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Page B9
OCTOBER 2014
FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS
S ec t i on B
Howard Mortuary offers
a story with a bad start,
but a happy ending!
and no business owner
wants that.”
Now Howard is able to
fulfill the needs of all of
his clients, even those with
large and oversized cas-
es, without even using the
old retort. His new crema-
tor – with a load capacity
of up to 1,000 pounds – is
now operating 12 hours a
day, often with oversized
bodies, and yet his natural
gas bill has actually gone
down. “That’s a bonus I
wasn’t expecting.”
The 180-degree differ-
ence extends beyond the
functionality of his new
cremator. Howard was as-
tounded by the level of
customer service and sup-
port he received from his
new manufacturer. The
technician
performing
the start-up remained on-
site for three days, insur-
ing that he and his staff
were properly trained in
the operation of his new
cremator. “With my first
retort, the installation
technician couldn’t get
out of here fast enough,”
recalls Howard. “Now
when I have a question,
someone takes my call
immediately, or calls back
shortly, and walks me
through everything pa-
tiently and knowledge-
ably.” That’s a significant
difference from the “old
days” when it typically
took eight hours to get a
call back about the previ-
ous retort, which his wife
had nicknamed the “devil
machine.”
The training on the new
cremator was a breeze. “We
were all comfortable right
away with the user-friendly
operation.” Howard likens
the operation of his new
retort to taking a new route
to work. At first it feels dif-
ferent, but when you arrive
you discover you’ve saved a
bunch of time.
Jimmy’s story could be
your story. If you are shop-
ping for equipment or ser-
vice for your new or ex-
isting crematory, shop
thoroughly so your story
also has a happy ending.
By Charlie Kanet
How important is it to acquire the right equipment for
your crematory facility? Ask
Jimmy Howard
with
How-
ard Mortuary
in Sanger, TX.
After 20 years of working in the mortuary business, in
2012 Jimmy Howard took a significant step and start-
ed a crematory business of his own, Howard Mortuary.
Equipped with a new retort, he enthusiastically opened his
doors. Yet just two years later, he had thoughts of closing.
“Right from the start, the retort was a problem,” recalls
Howard. “I was so frustrated that I figured I would either
get out of the business or find a better brand.” That’s when
he found the right equipment, backed up by the right
company. Now his business is efficient and growing – and
Howard is able to enjoy his role as a business owner.
“This is a total 180 degrees from what I was used to,”
says Howard, “from the customer service to the daily
retort operations.” Howard Mortuary can perform up
to 10 cremations in a 12-hour shift. “With my old ma-
chine, in a normal day I averaged only three crema-
tions.” The cool down between cremations was lost time
and lost money, with idle employees. “Because of the
old retort’s inefficiency, I couldn’t keep up with demand
and had to turn away business during busy months –
Cressy Memorial Helps Goethals & Wells with
Hekman Furnishings
MISHAWAKA,IN—
Chris
and
Marcia Wells,
owners
of
Goethals & Wells Funeral Home
are pictured with
chairs from their recently acquired custom-ordered
Hek-
man
contract furnishings.
“We needed to add a little color to our chapel/visitation
area and wanted to update some furnishings.
Cressy Me-
morial Group
helped us select the perfect coordinating
fabrics and styles. Best of all, the delivery was when expect-
ed, easy and we were impressed by how well packed each
item was!” said Marcia. “The fabric is beautifully aligned
on each piece and the matching is perfect. The Hekman
chairs are comfortable, durable and easy to move – all im-
portant features that funeral directors really value.”
Goethals & Wells Funeral Home serves the Mishawaka-
South Bend, IN area. This family-owned business remod-
eled the facility a few years ago yet felt that some updates
were still needed. Offering a huge variety of choices, Hek-
man made it easy to select fabrics to coordinate with current
furnishings. Chris and Marcia are committed to maintain-
ing a welcoming environment with good design, attractive,
comfortable furnishings and home-like décor. Cressy Me-
morial is the exclusive sales and marketing arm for
Howard
Miller,
Hekman,
Natur
Vault, Crowne Urns by
Whitehall.
Learn more
IN THE NEWS
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