Page B8 December 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on B Matthews Granite Announces Facility Acquisition to Expand Operations Precoa named Top Workplace for Eleventh Straight Year PORTLAND,OR— Precoa, a national leader in preneed sales and marketing, has been named a Top Workplace by The Oregonian and OregonLive for the 11th straight year. Precoa also earned a special award for employee appreciation in the survey of more than 33,000 people conducted by Energage and The Oregonian. The company earned recognition in the “Values” category in 2021. “When you think about what ultimately makes companies great, the answer is people,” Precoa president Michael Hornibrook said. “I’m amazed by the passion, dedication, and kindness of everyone at Precoa, and it’s a constant reminder that the ultimate purpose of business is to improve the lives of people.” The values of Kindness, Progression, and Craftsmanship guide Precoa in every decision, including hiring. Recruiters weave Precoa’s values into the interview process and help prospective employees see how the experience of working with funeral homes and families can be fulfilling, authentic, and fun. “We’ve found that stellar colleagues inspire, challenge, and draw out the best in each other, which is why we look for top performers who also embody our core values,” employee services director Michelle Reyna told The Oregonian. “And what brings them in and keeps them is the culture of connection and our strong desire to make an impact for the families we serve.” That connection continues to draw people to Precoa. The company’s founders, Mark Hornibrook and Bret Davis, envisioned becoming a force for good in the world by changing the way people experience loss. There is a shared sense among Precoa’s employees that their work serves a meaningful purpose, and they are proud of being named a Top Workplace each year The Oregonian and OregonLive have administered the competition. Culture also remains important beyond the hiring process. Precoa makes peer-topeer gratitude and recognition part of daily operations. Precoa team members nominate each other for weekly “Kudos,” and Value awards are given out at department and company-wide meetings throughout the year. “We are focused not just on cultivating traditional work relationships, but personal relationships as well,” said Tyler Anderson, Precoa vice president of business development. “We have found that when you provide a connected and inclusive culture at work, employees are better equipped to take great care of our customers, and the results speak for themselves.” Precoa is the remarkably simple, incredibly effective way to 2x your preneed. Through their marketing and sales program called ProActive Preneed®, funeral homes can breathe a sigh of relief. We take the burden of preneed off your shoulders and give them the competitive edge of more leads, more appointments, more prearranged funerals, and phenomenal preneed experiences that leave a lasting impact on families. To learn more, visit www.Precoa.com. PITTSBURGH,PA— Matthews Granite announces that it has acquired a major granite production facility in Elberton, GA. The plant is configured with a full complement of granite production equipment but was previously vacant. Matthews will utilize the facility to increase overall production capacity and reduce lead times for all customers. The new facility enables Matthews Granite to meet the rapid growth in consumer demand for granite memorialization and will help the business grow its production and reduce lead times in several ways: the plant provides additional dedicated manufacturing lines and larger inventory areas, which will help increase product availability and reduce order lead times; the sandblast department will be expanded significantly, increasing capacity, and enabling faster turnaround; and a larger shipping space will enable faster shipping of completed orders. Matthews has also invested in their existing plants in Elberton, adding a new manufacturing line to produce bases for bronze memorials, greatly increasing Matthews’ current capacity for this high-demand product, as well as new equipment to grow production capacity for mausoleums and family estates of all sizes, enhancing Matthews’ industry-leading mausoleum design/construction capabilities. In addition to the location’s expanded manufacturing capacity, Matthews has purchased additional trucks, and other equipment to improve fulfillment lead times. “We are making a significant investment to improve lead times,” said Roger Stonecipher, President, Matthews Granite. “While lead times increased industry-wide, driven by the pandemic, global supply chain shortages, and labor challenges, Matthews is taking aggressive action to ensure we can meet the needs of our customers with the best fulfillment experience possible. This new facility and the additional capital investment in current facilities will help enable that improved experience.” Matthews expects the new facility to be up and running by the end of the year. As one of the largest United States granite memorialization providers to cemeteries and monument companies, Matthews Granite, a division of Matthews Memorialization, offers a comprehensive selection of the highest quality memorialization products, combined with the finest craftsmanship in the industry and a large selection of domestic and internationally quarried granites. The Matthews Granite team is focused on providing their cemetery and monument customers with innovative solutions and outstanding service and support, helping them better serve the families in their community. Matthews Granite provides United States coverage from coast-to-coast via their companies Everlasting Granite and Star Granite in Elberton, GA, United Memorial Products in Whittier, CA, and Whited Cemetery Service in Menifee, CA. Cemeteries and monument companies may learn more by calling 1-800-241-7242. ISLIP,NY— Rocketman Tech, innovator of the B-2 Balmer dual reservoir embalming machine has reached a distribution agreement with Shiva Shade. The machine was revealed during NFDA’s Convention. The embalming machine is available to ship approximately two weeks out from order and can be purchased online at www.shivashade.com. Rocketman Tech Reaches Distribution Agreement with Shiva Shade have the ability to participate in ownership and continue to grow Graystone well into the future is paramount to our success.” Graystone Associates, Inc® is a professional development and business advisory firm specializing in the funeral service business. Their clients are among the top performing independent firms in the United States and Canada. Graystone’s learning curriculum maps to each client’s unique business strategy, and is designed to increase growth, revenue, market share, individual performance and overall work culture. All of which is tracked and measured through data analytics, based on customer satisfaction rates and financial performance. Their approach is continuous and results in sustainable change, with hands-on support and accountability to ensure client success. For questions regarding Graystone Associates, Inc®, direct all inquiries to Lisa Streiff at lisa@graystoneassociates.com or call 773-620-0786. Graystone Associates Continued from Page B2 John O’Leary cast. Armed with a gift of storytelling, Funeral Directors Life Sponsors Keynote Speaker John O’Leary at NFDA grow their profitability and minimize their day-to-day work. Funeral Directors Life, rated A- (Excellent) by AM Best Company, is a legal reserve life insurance company which specializes in the sale of insurance-funded preneed funerals. Their mission is “To be known as the best, mostrespected provider of service to the funeral profession.” Learn more about John on his website, http:// johnolearyinspires.com/orvisit www.funeraldirectorslife. com/conventions-nfda/ for additional information. John gave a truly inspiring keynote presentation about how one can make a mighty difference in one’s own life and the lives of those they serve. The keynote took place on October 12. “Though he has endured a lot, John brings a positive outlook wherever he goes – one that he chooses to have every single day,” added Seale. “Unexpected things happen in our profession and life in general, but we have the power to choose our outlook and how we respond, which is the theme of his message. We’re truly proud to have sponsored him.” Attendees had the opportunity to meet John in person and get their very own copy of one of his books at Funeral Directors Life’s booth during the convention. They also learned about products and services to ABILENE,TX— Funeral Directors Life sponsored and partnered with keynote speaker John O’Leary for his presentation titled, “Embrace Your Thoughts, Elevate Your Life” during the National Funeral Directors Association Convention & Expo in Baltimore, MD. “It’s harder than ever to be a funeral director,” said Kris Seale, president and CEO of Funeral Directors Life. “Dealing with a tidal wave of change – like the pandemic or shifting funeral preferences – year after year can be challenging and take a toll on funeral professionals’ well-being. We invited John to speak about positivity to provide a dose of encouragement and share with the audience how they can continue to make a difference in the lives of others.” O’Leary is a two-time #1 national bestselling author of On Fire and In Awe and host of the highly rated Live Inspired PodDigital Directory Now Available Download instantly at www.NomisPublications.com Save on Shipping!
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