December 2018

Page B11 DECEMBER 2018 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on B INDIANAPOLIS,IN— In the interest of supporting the me- morial industry plus adding to the historical record of the fu- neral industry, R&S Design Gallery created and donated a marble exhibit to the National Museum of Funeral Histo- ry. The idea for R&S to create informative displays took root eight months before the September 2018 exhibit unveiling Rahila Robinson, president and owner of R&S Designs learned there were two projects at the museum. Filling a niche wall with a variety of unique products was the first concern of the museum director. Then, separate informative displays or product showcases, were also needed. Robinson believed it was important for museum visitors to understand the process involved to create exceptional quality marble urns, keepsakes and memorial pieces. She set about working with her own staff and Genevieve Keeney, president of the Houston, TX museum to accomplish that goal. “We especially wanted to present an urn that showcased our creativity. The Carpel King Gold urn was selected by Keeney for the niche wall. R&S is the first company to create marble urns by combining multiple stones into beautiful new patterns.” “Genevieve had not seen marble urns like ours and was impressed by the uniqueness and artistic work of the Car- pel King Gold urn. Quality is supremely important to us so we wanted to ensure the exhibit demonstrated the best in the industry.” stated Robinson. Keeney explained, “The product showcase options were limited. These choice displays were only offered to select R&S Design Gallery Donates Exhibit to the National Museum of Funeral History R&S Exhibit Exhibit room display King Gold Carpel Urn in niche wall Rahila Robinson, President of R&S Designs companies who are innovators of a specific product or have educational value in their work beyond the piece itself. I believe there is educational value in teaching the visitors how a raw element from the earth becomes a beautiful urn in the hands of talented artisans.” The product showcase features a rough cut marble block and, in stages, progresses to a highly-polished work of art. The finished keepsake is hand crafted from red onyx stone. The stone is valued for its variety of colors of reds, oranges, golds and greens. “It was exciting for us to be able to share the steps of how we create beautiful memorial pieces. I had no idea how many considerations went into a museum display – placement, lighting, text limitations, photo perspectives and more. Text and photos document the process from start to finish,” added Robinson. The National Museum of Funeral History seeks to edu- cate the public about the history, process and memorial- ization options of the funeral industry. R&S is honored support their mission. R&S Design Gallery, in business since 1985, started with just five urn styles and now offers over fifty mod- els crafted from twenty different marble types. Their original and distinctive mosaic line has been so popu- lar that it has spawned imitators. The company is also known for rock salt urns and a variety of small memo- rials. For more information, call 866-763-0485 or visit www.rsmemorialproducts.com. For funeral and cemetery suppliers, business has never been more isolating. Often ideas are done in a vacuum. What you know is only what you know, which limits how far you can go. IMSA membership can change that. We’ve brought together some of the top industry experts to offer our members free one-on-one advice on marketing, business planning, legal issues and more. We also bring to our members insightful business-boosting webinars, meaningful trade resources and networking with other IMSA members. All this for just $175 a year. We’re the only association serving all funeral and cemetery suppliers. Because what’s good for the suppliers is good for the providers and that’s good for the families. IMSA. Supplying opportunity. Who Supplies the Suppliers? IMSA members now get free consultation with Dan Katz & Rolf Gutknecht of LA ads, Jake Johnson of Johnson Consulting, Ryan Thogmartin of Disrupt Media and Poul Lemasters of Lemasters Consulting. www.IMSA-Online.com Continued from Page B1 Philosophy Drives New Product Release that easily show either a casket or an urn,” Newc- comer said. Stoll pointed out that the Coasson is a signature product of Vernie Foun- tain a leading industry expert and the owner of Fountain National Acad- emy in Springfield, MO. “Our philosophies mesh and I am very proud of my relationship with Coas- son,” said Fountain. “Our industry needs innovation in the services delivery pro- cess and we intend to fill that need to some degree,” Stoll commented. “The public acceptance and support of our products as seen in electronic me- dia responses coupled with trade support and orders has encouraged us greatly as 4 years of research and design culminate in our re- cent introduction,” con- cluded Stoll. The Coasson is pro- duced in Wakarusa, IN and the UrnArk® is built in Nappanee, IN. For further information con- tact Ron Stoll at Ron.s@ coasson.com or visit the company’s web page at www.coasson.com. presentation, floral blan- ket, or a pall over the urn. It is designed to be carried and displayed on a stan- dard church truck and the arrangement provides very comfortable viewing of the urn on the lighted deck where space allows for the display of various items to showcase the legacy of the person. A unique feature is the ability to display keep- sakes or iPads with pictures or videos on the pillars, a patented feature. Pall bearers can be used in an- gling an urn and baby cas- kets can also be displayed and handled in the Amish craftsmen-built high grade furniture quality UrnArk®. The Coasson is a patent- ed vehicle that is drawn by a SUV or car. Chad New- comer, vice president of operations for the compa- ny noted that the unit is made of aluminum and fi- berglass and is then paint- ed to automotive stan- dards. “This gives us a light weight, very durable product that is immune to model change and obsoles- cence and is projected to have at least a 20 year life span. The Coasson boasts a slide out loading deck, slide out flower tray, large doors, and large windows