Did Batesville Purchase A Burial Vault Company?

Funeral Industry News December 28, 2009
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Did Batesville Purchase A Burial Vault Company?

imageLast week the news came out that Goria Corporation (maker of the patented Eonian? and Endurance? burial vaults) had closed it burial vault business. The following was posted on their website:

?My purpose in writing today is to advise you of a change in our business. Effective November 16, 2009. Goria sold the molds and intellectual property rights on which our vaults are produced. Goria has closed its burial vault business and have ceased all manufacturing operations and will no longer be a supplier of burial vaults. For a number of reasons, we felt the time was appropriate and are confident we made the right decision in choosing the reputable organization we sold too.?

No information was provided as to whom the purchaser is. There has been speculation that Batesville Casket Company is the purchaser, although Batesville has not made any public statements that I am aware of.

Wilbert Funeral Services Inc, held it annual WMA (Wilbert Manufatuers Association) meeting in Septemeber where a representative from Zeiser Wilbert Vault in Elmira, New York gave a presentation on the ?Batesville Beta Test? outlining his experience with seeing the Goria product at work with Batesville delivering and servicing the Goria vaults in upstate New York.

Following the announcement on Goria?s website last week, Wilbert Funeral Services president Tony Colson provided the following statement:

I have placed a call to Batesville?s Communications Director and to Pierre Goria regarding Batesville?s involvment in the purchase. Neither call had been returned at the time this article was posted. As more information becomes available I will be sure to update you.

Has anyone else heard about or experienced first hand Batesville?s involvement with burial vaults?