Considering Starting A Cremation Business?

July 30, 2019 Jeff Parduhn

Is Adding-On or Starting a Cremation Business for You?

The rise in popularity of cremation across the world has many forward-thinking funeral directors considering adding a cremation chamber to their business. There are advantages to cremation, particularly when it comes to cemetery expenses and access to your loved one’s remains over time. You may have already decided to invest in adding cremation services to your funeral business. Pet crematory equipment is another consideration – as more and more pet owners think about the final resting places of their valued animal companions, offering a pet cremation chamber can be an additional service you can provide to your community as a full-service funeral company.

Choosing the Best Cremation Equipment for Your Funeral Home Is One Factor to Address

One of the biggest steps in starting a cremation business is to choose your cremation equipment. When it comes to your business finances, change that involves a financial impact is not taken lightly. This puts a lot of pressure on choosing the right equipment to cater to your funerary needs.

What to Look for When Selecting Cremation Equipment:

Equipment: high quality materials, high production values, high operational efficiency
Operation: reliable, safe, environmentally friendly
Service: easy to adjust, easy to service/repair
Made by experienced manufacturers with a proven history
Advanced technology for innovations
Fairly priced
Meets all EPA and local standards/requirements
Built to last, presumably with warranty

The bottom line is that some research on cremation furnace manufacturers should give you the education needed not only in understanding the types of cremation equipment available, but also the reputation and history of the manufacturers themselves.

What Qualities Comprise the Best Cremation Equipment? A Cremation Chamber Checklist
You may have little to no experience when it comes to cremation. Here are a few things crematory manufacturers think are important qualities to look for in cremation equipment:

Easy and efficient to operate
Basic 1-step automatic operations
Computer-based data collection
Touch-screen digital controls
High-efficiency refractory lining to withstand high temperatures over time
Auto-pollution monitoring and control
Temperature monitor/control system in the retort stack area to prevent potential fire scenarios
Appropriate cremation chamber sizing for your space

Other Important Factors When Starting A Cremation Business – Cremation RESOURCES

The actual cremation equipment is paramount to a successful cremation business, whether you’re starting a stand-alone cremation service or adding one to your existing funeral home. But there are other considerations you MUST consider. These resources will help:

Zoning for a Crematorium in Your local Jurisdiction: Zoning Hearing Preparation
New versus Refurbished Cremation Equipment for Your Business
Human or Pet Cremation Services, or Both?
Inspection and Preventative Maintenance for Cremation Chambers
Read a case study on how adding cremation service to an existing funeral company boosted its business
10 First Steps When Considering Adding A Cremation Service

Cremation Systems, a division of Armil CFS, has years of experience in the custom manufacturing of high-temp process equipment, furnaces, kilns and incineration equipment. With almost 50 years of furnace technology behind it, Cremation Systems’ CFS 2300 is the most fuel-efficient, user-friendly cremation chamber on the market today. Cremation Systems latest innovations – Tek Marshal remote diagnostics, Fire Marshal temperature-monitoring and fire-prevention system, and the Quick Change Hearth modular hearth tile – available ONLY in our CFS 2300 cremation equipment – provides our customers with a unit that has the lowest operating cost in the industry. The unparalleled installation services and remote monitoring capabilities of Cremation Systems have raised the industry standard of cremation equipment.

Ready for the next step? We’d love to talk with you and offer objectivity and a frank discussion on your needs. Please reach-out to Cremation Systems via our short form and we’ll respond shortly. Thank you for your interest!

Cremsys 2019 Tradeshows

April 29, 2019 Jeff Parduhn

An Emerging Trend Has Funeral Directors Rethinking Their Services

January 11, 2019 Jeff Parduhn

Discover a New Way to Make Your Funeral Business Profitable in 2019 and Beyond

If you were to take the traditional approach of burying your deceased — using the minimum burial necessities of a cemetery grave site, burial vault, and casket — it would cost you approximately $14,000.

This cost does NOT include a memorial service, which for many plays a significant role in saying “goodbye” to their departed loved one.

According to an article written by Jason Devine and published on the United States Census Bureau website,

“The aging population of the United States is propelling the nation toward a milestone… Deaths are projected to reach more than 3.6 million in 2037, 1 million more than in 2015.”

This mortality rate is unprecedented in the United States and largely due to the passing of what is known as the “Baby Boomer” generation . Combine this with the escalating costs of traditional burial and it’s no wonder why more and more people are looking for less expensive ways to bury their dead.

Cremation Services

If you were to choose cremation, it could cost you as little as $2,500 — which includes: the cremation fee, an urn for the ashes, and a special location to place the urn for posterity.

With such a dramatic price difference, it’s no wonder cremation is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. — the rate of those being cremated hit 50% in 2016 alone. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, this rate will continue to rise with expectations of 63.8% by 2025.

With the rise in popularity of cremation, many funeral directors are seeing a decline in income and profits. As requests for cremation services continue to grow, it forces funeral homeowners to adjust their business strategies to create more options for families with deceased loved ones.

While it is always good to invest in your business and future, some changes need to be thought through carefully. One idea funeral directors consider is starting a cremation business and adding a cremation chamber to their space.

If this is you, the question you should be asking yourself is:

Will building a crematorium give my business a competitive advantage in the funeral industry?

