Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. is pleased to announce the signing of a Letter of Intent to acquire The Pierce Companies, based in Dallas, Texas. This transaction will include Pierce Chemicals Royal Bond Company, Professional Training Schools Incorporated and Pierce Mortuary Colleges.
Pierce Chemicals is a leading provider of chemicals, cosmetics, prep room supplies and equipment, and personal protection products. In addition, Pierce offers memorial products, cremation urns and chapel supplies. Pierce Mortuary Colleges include the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, Dallas, TX; Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service, Decatur, GA; and Mid-America College of Funeral Service, Jeffersonville, IN.
This supports Wilbert Funeral Services’ strategy to grow their business through complementary product and service offerings that benefit funeral professionals and the families they serve. Wilbert Funeral Services and Pierce Companies share similar business values with a driving focus on the needs of funeral professionals. This commitment on solutions for the myriad challenges faced by their customers will continue to be the compass for the combined enterprises.
“Pierce Companies has a proud, family-owned heritage dating back to 1935,” said John W. Firestone, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Pierce Companies. “Both Pierce and Wilbert have earned a reputation for developing innovative products to benefit funeral professionals. This will be a great blending of two iconic brands.”
Nancy Pierce Barber, Vice Chairman of the Board, Pierce Companies, added, “My father, William H. Pierce, founded the company with the motto of ‘total customer service’. I know that Wilbert Funeral Services will further grow the business on this same principle.”
As the leading provider of burial vaults and cremation-related products, Wilbert Funeral Services will strengthen their offerings to the funeral industry through this transaction.
“Merging the operations of Wilbert Funeral Services and Pierce Companies will bring a diverse yet synergistic family of products to funeral professionals,” stated Joseph Suhor, Chairman of the Board, Wilbert Funeral Services. “The quality of Pierce products is second-to-none and we are impressed with the dedication exemplified by Pierce employees. These are the same things we point to when describing Wilbert. This will be an excellent union of resources, products and employees.”
It is anticipated that the Pierce Companies and the three mortuary colleges will continue to operate under their respective names with day-to-day operations being maintained by a combination of existing Pierce management and Wilbert Funeral Services. As the companies come together, overall strategic direction will be provided under the leadership of Dennis Welzenbach, President of Wilbert Funeral Services, and the Wilbert management team.
Pending completion of the transaction, Wilbert Funeral Services and Pierce Companies will partner together for a smooth transition that will retain exemplary service to their customers.
For more information, call (708) 865-1600.
I remember when Wilbert used to throw shindigs at the NFDA convention which rivaled or surpassed Batesville. They were for a time the number two national vendor, at least in terms of prestige/”mind share”.
How the business has changed. Now they are a subsidiary of a chemical company. No surprise, vault sales have largely disappeared in my area.
BT: I think is the other way around: it’s Wilbert who’s buying Pierce’s. Pierce has been “for sale” secretly as their figures has been steadily going down for years. Buying a fluid company these days is not what I call a totally wise move, but Pierce’s educational system is probably what Wilbert is going after. It;s not a secret that fluid sales are going down and fast. Even Dodge is looking for other options. The smaller remaining fluid manufacturers are going to disappear soon unless they run the same luck as Pierce. Perhaps now, with this acquisition, Pierce could become more aggressive in the fluid business and expand to other territories that they have not seem to care about in the past.
Anyway, the cremation’s clock still ticking,so they must move fast! Good Luck, Wilbert!
I am glad to see this happend, maybe they can finally put an end to the shenanigans going on @ Mid America College Of Funeral Service and it’s President in Jeffersonville, In, this has been going on for far too long.
So Mark Drennen, what exactly has happened with or was happening with the president in Jeffersonville, Indiana? I am in the dark here, I graduated in ’02 and am wondering what ever happened to him. Can you fill me in at all? TY in advance.