Batesville Starts New Chapter of Growth with LongRange Capital
Chris Trainor Named CEO of Batesville
BATESVILLE, Ind. – February 1, 2023 – LongRange Capital (“LongRange”), a private investment firm focused on building and growing middle market businesses over the long term, has completed its acquisition of Batesville Services (“Batesville”), one of North America’s leading providers of high quality burial and cremation products, merchandising and memorialization offerings and innovative technology solutions, from Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE:HI). Chris Trainor was named CEO of Batesville (Batesville Services, LLC), having served as president since 2015, and will be supported by the company’s experienced leadership team.
“Today marks an important milestone for our company as we begin operating as a private, standalone business with the support of an exceptional partner in LongRange, who shares our passion for innovation and excellence and is committed to building and delivering solutions that drive greater value for funeral professionals,” said Chris Trainor, CEO of Batesville. “Batesville has built and delivered high quality products to licensed funeral directors for more than a century and I am honored to continue leading the company through this next chapter of growth.”
“Batesville is an established leader with a great reputation for quality, innovation and service and we are excited to help carry that forward into the future,” said Bob Berlin, Managing Partner at LongRange. “We look forward to partnering with Chris and supporting him and the rest of the Batesville team in taking the business to a new level by investing in people, products, facilities, capabilities, and services to support and grow the business for the next generation of funeral professionals and consumers.”
Founded in 1884, Batesville has continued to elevate and expand its products to address the changing needs of funeral directors and consumers. But while its products and services have changed over time, Batesville’s mission of helping families honor the lives of those they love® remains the same.
From the first line of oversize products to “dual disposition” wood caskets that are suitable for burial or cremation, and an expansive line of unique personalization and memorialization offerings, Batesville has remained at the forefront of innovation. Launched in 2022, Batesville Connect™ provides digital access to the information and processes funeral directors use every day to manage their business and delivers unprecedented levels of convenience, confidence and control.
“LongRange has significant expertise in using data, analytics and technology to improve operations, and ultimately, to deliver better service to customers, which will be extremely valuable as we identify and invest in new opportunities for sustainable growth,” said Trainor.
There are no planned changes to the overall structure, or in where or how Batesville operates, including the location of its headquarters, manufacturing plants, distribution networks, or field operations.
About Batesville
Batesville (www.batesville.com) is a recognized leader in the North American death care industry, offering a comprehensive portfolio of burial and cremation products, memorialization options and innovative technology solutions. For more than a century, Batesville has supported licensed funeral professionals in helping families honor the lives of those they love.® A history of manufacturing excellence, product innovation, superior customer service and reliable delivery helped Batesville become – and remain – an industry leader.
About LongRange Capital
Founded in 2019, LongRange Capital was formed to take a longer-term approach to investing and building middle market businesses through a company-focused and customer-first philosophy. The firm’s investment professionals have a long track record of demonstrated success and collectively bring 50+ years of investing experience. LongRange is currently investing a highly flexible, committed capital pool backed by long-term institutional holders. For more information, please visit www.longrangepartners.com.
