices. Parmalee writes as part of the survey, “As in past years, re- spondents complained about the lack of lower-cost options and too many limitations on interior colors, which may bode well for Thacker’s latest offering.” Thomas refers to Thacker’s new Tailored Designs™ program which offers funeral direc- tors the ability to change interiors on a casket for next day de- livery! The survey also included a special section that cited the hard work and effort of the Thacker team from quotes of funeral directors. Parmalee writes, “Several respondents singled out Thacker Caskets in particular – especially for making senior executives available to them as needed.” One funeral director mentioned in the survey said, “…everyone at Thacker is al- ways helpful, professional and courteous. Our casket rep has always gone above and beyond and given exceptional service.” Danielle Thacker, vice president of sales and marketing for Thacker, said, “We are truly humbled by our rankings on the survey.We owe a big thank you to theThacker team – the dis- tribution center managers, the drivers, the customer service team and sales team who have all made this possible. And we look forward to seeing next year’s rankings as Thacker contin- ues to move the ball forward.” For more information on Thacker Caskets, call the customer service center at 800-637-8891 or visit www. thackercaskets.com. For more information with regards to the survey or to learn how to subscribe to the Funeral Service Insider industry newsletter, contact Thomas Par- malee at tparmalee@katesboylston.com. Originator of Fingerprint Keepsakes Announces New Pricing Structure WOODSTOCK,IL— Meadow Hill Corporation has updat- ed the price structure of their unique keepsake jewelry cast in precious metals (Sterling Silver, Yellow Gold, White Gold and Rose Gold) by implementing a fixed pricing system. This move away from daily price fluctuations pegged to the London BullionMarket provides stability for customers who may take a day or two to decide on a purchase, assuring them that the price they saw on their initial shopping exploration is the same price they’ll pay upon ordering. “At Meadow Hill, we’ve been customer focused since the day we created the fingerprint memorial keepsake industry. One of our most frequent requests has been for the establish- ment of a fixed pricing system. Our constant search for ways to innovate and improve our business model has led to infra- structure improvements that make this new pricing structure possible,” commented Meadow Hill CEO Diana Braun. In addition to the new pricing model, Meadow Hill is also removing their per piece handling charge. Meadow Hill Corporation, founded in 1997, is the origi- nator of print keepsakes. 2018 marks 20 years of long-lasting relationships it has developed with funeral professionals. Its Thumbies®, Buddies Pet Keepsakes™, and Phoenix Collec- tion® product lines are hand crafted by skilled artisans in the heartland of the United States and offer something for every- one. To learn more about Meadow Hill Corporation, visit www.meadowhillco.com. 4hearse.com Chicago 800-4-HEARSE Twin Cities 844-219-9643 MUST SELL 2018 MK Chrysler Pacifica MK300 Hearse 2018 Platinum Cadillac Phoenix Hearse 2018 Lehman-Peterson Cadillac 48” 6-Door 2018 Platinum Cadillac Phoenix Hearse 2018 MK Lincoln Legacy Hearse 2018 MK Lincoln Grand Legacy Limited Hearse 2018 K2 Dodge Caravan SXT Funeral Van family owned and operated for over 20 years ! New - Used - Leasing - Financing R U Ready 4 the Future? Funeral Caddy Memorial Carrier