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Page B9 MARCH 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on B DESIGN l PRODUCTS l VENTILATION 7 2 0 . 5 8 3 . 1 8 8 6 l V I S I T OU R I D E A G A L L E RY l D U N C A N S T UA R T TOD D . COM Sixty-one Wilbert Licensees earn Ultimate Service Provider for 2019 Wilbert to acquire Norwalk-Wilbert Vault OVERLAND PARK,KS— Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc (WFSI or Wilbert) has announced it has entered into a de- finitive agreement to acquire the licensed territory of Nor- walk-Wilbert Vault Company, LLC, based in Oakville, CT. Norwalk Vault has fifteen locations and/or distributors providing services throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. Founded in 1926, Norwalk Vault was acquired in 2007 by Mark Bates, current president and chief executive officer of the company. After working in private equity, Bates acquired Norwalk Vault and has grown the business organically and through acquisition over the past thirteen years while assem- bling a strong team of individuals to assist him. He served on the WFSI board of directors for four years, is a former presi- dent of the National Concrete Burial Vault Association (NCB- VA) and has also served on various boards for cemeteries and other funeral service groups. Following the closing of the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and expected to close later this month, Bates will join the Wilbert team in Overland Park, KS as chief operating officer. Craig Neal, current Norwalk Vault chief operating officer, will assume the role of vice presi- dent of the New England Region for WFSI. “We are very pleased to welcome Norwalk Vault into Wil- bert and Mark Bates to our team,” stated Dennis Welzen- bach, president of Wilbert, “Mark brings an extensive back- ground in business operations to the Wilbert organization and we look forward to his assistance in our continued growth and diversification. We expect that all current employees will be joining WFSI, ensuring a smooth transition with a high- ly experienced team. We welcome them all to our company store group.” For more information, call 913-345-2120. OVERLAND PARK,KS— Sixty-one Wilbert licensees have earned the 2019 Ultimate Service Provider designation from Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. (WFSI). The Ul- timate Service Provider is the highest service honor for Wilbert licensees, achieved by passing rigorous on-site in- spections in manufacturing and service. There are many factors evaluated and scored by WFSI field service engineers who inspect each Wilbert licensee on a regular basis. Compliance with WFSI vault man- ufacturing specifications and procedures are evaluated as well as graveside service components such as highly- polished lowering devices and well-maintained tents and chairs, all of which contributes toward a positive experi- ence for families. Service vehicles are also inspected for cleanliness as they may also be seen by the public. “Wilbert is proud to have the most stringent inspection procedures in the industry but we are even more proud of our licensees who achieve Ultimate Service Provid- er,” said Terry Whitlock, senior vice president, licensee products and services. “A licensee must receive at least eight points out of ten in each and every category that is scored in order to be designated Ultimate Service Provid- er. Because we look at everything from manufacturing to graveside setup and service, every person in a licensee or- ganization is involved, making Ultimate Service Provider a team effort that illustrates dedication on the part of all.” Wilbert licensees receiving the 2019 Ultimate Service Pro- vider designation are: AlbertaWilbert Sales Ltd, Edmonton, Canada; GulfWilbert Vault Co, Inc, Theodore, AL; Wilbert Funeral Services, Commerce City, CO; Elm Cap Indus- tries, West Hartford, CT; Gulf Coast Wilbert, Inc, Crest- view, FL; Master Grave Service, Inc, Bogart, GA; DePue- Wilbert Vault Co, Savannah, GA; Burlington Wilbert Vault Works, Inc, Burlington, IA; Clinton Wilbert Vaults, Inc, Clinton, IA; Williams Wilbert Vault Works, Inc, Des Moines, IA; Wilbert Burial Vault Co, Fort