Consider the following four steps to walk you through this decision-making process about starting a cremation business:

1. Create a marketing and sales strategy for cremation services.
2. Research other local funeral homes and study their marketing strategies, equipment, branding, and types of services offered.
3. Talk with families to understand their needs and requests as it relates to cremation services.
4. Review your total 3rd party cremation costs, they may be approaching the same monthly expense as financing the your own crematory equipment.

By completing these steps, you will grow in your knowledge and understanding of the cremation industry — thus enabling you to narrow down and identify the services you should offer.

The positive aspect of owning a cremation chamber is that you become a “one-stop” funeral home. This makes it easier on those grieving and gives you complete control over the process of cremation from start to finish.

It is also more likely for a grieving family to choose a funeral home when:

● A funeral home can offer a visitation prior to service
● Offer videos to play on a screen
● Have special music
● Perform a ceremony

Another positive with going through a funeral home for cremation is that funeral directors are caregivers and professional administrators. They are trained to answer grief questions and advise those grieving on what to do. They also can make all arrangements for transportation and completion of paperwork and other options.

Eventually, your decision will come down to the financial impact a crematorium will have on your funeral home business. Such aspects as loan payment for equipment, lease or construction costs, hiring additional staff, and inventory versus revenue generated from services will all factor into the final outcome.

Conclusion

Cremation will continue to be a favored choice for many people. As the mortality rate within the United States continues to rise, additional options for lowering memorial expenses will also increase. Some funeral homes have already made the transition by adding a cremation chamber to their services.

If you would like to learn more about cremation equipment and whether or not it is right for your given situation, please Contact Cremation Systems. As a division of Armil CFS, Inc., we are experts in the business with almost 50 years’ experience in furnace technology. For quick information right here on our site, please read our informative page on starting a cremation business.

Adding a Crematory in Record Time and Taking Advantage of IRS Section 179 Deduction

March 27, 2018 Jeff Parduhn

In February 1995 local licensed funeral directors, Phil Hinsey and Kevin Brown opened their business to serve Henry County and surrounding areas with a goal to provide excellence in funeral service at a reasonable price.

Twenty years later, 2015, while attending the Indiana Funeral Directors Association convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kevin Brown, already considering the addition of cremation services to his growing funeral business, meets Cremation Systems, an Illinois manufacturer of cremation equipment. Consideration turns to reality and the process of zoning, designing, permitting and installing a crematory at the Hinsey Brown Funeral Home location in New Castle, Indiana begins.

To minimize the noise and disturbance to Hinsey Brown customers, the construction of a new garage, adjacent to the funeral home, was chosen for the location of the new crematorium. In late summer, 2017, with all approvals and permits in place, Hinsey Brown places an order with Cremation Systems for the manufacture, installation and training of a new CFS 2300 Cremation Retort. Things must move quickly to take advantage of the IRS Section 179 deduction for 2017 which allowed for a 100% deduction on the cost of the cremation equipment.

M.L. Taylor Construction begins construction on the new facility and the rapid time line moves forward:

November 14 concrete is poured
November 27 trusses are places and secured
December 19 the retort is installed, stack and decorative cover placed
December 21 the Hinsey Brown group performed their first cremation, only 37 days after the start of the garage addition

Solid planning, reliable and dependable suppliers can make short work of what needs to be done to add cremation to your funeral service business.

50 Year Anniversary

March 21, 2017 Jeff Parduhn

Armil CFS, Inc. proudly celebrates 50 years of serving high temperature industrial process markets. We continue the legacy established by Richard O. Marek in 1968 by delivering engineered solutions providing state of the art equipment manufactured with sound material choices and exceptional workmanship. Many thanks to all our customer, employees and vendors.

2017 Trade Show Schedule

March 16, 2017 Jeff Parduhn

May 4-6
Oregon Funeral Directors Trade Show – Springfield, OR

June 7-8
Indiana Funeral DirectorsAssociation – Indianapolis, IN

June 26-28
Illinois Funeral Directors Association Trade Show – Tinley Park, IL

August 16-19
CANA Annual Convention – New York, NY

August 17-19
Washington State Funeral Directors – Airway Heights, WA

New Distributor for Pacific Northwest

March 16, 2017 Jeff Parduhn

Cremation Systems is pleased to announce our newest distributor — NW Industrial Mechanics, Inc. NWIM’s experience in serving a wide range of industries for more than 20 years will bring our Pacific Northwest customers the highest quality services in supplying and installing our CFS 2300 cremation retort, along with combustion, control and refractory services for your crematory.

Contact: Scott Bridges

NW Industrial Mechanics
2911 NE 109th Ave.
Vancouver, WA 98682
Main office: (360) 256-0923
www.nwim.us

We are looking for distribution partners!
Please email jeffp@armilcfs.com if you are interested.

Cremation Systems announces Company Staff Promotions

September 22, 2016 Tom Krowl

Human and Pet Cremation Equipment Manufacturer - Staff Photo Kevin Finnery, President of Cremation System’s (division Armil CFS, Inc.) announced the promotions of Jeremiah Delgado to Technical Service Manager and Tom Krowl to Vice President of Marketing. Mr. Finnery states, “we want to acknowledge the efforts and innovations Jeremiah and Tom have brought to our cremation products division”. Delivering state-of- the-art products that meet the needs of cremationists across America, Cremation Systems takes pride in providing exceptional customer service while maintaining our focus toward developing products to service the cremation industry both now and for the future. Cremation Association of North America offers free 1 year membership with purchase of cremation equipment.