August 2018

Page B2 AUGUST 2018 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on B National Funl Dirs & Morti- cians Assn Inc 2018 Annual Convention & Expo - Aug 04- 08, 2018, The Gaylord Palms, Kissimmee, FL. Exhibits. 770- 969-0064. www.nfdma.com nfdma@nfdma.com Ohio Cemetery Association Annual Convention - Aug 06-08, 2018, Holiday Inn Hotel-Eastgate, Cincinnati, OH. Exhibits. 937-885-0283. www.ohiocemeteryassociation.com jburrowes@cemeterydata.com West Virginia Cemetery & Funeral Assn 68th Annual Convention - Aug 10-11, 2018, Canaan Resort, Davis, WV. Exhibits. 304-342-3769. www.wvcfa.org office@wvcsi.com New York State Funeral Direc- tors Assn 2018 Convention - Aug 12-15, 2018, Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, NY. Exhibits. 518-452-8230. www.nysfda.org info@nysfda.org Washington State Funeral Directors Assn, Washington Cemetery Cremation & Fnl Assn (Joint Convention) - Aug 14-17, 2018, Great Wolf Lodge Grand Mound, Centralia, WA. 253-941-3370. www.wsfda.org jewell@wsfda.org Professional Car Society 42nd Annual International Meet - Aug 14-18, 2018, The Wyndham Garden Sterling Heights, Sterling Heights, MI. 973-862-6047. www.theprofessionalcarsociety.org hookjch@ptd.net Louisiana Funeral Directors & Morticians Association Funeral Director and Embalming Semi- nar - Aug 20, 2018, Hyatt Place Baton Rouge/ I-10, Baton Rouge, LA. 225-357-2675. www.lfdma.org clawson@winnfieldfh.com Western Canada Cemetery Asso- ciation 2018 Annual Conference - Sep 11-13, 2018, Pomeroy Hotel & Convention Centre, Grande Prairie, AB. 306-621-3216. www.westerncemeter y.com administration@westerncemetery.com Cremation Association Of North America Crematory Operations Certification Pro- gram - Sep 14, 2018, Fair- fax Memorial Funeral Home, Fairfax, VA. 312-245-1077. www.cremationassociation.org info@cremationassociation.org Catholic Cemetery Conference 69th Annual Convention & Expo - Sep 18-21, 2018, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Cincinnati, OH. 708-202-1242. www.catholiccemeteryconference.org info@catholiccemeteryconference.org Ontario Funeral Service Asso- ciation 2018 Convention - Sep 24-26, 2018, Blue Mountain Re- sort, The Blue Mountains, ON. 905-637-3371. www.ofsa.org info@ofsa.org New Jersey State Funeral Di- rectors Assn 2018 Funeral Di- rectors Convention & Expo - Sep 25-27, 2018, Harrah’s Waterfront Conference Cen- ter, Atlantic City, NJ. Exhibits. 800-734-3712. www.njsfda.org convention@njsfda.org Int’l Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Assn 2018 Fall Man- agement Conference - Sep 26-28, 2018, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Manalapan, FL. 703-391-8400. www.iccfa.com kspann@iccfa.com Kates Boylston Publica- tions Cremation Innova- tions Summit - Sep 28, 2018, Palms Casino Resort & Spa, Las Vegas, NV. 732-746-0201. www.kates-boylston.com/conferences tparmalee@kbpublications.com Wyoming Funeral Directors As- sociation Annual Convention & Trade Show - Sep 29 - Oct 02, 2018, Ramada Plaza Casper Hotel and Conference Center, Casper, WY. Exhibits. 307-527- 4430. www.wyomingfda.org info@wyomingfda.org New York State Association Of Cemeteries 90th Annual Fall Conference - Sep 29 - Oct 03, 2018, The Sagamore, Bolton Landing, NY. 518-434-1134. www.nysac.com info@nysac.com ADDITIONAL EVENTS ONLINE AT WWW.NOMISPUBLICATIONS.COM OR SEND TO: PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 Fax 1-800-321-9040 Email info@nomispublications.com Online at www.nomispublications.com Submit Your Convention, Meeting or Seminar CALENDAR of Events Starmark ® Introduces New Transporter Alternative Cremation Container System RICHMOND,IN— Starmark® Cremation Products has announced the introduction of Bridgeview Solid Wood Alternative Container Viewer Ovation Oversize 31” Solid Wood Alternative Container Viewer several new products to its ever evolving product line. The innovative new Transporter alternative cremation container system, the Bridgeview 27” raised flat top solid wood alternative container viewer and the Ovation Over- size 31” solid wood alternative container viewer are all now available for immediate sale. The one-of-a-kind Transporter system allows funeral directors to offer their families an economically-priced, stand-alone alternative container, which can easily be con- verted into a rental casket insert. Through the use of an interior kit, the Transporter alternative container can be- come an insert that fits the new Bridgeview alternative container viewer and all 27” ceremonial rental caskets in the Starmark product line. The Transporter system also of- fers an oversize version offering the same flexibility that fits the new Ovation Oversize alternative container viewer. With the Transporter system, there is no need for funer- al directors to carry both alternative containers and rent- al casket inserts. And since the Transporter system offers both a standard model and oversize unit, this helps fur- ther reduce the need to carry additional inventory. “The new Transporter alternative cremation container sys- tem provides