Page B6 MAY 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on B By Mike Jamar outside a dive bar in Philadelphia. He went into the bar to inquire about it and found it was owned by a biker guy. Although at first the biker said it wasn’t for sale, he changed his mind when $300 cash was offered. The film ended up with 7 or 8 flower cars, but some of them were actually hearses with their tops cut off. Over the course of our conversation, Paul in fact answered my original question. But by then I already had my answer. You join because of people like Paul. He has a wealth of knowledge about professional classic vehicles and the stories to go with it. If you want to know more about PCS go to their website www.ProfessionalCarSociety.org. Paul moderates the site, so contact through the website is directed to him. If he offers his phone number, I heartily recommend you use it. Mike Jamar is founder and co-owner of Advanced Integration Technology. Mike has been working with computers since the early 80s and started Advanced Integration in 1994. Advanced Integration specializes in Internet inventories designed for specialty vehicles and equipment. HearseHub was created through a collaboration between Advanced Integration and Nomis Publications, and is now in its fifth year of service. HearseHub brings together funeral vehicles from a number of dealerships that specialize in high quality funeral vehicles. HearseHub offers funeral directors a large, and easy to shop inventory, of funeral vehicles. You can reach him at Mike@AITAdvantage.com. F U N E R A L H O M E & C E M E T E R Y N E W S w w w . N o m i s P u b l i c a t i o n s . c o m Monthly Columnsonline at The Professional Car Society can best be described by their own website, ProfessionalCarSociety.org: “The Professional Car Society (PCS) was founded in 1976 by a small group of hearse, limousine, ambulance, and flower car enthusiasts to further the cause of preservation, maintenance, and restoration of professional vehicles. Since the humble beginnings in 1976, the Society has grown to over 1000 members with members in every state in the U.S.A. and many other countries.” What is a Professional Car? “A professional vehicle,” according to the Bylaws of the PCS, “is a funeral, livery, or ambulance class vehicle having special coachwork executed on passenger-car styling. The PCS also includes horse-drawn vehicles and vehicles taken from station-wagon and light-truck styling.” Although this describes what the PCS is, it does not answer the question, “Why should someone join?” Of course, if you own a classic professional vehicle the answer is obvious. But what if you are someone that likes classic hearses, but will probably never own one. To answer the question, I contacted Paul Steinburg, a former president of the society. I started the conversation something like, “Paul, although I like hearses, I don’t own a classic hearse and, if my wife has her way, never will. So why should I join?” I learned quickly that Paul enjoys talking about professional vehicles. Beyond the facts and figures, Paul is a born storyteller. I spent the next hour listening to Paul talk about the society and its history, his own history, and how he got involved in the PCS. Overall, I heard many stories concerning professional cars and those that collect them. Paul told me about a funeral home down south that has a matched set of 1959 funeral vehicles that are used for funerals to this day. This appears to be a growing trend in some areas of the country. He told me how the factory used to have people drive a Cadillac chassis from Detroit to the Miller Meteor plant in Ohio. These chassis only had a front cowl so the drivers were exposed to whatever mother nature threw at them – rain, snow or sweltering summer heat. The drivers even had to sit on boxes, because there were no seats. Did you know that it is not unusual in older professional vehicles for the body number not to match the engine number? Paul said that the cowl would be removed during the conversion process and that the builders didn’t necessarily pay attention to matching the numbers when the cowl was added back on the conversion. So many numbers don’t match. Those of you who have seen the original Godfather movie probably remember the impressive funeral scene. In the book they had 50 flower cars for the funeral, but trying to find flower cars for the movie was difficult. Paul himself was hired to find flower cars that could be used for the scene. He told a story about seeing a yellow flower car The Professional Car Society – Why Should Someone Join? Great Western Insurance Company Announces Preneed Insurance Partnership with Sepio Guard Samuel Ashby Appointed Domanicare’s Vice President of Sales we fold at graveside and present it to the next of kin. People are drawn to it; we see them displayed on Facebook and families order additional copies. We recently served a family who purchased four more,” Bethea says. Dontrell Briggs story is testimony to the healing power that Funeral Home Gifts tribute blankets continue to provide long after the service. Don’t forget to follow Dontrell on his American Idol journey. We can’t wait to see how he does over the next few weeks. We hear Hollywood calling for Dontrell and his godmother. Continued from Page B1 Funeral Home Gifts Cincinnati Equitable Life Selects the Travel Plan by Inman as Their Preferred Travel Plan Provider OREM,UT— Jon Lefrandt, chief executive officer of Domanicare, has announced the promotion of Samuel Ashby to vice president of sales for the Domanicare team. In his new role, Ashby will lead