I hope everyone is back and settled in after a very productive WMA annual meeting. We’re thinking of our friends down south that were affected by Helene & Milton. We will keep the network updated on the situation and keep providing any help that we can.
How exciting was it to celebrate the one and only Terry Whitlock?! We wish him well on his retirement. It was a pleasure to see some of the old faces and meet some new ones. As I settle in to being the WMA President for the second time around, I cannot be more excited. We are celebrating our 80th year as an organization, and I think we could not be in a better place in regard to our cohesiveness and relationship with The Wilbert Group.
For the next two years, my goal is to help build a bridge between The Wilbert Group and the licensee network so we can come together, strengthen our network, and march forward as one. I want to assist in making our licensees stronger both financially and competitively. As vault suppliers, we know the market is shrinking, but that doesn’t mean we are going anywhere. This means we must find new ways to grow and new ways to keep our market share. I believe that if we all work together, we can do just that.
I believe that communication is the key to our success, and you will find that I will be very communicative. My other goal is to help the network by sourcing some everyday tools that we just don’t have the time to find or create (i.e. an employee handbook or monthly OSHA meeting ideas). It’s these little things that we as the WMA, in conjunction with The Wilbert Group, can provide to assist you and make it easier for you to run your day-to-day operations. You are not alone, and our network has the resources, so let’s use them. My door is ALWAYS open, and I am ready to help in any way I can.
I also want to give Brett Henery my sincere gratitude for his time on the Board and as WMA President. He took on his Board duties with dedication, grace, and seriousness to leave us in a better place as an organization and for that I thank him. We will miss him being on the Board but I look forward to staying in touch and seeing him at our meetings.
Take care and hope to see you at the midterm meeting!
Beth Cooper
Back in 1944, our organization was incorporated in the state of Illinois, so this year, we are celebrating 80 years of WMA! As part of this celebration, we launched an updated logo with a fresh look at the annual meeting. Everyone at the meeting received a WMA golf shirt with the new logo! We have lots of options for you to show off our new brand at our new online store.
Order by October 31.
Poul Lemasters, Lemasters Consulting
We had the pleasure of hearing from Poul Lemasters for two sessions at the meeting.
DAY 1: Big News That May Affect You!
The Funeral Rule Modifications by the FTC
- Suppliers and cemeteries will not be affected and fall outside the scope of this ruling.
- ALL funeral providers must provide online pricing.
- Status: maybe 2025
Non-compete Ruling
- Non-Solicitation Agreements ARE enforceable.
- Status: on hold, all industry
No ”Junk Fee” Ruling
- Status: on hold, all industry
Wage and Hour – Salary Changes
- Moving forward, all industry
- This year, salaried under $44k yearly not exempted from overtime
- Next year, salaried under $55k yearly not exempted from overtime
OSHA has updated it’s trenching policies to include grave work in cemeteries.
- Shoring required past 5’ / 60” depth
- A “competent person” should be on site to rule whether or not a protective system (shoring) should be used.
- Having a LADDER on site is a definite recommendation for any crew excavating.
OSHA is also heavily enforcing its Silica Rule, in effect since June of 2018.
- There are standards for BOTH the construction industry AND general industry that are very similar. This is being watched heavily in the cremation industry. If OSHA doesn’t have a standard on the general industry side, it refers to standards from the construction industry or whichever is a stronger rule.
Defining “Green” Burials
- There are many levels of “Green”, and at some point, there will be more defining terms as the segment of final disposition burial is growing by percentage. Expect types of certification processes to be prevalent in upcoming years.
- Alkaline hydrolysis is not really growing, but continues to be offered.
- Composting is also used as a final form of disposition, but as with hydrolysis, it is not prevalent.
DAY 2: Who's The Boss?
Who is the “BOSS” onsite?
- In most cases of liability situations, ALL INVOLVED (funeral home, cemetery, vault companies or subs) will be named in a suit.
- Empower YOUR employees to be responsible to move people away from a site when necessary for safety. How do you do that? IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, TELL THEM THEY ARE EMPOWERED TO DO SO!!
Disinterments – Who can authorize, and who is responsible?
- It is ALWAYS advised to involve a licensed funeral director.
- The PROPERTY OWNER must authorize work on their property – including monuments.
- NEXT OF KIN, that is the person or persons who can authorize the handling of deceased remains.
- ALL PARTIES INVOLVED MUST AGREE AND SIGN OFF ON PROPER DOCUMENTATION.
Retrieval of jewelry or other personal items once a vault has been sealed. Is this a disinterment?
- NEVER AGREE TO THIS without something being signed by family.
- May be correcting an error, but the remains are the family’s personal possession. You must have their authorization to take any action or it is a trespass. The funeral director does not control this!
Cremation Disinterment
- Treat this exactly the same as a vault or casket disinterment. All the same laws apply to these movements, EVEN TRANSFERRING FROM NICHE SPACES.
Marker Rights
- Again, this is personal property. MAKE SURE YOU GET AUTHORIZATION.
- If the property owner and related family member are different people, it is advisable to have both sign off. THIS SHOULD APPLY TO A MOVEMENT OR ANY ENGRAVING TO TAKE PLACE.
