Bass-Mollett acquires Elegante Brass Company
GREENVILLE, IL (December 5, 2016)— Bass-Mollett Publishers, Inc., a leading provider of printed funeral stationery, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Elegante Brass Company, a leading provider of cremation urns to the funeral industry.
“We have been growing our business organically for the past several years while reviewing a number of acquisition opportunities. The Elegante acquisition was highly attractive because it fit nicely into our growth strategy and immediately generates added-value for the Director,” said John Flowers, Chairman and CEO of Bass-Mollett. “The Elegante Brand is well-respected and well-known throughout the funeral industry, built over the years by Saul Goldstein and Robert DeLauro. When Saul informed us he was seeking an investor/partner/acquirer for his company, we were immediately interested,” Flowers added.
“Robert and I worked hard building up Elegante’s growth and reputation to where it is today,” said Saul Goldstein, founder of Elegante. “And now I am happy to hand the reigns over to the team at Bass-Mollett, whose goal is to elevate Elegante to a level of professionalism that I never could have accomplished on my own.”
“With Robert continuing to run the operations out of their Brooklyn facility, and Saul’s agreement to remain on as a product designer and import consultant, this transition should be seamless to our distributors,” said Tadd Flowers, Vice President of Operations. “The only noticeable changes being improved speed to market with both existing product and new product launches; we want all of our clients to feel the positive impact of our infusion of capital.”
Dan Sheehan, President of Bass-Mollett, said, “It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Bass-Mollett family and we welcome our new members with open arms. Our plan is to continue to run the two businesses independently from a market-facing standpoint. Bass-Mollett will continue to sell directly to funeral homes through our network of industry-leading, independent Sales Professionals. Elegante will continue to sell directly to its outstanding network of distributors.” Sheehan went on to say, “After a supplier hiccup several years ago and some more recent cash flow issues at Elegante, our priorities are to quickly re-build the high confidence level that Elegante’s distributors previously enjoyed. This will be accomplished by: building up inventory levels for steady-state supply; creating new and innovative product launches; and reinstituting an Elegante’s product awareness campaigns, through advertising in industry trade publications including a greater presence in local trade shows. In the end, this transaction is a win for Bass-Mollett, a win for Elegante and more importantly, a win for our funeral directors and the families they serve.”
About Bass-Mollett
Established in 1951, Bass-Mollett Publishers, Inc. is celebrating its 65th year of supplying the funeral industry. Bass-Mollett’s mission has always been to provide customized solutions to funeral directors using excellent quality, value, and service so that each family they serve may memorialize their loved one with dignity. Now in its 4th generation of family ownership, Bass-Mollett will continue to proudly and consistently serve the funeral industry for decades to come.
About Elegante Brass Company
Since 2001, Elegante Brass has served the funeral industry selling affordable cremation urns going to market through our network of clients. Taking great pride in their innovation over the years, Elegante’s top priority has been taking care of their clients.