Dodge, IA; Ro- land-Wilbert Vault Co, Marion, IA; Sioux City Wilbert Vault Co, Sioux City, IA; Northern Illinois Vault Co, Inc, Belvidere, IL; Kelley Vault Co, Inc, Danville, IL; Ameri- can Wilbert Vault Corp, Hillside, IL; Knauer Industries, LLC, Joliet, IL; PeoriaWilbert Vault Co, Inc, Metamora, IL; Quad Cities Concrete Products, LLC, Milan, IL; Quincy Wilbert Vault Co, Quincy, IL; Sterling Vault Co, Sterling, IL; Schultz Wilbert Vault Co, Streator, IL; Akron Concrete Products, Inc, Akron, IN; Arrow Vault Co., Inc, Lafayette, IN; Sexton Wilbert Corp, Vincennes, IN; Wilbert Funer- al Services, Kinsley, KS; Wilbert Funeral Services, Parsons, KS; Wilbert Funeral Services, Wichita, KS; WilbertVault of Somerset Inc, Somerset, KY; Richards-Wilbert Inc, Hager- stown, MD; Detroit Wilbert Vault Corp, Detroit, MI; May Wilbert Vault Corp, Port Huron, MI; Brown-Wilbert, Inc, St. Cloud, MN; Wilbert Funeral Services, Grandview, MO; Wilbert Funeral Services, Jackson, MO; Wilbert Funeral Services, Moberly, MO; Wilbert Funeral Services, Moun- tain Grove, MO; Wilbert Funeral Services, Springfield, MO; Wilbert Funeral Services, St. Joseph, MO; St. LouisWilbert Vault Co, St. Lou- is, MO; Wilbert Funeral Services, Versailles, MO; Asheville Wilbert Vault Service, Inc, Candler, NC; Yates Wilbert Vault, LLC, Charlotte, NC; Josten Wilbert Vault Co, North Platte, NE; Baxter Burial Vault Service, Cincinnati, OH; Turner Vault Company, Northwood, OH; Ohio Vault Works, Inc, Val- ley View, OH; Wilbert Funeral Services, Lawton, OK; Wil- bert Funeral Services, Oklahoma City, OK; Wilbert Fu- neral Services, Girard, PA; Evans Burial Vaults, Leola, PA; Wilbert Funeral Services, Cayce, SC; Wilbert Burial Vault Co, Inc, Greenville, SC; C harlestonWilbert Vault Co, Sum- merville, SC; Lawrenceburg Burial Vault Co, Lawrence- burg, TN; Wilbert Vaults of Houston, LLP, Houston, TX; Richards-Wilbert, Inc/Roanoke Valley, Salem, VA; Carr Concrete, Waverly, WV; Fond du Lac Wilbert Vault Corp, Fond du Lac, WI; Brown-Wilbert, Inc, Milwaukee, WI; and Brown-Wilbert, Inc, Sun Prairie, WI. For more information, call 708-865-1600. CFSA is adding new and exciting member services, features, and benefits all the time. If you’re a supplier to funeral service, you’ll want to come and grow with us! Check us out at cfsaa.org! Matthews reports First Quarter, Quarterly Dividend PITTSBURGH,PA— Matthews In- ternational Corporation (NASDAQ GSM: MATW) announced financial results for its first quarter of fiscal 2020. In discussing the Company’s results for the quarter, Joseph C. Bartolacci , President and Chief Executive Officer, stated: “Our consolidated results for the fiscal 2020 first quarter were in line with our expectations. The Memori- alization segment reported another quarter of solid performance, generat- ing higher sales compared to the same quarter last year. Sales also increased in our Industrial Technologies segment reflecting organic growth in product identification sales. “Cremation equipment sales were higher than a year ago, particularly in the U.K. and our backlog in the U.S. market continues to be strong. “Our cost reduction program is pro- gressing well. While GAAP results for the fiscal 2020 first quarter reflected significant investment in this program, we are confident in the projected re- turns of at least $25 million in annual cost savings within two years.” Matthews International also an- nounced that its Board of Directors declared, at its regularly scheduled meeting, a dividend of $0.21 per share on the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable Feb- ruary 17, 2020 to stockholders of re- cord February 3, 2020. Matthews International Corpora- tion is a global provider of brand so- lutions, memorialization products and industrial technologies. The Memori- alization segment is a leading provider of memorialization products, includ- ing memorials, caskets and cremation and incineration equipment, primarily to cemetery and funeral home custom- ers that help families move from grief to remembrance. The Company has ap- proximately 11,000 employees in more than 25 countries on six continents that are committed to delivering the highest quality products and services.