What is the largest funeral home in the world?
In the United States, the death care industry is worth an estimated $19 billion. And while there are many smaller funeral homes and family-owned businesses, there are also a few large corporations that dominate the market.
These companies have an international presence and often have hundreds of funeral homes across the country. Let’s take a closer look at these businesses and see what makes them the biggest in the industry.
Funeral home/funeral hall operators are responsible for the physical upkeep of the funeral facilities as well as coordinating with grieving families to ensure their loved one’s final wishes are carried out. While some smaller funeral homes may be family-owned and operated, most funeral homes today are part of large corporations. As a result, funeral home operators must have excellent customer service skills and be able to maintain a professional demeanor at all times.
They must also be able to work long hours, as many families prefer to hold funerals on weekends or holidays. In addition, funeral home operators must have a keen eye for detail in order to ensure that all aspects of the funeral service are carried out flawlessly.
Cemetery operators are responsible for the day-to-day operations of a cemetery. This includes maintaining the grounds, selling burial plots, and arranging funerals. Additionally, cemetery operators are required to keep accurate records of all burials and ensure that the cemetery is properly licensed.
Although some cemetery operators are employed by a funeral home or another organization, many work independently. Cemetery operators must have a strong understanding of state and federal regulations surrounding burial practices.
Crematorium operators must be trained in the proper operation of the equipment and know how to load the body into the cremation chamber. They must also be familiar with the types of containers that can be used for cremation, as well as the type of funeral service that will be provided.
The death care industry relies on a variety of supplies and equipment to carry out its work. Caskets, for example, are an essential part of the funeral process, and cremation equipment is necessary for those who choose that option.
The manufacturers of these products play an important role in the deathcare industry, and they must meet rigorous standards to ensure that their products are of the highest quality.
Service Corporation International (SCI) is the largest funeral home company in the world, with a network of over 2,000 locations across the United States and Canada. Founded in 1962, SCI has been a leader in the funeral home industry for over 50 years.
In addition to funeral homes, SCI also operates cremation facilities, cemetery properties, and memorial parks. With a strong commitment to providing compassionate care to grieving families, SCI provides a wide range of services to meet the unique needs of each family.
From traditional funerals to cremation services, SCI offers families a variety of ways to hon.
Who owns most of the funeral homes?
When someone close to us dies, we’re hardly in the right frame of mind to handle logistics and practical matters. Yet, often, this is the first thing we’re forced to confront.
There’s the matter of the deceased’s body and how it will be handled, but also funeral arrangements and ceremonial planning to honor the life of the person we’re grieving.
Funeral planning requires people to make multiple decisions while experiencing difficult and intense emotions. Making matters even more challenging, funeral arrangements are financially taxing.
In America, the funeral industry is essentially unavoidable after someone close to us dies. Because the funeral industry is ubiquitous and homogenous — offering the same services, same processes and procedures for after-death care — we rarely question it. But there’s a lot about the funeral industry you may not know.
In the U.S., funeral homes are a $20 billion dollar annual industry. Most funeral homes are privately owned, and increasingly, more funeral homes are owned by large corporations.
Service Corporation International, the largest death-care corporation in the country, owns and operates more than 1,400 locations in North America and brought in more than $4 billion in revenue in 2023.
“Families are hurting. They are not only losing someone meaningful in their lives, their losses are compounded by the soaring costs in burials and cremations,” says Evermore founder Joyal Mulheron. “The funeral industry is well-funded, made only more profitable by our nation’s concurrent mortality epidemics — just look at their revenue statements.”
According to Statista, there are nearly 19,000 funeral homes in the U.S., yet there remains a surprising lack of competition in the industry. In the past several decades, larger funeral service companies, and in some cases, private equity firms, have bought up smaller, family-run businesses that were well-known and trusted in their communities.
The result has been a growing monopoly on the industry by fewer wealthy — and powerful — businesses. The industry’s consolidation was the central storyline for the 2023 hit The Burial, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx and directed by Maggie Betts.
The funeral industry is primarily regulated by the Funeral Rule. Introduced in 1984 by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Funeral Rule was established to prevent vulnerable families from being exploited by licensed funeral homes after the FTC found widespread deceptive practices that limited consumers’ ability to make informed decisions. Today, if funeral homes violate the Rule, they may be subject to penalties of more than $51,000 per violation.
While this seems like a strong deterrent, the FTC granted the funeral industry a “sweetheart deal” more than 25 years, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). When funeral homes are found to be in violation of the Funeral Rule, they can opt to participate in the Funeral Rule Offenders Program (FROP), a training program run by the National Funeral Direc
What is the oldest funeral home?
Bucktrout of Williamsburg is the oldest funeral home in America. Opened in 1759, Bucktrout began as cabinetmakers in Colonial Williamsburg. When neighbors and friends passed away, Benjamin Bucktrout and Anthony Hay would generously make wooden caskets and provide burial on the Bucktrout farm.