December 2021

Page A40 DECEMBER 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A MUSIC CITY 2021 NFDA Convention Highlights continued AUBURN , I N—Me s - senger inducted Robert “Bob” Hoaglund into its Sales Hall of Fame dur- ing their corporate dinner held in conjunction with last month’s National Fu- neral Directors Convention in Nashville, TN. Inaugurated in 2006, Mes- senger’s Sales Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who make outstanding strides in Sales Achievements and Leadership throughout their tenure with Messen- ger. Hoaglund enjoyed a Robert “Bob” Hoaglund Inducted into Messenger’s Hall of Fame Bob Hoaglund is pictured with his wife, Patti (Left), daughter- in-law, Natasha, and son, Mark successful thirty-one-year career in funer- al stationery supply before officially retir- ing in 2020 after 17 years as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Messenger. Hoa- glund was presented with a plaque to com- memorate his leadership achievements. The plaque was presented by Bob’s son, Mark who was also a special guest at the event. During his acceptance speech, an emotion- al Hoaglund addressed the Messenger team, “Every time we get together it’s a big family reunion. And, being a part of it this year and considering last year, it’s been that more spe- cial and even more special to have my family here with me tonight.” Hoaglund’s wife, son and daughter-in-law were in attendance for this special honor. Hoaglund had this to say about his career at Messenger, “This [hon- or] certainly wouldn’t be possible without all of you. A great leader surrounds them- selves with great people and hard workers. I’ve been fortunate over the years to develop that kind of team. It’s been the best years of my life and I’ll never forget the success and the great times we’ve had.” Hoaglund’s successor, Heather Garman, stated “Bob’s contributions to Messenger have been significant. He has been a truly exemplary visionary and Messenger would not be where we are today without his lead- ership, guidance and kindness. Bob is so deserving of this prestigious sales honor.” A plaque in honor of Hoaglund’s con- tributions is now featured on the Hall of Fame at Messenger’s corporate headquar- ters in Auburn, IN. vices and we appreciate his commitment to support each one with dedication and vig- or” stated Kimball Scott, sales director of the west region for Messenger. Vaughn has been part of the Messenger sales team since 2003 and currently serves funeral homes in Western and South Texas and select loca- tions in New Mexico. The Messenger Sales Team consists of 45 sales consultants in the United States, Can- ada and Puerto Rico. The Messenger Co, LLC was founded in 1913 by Frank Messenger, who started in the religious calendar business. Messen- ger has since become the leading provid- er of stationery, funeral service items and personalization services. In 2019, Messen- ger acquired Express Funeral Funding, the largest privately-held insurance assign- ment funding company. Focused on being a trusted partner to funeral professionals, Messenger delivers time saving solutions to increase customer satisfaction and add value. Messenger provides quality product and technology solutions with quick lead times and exemplary service, exclusive part- nerships and one of the most experienced and extensive sales teams in the funeral in- dustry. For more information about Mes- senger, visit www.messengerstationery.com or call 1-800-827-5151. Messenger’s Top Representatives Honored for 2020 Sales Achievements (L to R) Glenn Vaughn, Messenger 2020 Sales Representative of the Year; Kimball Scott, Messenger Sales Director – West Region AUBURN,IN—Messenger recognized its top sales representatives with achievement awards during their corporate dinner held in conjunction with the 2021 National Fu- neral Directors Association Convention in Nashville. The Director’s Movers and Shakers Award is presented to the sales representatives who make substantial strides within the team rankings. This award was presented to Steve Coker, Ellie Dane and Glenn Vaughn. The President’s Club Award is presented to the Top 10 representatives for 2020 and includes: Tom Ahlers, Jay Amburgey, Da- vid Bednar, Jeffrey Burnett, Steve Coker, Christopher Iverson, Dave Kolbe, Ellie Dane, Sherry Noble and Glenn Vaughn. The Vice President’s Club Award is present- ed to the sales representatives rounding out the top 20: Paul Ambroselli, Mike Bor- ror, John Duncan, Todd Ely, Meredith Feminis, Mark Hess, Brad Johnson, hus- band and wife team Bill & Linda Lindley, Gary Marks, and father and son team Ger- ry and Greg Wright. “It has been a blessing for our entire team to be together after nearly two years apart to attend our industry’s largest event and celebrate achievements that occurred dur- ing one of the hardest years’ our industry has had to endure in recent times” stated Heather Garman, vice president of sales and marketing at Messenger. “Through cre- ativity, ingenuity and perseverance, our en- tire sales team rose above how they normal- ly do business to ensure our funeral partners had the products and tools they needed to continue serving families throughout the pandemic. We are truly proud of our entire team” Garman continued. Messenger’s highest sales honor, Sales Representative of the Year, was awarded to Glenn Vaughn for his exemplary sales per- formance and service throughout the year. “Glenn is a seasoned sales representative who has established invaluable relation- ships with funeral professionals in his ter- ritory. He has a keen understanding of the breadth of Messenger’s products and ser- Photos Courtesy Elizabeth Roberts, Roberts & Downey Chapel Equipment, Argenta, Illinois