- One caveat is if a marker or stone is in your way when holding a funeral and it must be moved from the grave/vault/service work. IF THIS IS A NORMAL AND REPEATED PROCEDURE IN YOUR BUSINESS, IT IS ALLOWED – BUT ALWAYS ADVISABLE TO AT LEAST HAVE THE CEMETERY SEXTANT ADVISED and/or APPROVE. ALWAYS PHOTO DOCUMENT.
Wil Knibloe, Crowe LLP
Wil Knibloe led a panel of licensees on Running Your Business Like You're Going to Sell It. The panel included:
- Mickey Brutsche, Brutsche Concrete
- Paul Evans, Evans Burial Vault
- TJ Houk, Wilbert Precast
- Mark Minnick, Minnick Services
- Jason Younggren, The Wilbert Group
Both Wil and the panel discussed and noted several good points to keep in mind:
- Be prepared for the financial unknown.
- Not everyone will jump on board and adopt a new culture at the same pace.
- Offer to help people you want to buy.
- Look for a business with no succession plan.
- A private equity buyer will identify 4-5 levers they want to pull. You should prioritize your levers.
- Ask yourself, “Am I communicating effectively? Has the person legitimately been trained?”
Debbie Buckland, Marsi Kosho, Bryan Taylor, & Vaughn Winmond from Pinnacle Financial Partners
Optimizing Your Banking Relationships in Ever-Changing Times
Our group was lucky enough to have Pinnacle Financial Partners provide a panel of knowledgeable speakers on what to look for in a good bank and banking relationship.
One of the major points they touched on was that your bank should be engaged in your business needs. They should understand your industry, how your cash flow operates, and what products they can offer you to make your daily operations easier. Your relationship with your banker shouldn’t only be transactional.
President's Report, Mark Bates
Mark Bates gave an overview of industry stats, One Wilbert, major One Wilbert initiatives, and other key developments.
- Stats on non-cremation deaths 2019 through 2024 YTD, US deaths projected vs actual 2015 through 2030, and a comparison of US deaths vs burials.
- One Wilbert: All Partners. All Brands. Unified to lead the funeral and precast industries. Enhancing safety, growing profitability, and building the Moat.
- Importance of safety of employees not entering the grave!!
- Project Advance: Reducing the number of internal locations and selling them to the independent licensees.
- Corporate structure and product line reorganization chart.
- No changes in plastic liner pricing for 2025.
- Two new offerings of products: CereneAir available January 2025. Wilbert Financial, more information to come in 2025. Marmon training for the licensee network.
Memorial Monument Brand Strategists, Joey Chandler
Joey Chandler discussed the success of the monument program and how independent licensees have been successful.
- The top performers in the independent licensee network: Mickelson and Ray, Arnold Wilbert, Richards Wilbert, and Asheville Wilbert.
- Introduction of the National Sales Team: Danny Porter, Curtis Smith, Trey McAvoy, and Carson Moon.
- New Memorial Monument warehouse in Watertown, CT. Southern California on site and lettering service.
- Dean Malmberg designer for private mausoleums.
Liner Load Ordering-Cremation Products, Mini-Meetings and First Responders Program, Dale Cameron
- The process of getting liner loads in two weeks prior for delivery. Inside Sales & Shipping and Receiving working to get the liner loads out to you on a timely basis.
- Interment and liner orders numbers compared to 2023.
- 2025 Cremation Catalog and new products.
- Mini-Meeting in Decatur, IL had 18 participants in attendance. Cremation panel met in early May to give suggestions and input for the 2025 Cremation Choices catalog.
- Success of the First Responders program and how licensees participate in the program
Voice of the Customer, QC School, Marketing Materials, and the WAVE Video, Royden Wood
- Video on the importance of the CSR and graveside services.
- Takeaways from the VOC: Cremation is a challenge, vaults matter, and we need to support the licensee with a better understanding of the Wilbert website and give more marketing support.
- VOC Focus Areas: Website, eNews, HR Consulting, Marketing Materials, and Cremation solutions.
- Website will offer new videos in production, concrete cylinder test database, and easier navigation.
- Dates for the QC School.
- The WAVE video is ready for your customers.
Commitments on Delivering Innovation and Marketing to Enable Sustainable Growth, Matt Ingersoll
- Monthly sales & marketing collaboration calls with the licensee network. Inform everyone what is going on with OneWilbert.
- Reiterating the improvements on the Wilbert website. Marketing campaigns and dates. Keep everyone informed.
- New product for 2025: CereneAir. Available for the licensee network in the Q1 of 2025. Lease programs and services agreements available.
- 2025 National Sales Conference: February 3-6. Motivation and Teamwork
Amy Reichle of American Wilbert was voted in to join the WMA Board of Directors. Amy writes that she "brings a healthy mix of new thought leadership paired with solid grounding in the Wilbert legacy. I have a keen sense of the market and our position in it. My background in corporate America paired with my experience thus far at American Wilbert will ensure I am a productive and valuable asset to the WMA."
Thank you Amy for your willingness to serve our organization! We look forward to having your input and guidance on the board.
