May 2021

Page A26 MAY 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A A Welcome Gathering with Leading Experts and Inspiring Sessions. Return to Charleston and renew friendships among colleagues at NFDA’s in-person conference for funeral service leaders. Registration opens May 19! Visit nfda.org/leadership for all the details. 2021 NFDA Leadership Conference August 1-4 Belmond Charleston Place • Charleston, SC 2021_Leadership_1/4 NOMIS Ad.indd 1 4/1/21 10:38 AM StoneMor Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Financial Results B E N S A L E M , PA — StoneMor Inc . (NYSE: STON) reported operat- ing and financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2020. Revenues for the fourth quarter were $74.9 million compared to $58.3 million in the fourth quar- ter in the prior year. Full year revenues were $279.5 million compared to $257.2 million in the pri- or year period. Joe Redling , StoneMor’s President and Chief Ex- ecutive Officer said, “The groundwork that was laid with our transforma- tion initiatives, allowed StoneMor to produce an- other very strong quarter financially, while weather- ing the surge in the COV- ID-19 pandemic. We saw 29% year-over-year rev- enue growth, driven by a strong sales performance including a 20% increase in pre-need sales produc- tion. The revenue growth coupled with the contin- ued focus on our operating initiatives and cost struc- ture resulted in Adjust- ed EBITDA of $5.5 mil- lion in the fourth quarter, an improvement of $16.1 million versus the prior year.” StoneMor Inc. is an owner and operator of cemeteries and funer- al homes in the United States, with 313 cemeter- ies and 80 funeral homes in 26 states and Puerto Rico. StoneMor’s ceme- tery products and services include: burial lots, lawn and mausoleum crypts, burial vaults, caskets, me- morials, and all servic- es which provide for the installation of this mer- chandise. For addition- al information and full results visit StoneMor’s website, and the investors section, at http://www. stonemor.com. Empathy Raises $13M Seed Round to Launch Application Minimizing Burdens After Losing a Loved One NEW YORK,NY— Empathy , a platform helping families navigate the journey they face after losing a loved one, announced the launch of its application on iOS and Android for users across the United States. Empathy’s technology-enabled platform is designed to guide families experiencing loss with purpose and compassion. Empathy is backed by $13M in a seed round co-led by General Catalyst and Aleph. “It’s the inherent optimism of human na- ture that causes us to avoid talking about death,” said Ron Gura, co-founder and CEO of Empathy. “But because we don’t discuss it, we miss out on important op- portunities to innovate and provide fami- lies with technology that can help them manage some of life’s most challenging moments – and this leaves families over- whelmed and underserved. Logistics are made hard by grief, and grief is made hard- er by logistics. Software can and will play a huge role in helping families deal with loss and will hopefully drive a much-needed change in the industry at large.” Combining technology and human sup- port, Empathy provides a digital companion application built to empower bereaved fami- lies. Empathy’s software streamlines end-of- life bureaucracy, minimizes tedious tasks, and automates processes involved in the ad- ministration of an estate. Simplified steps assist families in completing action items, making informed decisions, and avoiding common mistakes. The experience is per- sonalized for each user to ensure families are not overwhelmed by an excess of infor- mation. Human support is available to pro- vide users both emotional and practical as- sistance, creating a hybrid experience to help families navigate arrangements and grief. “The end-of-life industry is a large sec- tor that has been untouched by the wave of digital transformation occurring in every other industry,” said Joel Cutler, co-found- er and managing director at General Cata- lyst. “Empathy is unique in that it addresses both the emotional and logistical anguish of loss. We believe this is the technology and experience that can greatly benefit ev- ery family.” “The Empathy team is directing their vast experience in consumer software to signifi- cantly improve how people handle the bur- dens that come with death,” said Michael Eisenberg, co-founder and equal partner at Aleph. “When grieving, many families do not have the bandwidth to deal with tasks and bureaucracy. By combining financial technology and emotional understanding, Empathy has built a product for the next- of kin with compassion at its core.” Empathy was founded by Ron Gura and Yonatan Bergman, two entrepreneurs with experience innovating a wide array of fin- tech and consumer sectors. The duo began their work together at The Gifts Project, ac- quired by eBay in 2011, and over the last decade have held various leadership posi- tions including at PayPal, eBay, and We- Work. The Empathy team consists of a multidisciplinary lineup of professionals from the legal, accounting, product design, engineering, and cybersecurity sectors, as well as grief experts who came together to help families deal with loss. Empathy’ s mission is to help families deal with loss, incorporating both emotional and logistical support for the families in their time of need. Powered by technology and driven by purpose, Empathy’s applica- tion simplifies and streamlines end-of-life bureaucracy with personalized plans and grief support. Launched in 2021 and head- quartered in New York and Tel Aviv, Em- pathy is backed by VC firms General Cata- lyst and Aleph. For more information, visit www.Empathy.com. Funeral Supply Store 1-800-392-2936 • www.funeralsupplystore.com FREE COT COVER! Magnum Mortuary Cot $1,595 00 1,000 lb. Capacity Dressing Table $895 00 Elite Mortuary Cot $995 00 Scissor Lift $5,395 00 Junkin Mortuary Cot 650 lb. Capacity $1,830 00 FREE COT COVER! FREE SHIPPING!