May 2019

Page B9 MAY 2019 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on C.J. Boots Casket Company Cherokee Casket Company Dixline Corporation Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions Keith M. Merrick Company Nomis Publications Paragon Casket Company Prepainted Metals LLC Schuylkill Haven Casket Company Southern Craft Manufacturing Tiedemann-Bevs Industries THANKYOUTO OUR SPONSORS! Casket and Funeral Supply Association of America 49-Y Sherwood Terrace, Lake Bluff, IL 60044 • P 847-295-6630 • F 847-295-6647 • E info@cfsaa.org • W www.cfsaa.org 2019 CFSAWINTER SEMINAR April 1-2, 2019 • Westin Charlotte • Charlotte, North Carolina OUR FALL CONFERENCE IS RETURNINGTO INDIANAPOLIS IN NOVEMBER Funeral Directors Life Named as One of the 2019 Best Workplaces to Work in Texas Unity Funding Company Records Record Growth Unity Financial Life Insurance rated B++ ABILENE,TX— Great Place to Work® and Fortune mag- azine have honored Funer- al Directors Life as one of the 2019 Best Workplac- es in Texas. Funeral Direc- tors Life took the number 14 spot in the small and me- dium companies’ category. “We are honored to be recognized as one of the top companies in Texas by For- tune magazine and Great Place to Work,” said Kris Seale, Funeral Directors Life president and CEO. “I firmly believe that one of the things that have made our company successful is the investment we’ve made in our people and in mak- ing this a great place to work. Happy employees make for happy customers! And it doesn’t hurt when you love what you do and you get to work every day with some of the best peo- ple you know. That, to me, is a great place to work.” Great Place to Work, a global people analytics and consulting firm, evaluat- ed more than 60 elements of team members’ experi- ence on the job and con- sidered feedback from more than 42,000 Texas- based employees. In the survey, employ- ees expressed their appre- ciation for Funeral Direc- tors Life’s unique culture and work environment. 98 percent of employees stat- ed that people at the com- pany care about each other and celebrate special events regularly. 99 percent of employees agreed that the company facilities contrib- ute to a good working en- vironment. Employees enjoy sever- al unique perks, includ- ing an on-site clinic and an on-site fitness center, prayer team, mentorship programs, employee recog- nition programs, volunteer opportunities, and person- al development programs such as book studies. “Explosive metro-ar- ea growth and some of the lowest unemployment rates in the country put intense pressure on Texas employers to ensure their workplaces are attractive to top talent,” said Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. “Organizations like Funeral Directors Life stand out from the crowd, providing a workplace where people with a broad range of backgrounds can contribute to the success and innovation of organi- zations ranking among the best in the nation.” Funeral Directors Life is a life insurance compa- ny which specializes in the sale of prepaid funeral in- surance policies and annui- ties. Their mission is “to be known as the best, most- respected provider of ser- vice to the funeral indus- try.” Funeral Directors Life is committed to serving their clients, policyholders, and employees as the lead- ing provider of service to the funeral profession. To learn more about Funeral Directors Life, visit www. funeraldirectorslife.com. Kevin Smith Joins Express Funeral Funding as a National Account Manger Kevin Smith CLARKSVILLE,IN— Express Funeral Funding is excited to welcome Kevin Smith as a national account manager. Smith will develop and maintain relationships with funeral homes and cemeteries nationwide to promote Express Fu- neral Funding’s fast and easy insurance assignment funding. “We are excited to have Kevin join the Express family. He brings expert industry knowledge along with several long-standing relationships with funeral homes and cem- eteries,” said Steve Callo- way, president of Express Funeral Funding. Smith comes to Express Funeral Funding, having over 20 years in the funer- al profession, of which he spent in insurance assign- ment funding, providing invaluable experience. “I am very excited to join forces with Express Funer- al Funding. They are the fastest, easiest, friendliest funding company on the planet. I want all my past clients and future custom- ers to try us out on your next assignment,” said Smith. Express Funeral Funding has been providing funeral homes and cemeteries nationwide the ultimate funding experience since 2002. Express Funeral Funding elimi- nated the challenges of working with insurance compa- nies by limiting administration, providing immediate payment and advancing complete policy funds. For more information, visit www.expressfuneralfunding.com or call 812-949-9011. CINCINNATI,OH— A.M. Best Company has an- nounced that it has af- firmed Unity Financial Life Insurance Compa- ny’s financial strength rat- ings of B++with a stable outlook. In a news release an- nouncing the ratings, A.M. Best cited a number of fac- tors, including Unity Fi- nancial Life’s very strong level of risk-adjusted capi- talization and a high quality investment bond portfolio. Unity Financial Life’s rating recognizes its consistent op- erating performance, con- servative risk profile and fa- vorable sales growth. “Our balance sheet con- tinues to grow and improve every year,” said Jay Har- dy, president and COO of Unity Financial Life. “I am very pleased that A.M. Best has reaffirmed our rat- ing, which reflects our fi- nancial strength.” Unity Financial Life’s as- sets and net worth have grown every year since 2002. Founded in 1964, Unity Financial Life is an Ohio-based life insurance company, currently li- censed in 48 jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia. The company can be reached on the con- tact page of their website at www.uflife.com or by call- ing 877-523-3231. CINCINNATI,OH— Uni- ty Funding Company (UFC) is pleased to report another consecutive record year. In 2018 UFC experi- enced exceptional growth in revenue, continued to expand their customer base, and witnessed a 36 percent increase in num- ber of advances made ver- sus the 2017 year. Adam Goller, vice-presi- dent, noted all early indi- cators point to 2019 con- tinuing this positive trend. UFC is proud of their con- tinued success. Any fund- ing company can fund as- signments quickly, but UFC is focused on deliv- ering a funding experience that betters the whole busi- ness and helps funeral di- rectors focus on the fami- lies they serve. UFC’s simple paperwork, online portal, low mini- mum fee, and no cost im- mediate payment option are just a few reasons why they are one of the fastest growing funding compa- nies in the industry. UFC, based in Cincin- nati, OH will release the funds associated with in- surance assignments with- out a death certificate, immediately upon verifi- cation of benefits, com- plete the insurance pa- perwork for the customer and help funeral direc- tors focus on the families they serve. Those interest- ed in learning more about any of UFC’s services, call 855-414-8814 or visit www.unityfundingco.com. New Memorials Direct releases New Printed Pet Marketing Materials GIG HARBOR,WA— New Memorials Direct has released new printed marketing materials for their pet division in- cluding: a brand new pet memorial brochure and two new pet product tri-folds. The pet brochure has been complete- ly re-vamped with new cremation urns and pet personal- ized jewelry options. The new pet tri-folds are available in two different versions. The first features a sampling of all of the pet memorial products including jewelry, urns, and granite headstones. The second tri-fold has granite markers and marble plaques only. As always, these printed materials are free to our wholesale account partners. To request marketing materials, contact New Me- morials Directly by phone at 1-877-995-8767 or visit www.NewMemorialsDirect.com for more options.