funeral director with an effective way to mer- chandise their services,” said GeraldDavis, president of Star- mark Cremation Products. “The Transporter system allows funeral directors to show families the Transporter alternative cremation container and demonstrate how easily and cost- effectively it can be used with an alternative container viewer or ceremonial rental casket.” The new Bridgeview alternative container viewer gives funeral directors a solid wood casket at a much lower price point. The attractively-priced Bridgeview encour- ages informal (direct, immediate, simple or basic) cre- mation families to move up to semi-formal services with the body being present. With the new Ovation Oversize 31” solid wood alter- native container viewer, families that wish to have a fu- neral service using an alternative container viewer, but require a larger size, can now do so. With the addition of an interior kit, the oversize Transporter alternative cremation container can be upgraded to pair with the Ovation oversize alternative container viewer. “The addition of the Bridgeview to our product lines provides funeral directors with an attractively-priced upgrade from an alternative container,” added Davis. “And the Ovation Oversize model now gives funeral di- rectors a way to offer families that require an oversize container the opportunity to have a funeral they never thought they could afford.” Starmark® Cremation Products, a division of Van- dor Corporation, was founded in 2004. The compa- ny manufactures cremation products sold directly to fu- neral homes and crematories nationwide and through a growing network of distributors. To learn more about the Transporter system, the Bridgeview or Ovation Oversize products, contact Starmark at 888-366-7335 or visit www.starmarkcp.com . Thacker Honored as A Top Family-Owned Business by Washington Business Journal CLINTON,MD— Thacker Caskets was honored this spring as one of the top family-owned businesses in the Greater Washington, DC metropolitan area by the Wash- ington Business Journal. Thacker was selected as one of fif- teen total companies that were honored out of the grow- ing Washington, DC metropolitan region. Honorees included all types of multi-generational fam- ily-owned and operated businesses including engineering (L to R) Audrey Thacker and Danielle Thacker firms, real estate develop- ment firms, gourmet gro- cers, piano manufacturers, and more. Ratner Cos., the $500 million-dollar company be- hind the hair salon brands Hair Cuttery and Bubbles, was alongside Thacker as one of the honorees. Mars, Inc., who has annual reve- nue of $35 billion dollars, took home the Washing- ton Business Journal’s Cen- tennial Award. Mars, Inc. is most famous for their can- dy brands such as M&M’s, Snickers, Starburst and more; they are involved in the pet care business as well. In consideration for the award, the Washington Business Journal sought out businesses that had two or more generations currently working and running a fam- ily-owned, privately held business. In addition, those businesses must have been founded in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. “The call from the Washington Business Journal simply informing us that they had researched our company and were considering us as a candidate to become an honoree was exciting enough. Then when we got the call that we were selected as one of only fifteen honorees in the en- tire region, our entire family was ecstatic!” said Danielle Thacker, vice president of sales and marketing. The Washington Business Journal published an arti- cle on each one of its honorees in its March 2nd edition of the journal. The article highlighted specific details on each company, its heritage and its direction for the future. In addition, the Washington Business Journal held a for- mal cocktail, dinner and awards ceremony at the Wash- ington, DC Four Seasons Hotel for all the family busi- nesses that were honored. In attendance from Thack- er Caskets were Danielle and Audrey Thacker . “It was truly a wonderful night,” remarked Audrey. “We got to meet so many wonderful people from so many different types of in- dustries. In the end, we all do the same thing; we all own and operate family businesses.” “I would never have be- lieved the person who said that one day we would share the same stage as multi-million and multi- billion-dollar companies that own brands like Snick- ers and Hair Cuttery. We are truly humbled and hon- ored. Our true thank you goes to our employees and fam- ily-owned and operated funeral home customers who have built the foundation for our almost 80 year old company,” remarked CJ Thacker, CEO of Thacker Caskets. Thacker Caskets, currently serves as the industry’s larg- est family owned and operated casket supplier. To read the article published by the Washington Business Journal, visit the following web address https://goo.gl/iRnFSa. For more information or to contact Thacker Caskets di- rectly, call 800-637-8891, email info@thackercaskets. com or visit www.thackercaskets.com .