November 2019

Page A14 NOVEMBER 2019 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A and looking for like-minded thinkers to create independent co-ops and profit. • Cell: 330-571-6037• Email :mep.oldeeight@gmail.com I’M BACK ... ! BACK MARK PENNINGTON Remember when cremation was almost a dirty word and you avoided thinking about it? I HELPED CHANGE THAT. Remember when prayer cards came from Italy and were authentic, quality images? I HELPED THAT HAPPEN AND STILL REPRESENT THE WORLD’S BEST, CHROMO. Remember when funeral merchandise consisted of caskets, chemicals and register books? I CREATED LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF NEW PRODUCTS FOR MEMORIALIZATION. Remember when cremation urns were bronze, wood and marble? I CHANGED THAT BY INTRODUCING BRASS, PORCELAIN, CLOISONNE ´ AND STONE. Remember when 20% was a great discount and no one paid just 50%? I CHANGED THAT, SOURCED MY OWN SUPPLIERS AND PASSED THAT ON TO MY CUSTOMERS. I can’t retire. This industry is my life’s blood. I can’t turn off my mind. I’m always thinking of ways to help funeral directors prosper and grow their business. If this message appeals to you, and you’re interested in knowing more, call me. I have 45 years of industry leadership, owning and operating a large, successful funeral supply firm. I have a wealth of contacts here and overseas I’m willing to share. I'm Back_Layout 1 10/3/19 11:26 AM Page 2 Carriage Services announces Acquisition of Lombardo Funeral Homes in New York HOUSTON,TX— Carriage Services, Inc . (NYSE: CSV) is pleased to announce that we have partnered with Lombardo Funer- al Homes in Buffalo, NY. The partnership with Lombardo Funeral Homes further ex- pands Carriage Services’ strategic geographic footprint in the state of New York. “Carriage Services’ Being The Best Vision over the next five to ten years is to affiliate with only the bigger, better businesses in the bigger, better strategic markets in the coun- try,” stated Shawn Phillips , Head of Strate- gic & Corporate Development. “I am there- fore excited and honored to announce that we have entered the large strategic market of Buffalo, New York with the acquisition of Lombardo Funeral Homes, which is the “Best In Class” and largest funeral home pro- vider in Western New York with four funer- al chapels in Buffalo serving approximately 2,000 families annually.” Lombardo Funeral Homes was founded in 1907 by Joseph Lombardo Sr ., who led the business until his death in 1928, after which his wife Catherine passed her funeral directors’ exam and became the first female licensed funeral director in the City of Buffalo. Catherine led the business until her death and thereafter her sons An- thony and Jerome led the business until Anthony passed away in 1972 and Jerome in 1984. In 1984 Joseph P. Lombardo , son of the late Jerome, became President of Lombardo Funeral Home and grew the business from a single funeral home serv- ing about 40 families annually in the mid 1980’s to four locations serving approxi- mately 2,000 families this year. Joseph P. Lombardo stated, “I spoke with four different companies and decided a part- nership with Carriage Services was the best fit for me and my business. Carriage under- stands my local operating strategy which al- lows me to continue to focus on growing my business and still give back to my communi- ty that has supported me for so many years. In meetings with Mel Payne and Shawn Phillips, I quickly realized that both of our companies share the same vision and values. I am excited about the support Carriage will provide in order to manage our increasing call volume. Through this new strategic part- nership, I will continue to lead Lombardo Funeral Homes and remain the premier pro- vider to our families in the Buffalo area. Car- riage has a family feel and we are extremely excited to begin this new chapter with Car- riage as our new partner.” Mel Payne , Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, stated, “Needless to say, I cannot articulate any better than our new partner, Joe Lombardo, why Carriage has become the preferred succession plan so- lution for many of the best remaining inde- pendent funeral home owners. Thank you Joe for the trust your decision reflects on the Carriage Team, as we also are very excited about supporting your winning vision of fu- neral service in the greater Buffalo market. “The remarkable progress we have made over this past year to restore the revenue and earning power of our existing portfolio of fu- neral homes and cemeteries has enabled us to once again return to our long term vision of growth by highly selective acquisition as well as through improved operations of our ex- isting portfolio. We look forward to sharing the progress we have made in our financial performance through the first nine months of 2019 as well as an enhanced update on our growth strategy when we issue our third quarter earnings release after the market close on Monday, October 28, 2019.” Carriage Services is a leading U.S. pro- vider of funeral and cemetery services and merchandise. Carriage operates 183 fu- neral homes in 29 states and 29 cemeter- ies in 11 states. 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