Domanicare’s sales team and initiatives to reach more funeral home and cemetery partners at a greater scale. “I am grateful for Sam’s hard work and effort. He caught the vision of Domanicare early and has never looked back. As our organization continues to grow rapidly, this change is another important step to ensure we are providing the best experience for our customers and partnerships,” Lefrandt said. “Sam is a natural leader and ambassador of our brand. He is committed to building relationships in this profession and helping solve problems in meaningful ways.” As a member of the senior leadership team, Ashby will help drive core strategic initiatives and enhancements in collaboration with other departments to continue to provide the best aftercare program in the funeral profession. His efforts will ensure the Domanicare team’s ongoing commitment to leading the profession by providing a better way for families to prepare for and cope with tomorrow’s loss. “My dream has always been to impact the funeral profession at large, and Domanicare has provided me the opportunity to do that,” Ashby said. “I have been fortunate to learn and grow from leaders in the profession. Our innovation continues to put families first, and we have only begun. I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come for Domanicare.” Ashby began his career in funeral service in 2012. As a preneed sales counselor in Nebraska, he quickly became one of the country’s top sales representatives, often closing more than $2 million in annual preneed sales. In 2019, he joined the Domani team to further his desire to build relationships with funeral providers and cemetery operators. In his short tenure, Ashby has helped hundreds of funeral professionals provide meaningful family follow-up through Domanicare’s award-winning text-based aftercare program. Sam and his wife reside in Gilbert, AZ, with their four children. Domanicare is a national leader in aftercare support for funeral homes and cemeteries. The company is committed to leading the funeral profession by providing a better way for families to prepare for and cope with tomorrow’s loss. DES MOINES,IA—Great Western Insurance Company (GWIC®), a subsidiary of American Enterprise Group, Inc (AEG), has announced a new strategic product partnership with Sepio Guard (Sepio), a leading provider of funeral assurance coverage for deaths occurring 75 or more miles away from home. Sepio’s Away from Home Assurance® Plan goes above and beyond traditional travel insurance, covering the transportation costs, permits/documentation and all other logistical considerations in the event of a death while traveling. “A death while away from home is one of the last things people think about, but unfortunately it happens,” said Kenn Peterson, vice president of national sales of preneed, GWIC. “Away from Home Assurance is for everyone, providing the ultimate peace of mind for customers and their families. This way, no matter where the death occurs, the family’s loved ones will be brought back into their funeral professional’s care.” In addition to comprehensive and straightforward coverage, Sepio has a robust, easy-to-use technology platform for customers and agents that efficiently and securely matches coverage needs with monthly payment options. “GWIC has a strong reputation in the profession, and we are humbled to be working together in this partnership,” said Chris Johnson, co-founder and CEO, Sepio. “We’re excited about the potential of fully completing families’ preneed arrangements across the country through our Away From Home Assurance® program and reaching more people through this new opportunity with GWIC.” American Enterprise Group, Inc has multiple insurance company subsidiaries under the American Republic®, Great Western Insurance Company (GWIC®), and Medico® brands. These companies offer life and health insurance product solutions to help people secure their financial futures through various distribution channels and are licensed in 49 states, plus the District of Columbia. American Enterprise is based in Des Moines, IA and employs more than 400 people. For more information, visit www.americanenterprise.com. CINCINNATI ,OH— Cincinnati Equitable Life Insurance Company has announced their partnership with the Travel Plan by Inman. Cincinnati Equitable maintains its historical respect for tradition and sound midwestern values. These values align perfectly with the philosophy of the Travel Plan by Inman. The Travel Plan by Inman is funeral director owned and operated. “This is what sets them apart from other companies,” stated Tom Schrote, Chief Operating Officer of Cincinnati Equitable Life. Inman CEO Dave McComb is a funeral director and 37-year veteran of the funeral care industry. He understands the needs of funeral directors as well as the families they serve. “It is our honor to be associated with a company like Cincinnati Equitable Life,” said McComb. The Travel Plan by Inman offers Cincinnati Equitable family’s peace of mind in knowing loved ones won’t have to worry about details or cost should they die away from home. For more information of the Travel Plan by Inman, contact Lori Davis by calling 260-247-2202 or email lori.davis@shipinman. Cincinnati Equitable Life Insurance Company, founded in 1963, maintains an “A” (Excellent) rating from AMBest and is a member of the Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies. For more information on Cincinnati Equitable visit www. cineqlife.com or call 800621-1826. Your Source for High Quality Funeral Vehicles
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