Partnership Establishes Unprecedented Distribution and Service Capabilities
OVERLAND PARK, KS / MERIDIAN, ID, January 4, 2022 – Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. (“Wilbert”), a leading provider of products and services for the funeral and cemetery industries and precast concrete markets, merged operations with Memorial Monuments & Vaults, Inc. (“Memorial Monuments” or “MMV”), a rapidly growing provider of monuments and related funeral services to retail, funeral home and cemetery customers, effective December 27, 2021.
Mark Bates, Chief Executive Officer of Wilbert, stated “This is a transformative transaction for both Wilbert and Memorial Monuments, and we are thrilled to partner with the talented team at MMV to begin an exciting new chapter of growth. The combination of Wilbert’s financial resources, national distribution, and international sourcing abilities and MMV’s artistry, industry leading technology, and relentless focus on quality and customer service will improve our ability to be a valuable partner to our funeral service customers across the country. Memorial Monuments is a company we have admired for years, and we are excited at the opportunity to provide a comprehensive monument product line through our industry-leading distribution infrastructure. The MMV team will continue to run day-to-day operations post-closing, and our combined customers will benefit from the significant investment in technology that we are making together, including expanding the Memorial Monuments customer interface and the addition of real-time delivery and installation information with Wilbert’s SingleSource system.”
Joey Chandler, President and CEO of Memorial Monuments, stated “We are excited about the partnership with Wilbert and the benefits it will provide for continued, stable growth and expansion. Wilbert’s established national infrastructure is unique in the funeral service industry and will enable us to bring our proven, customer-centric business model to a broader audience. With our mutual focus on investment in technology, this transaction will help both companies enhance our capabilities for our customers.”
About Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc.
Established in 1880, Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. is a licensor of, and supplier to, independently owned concrete burial vault manufacturers that are licensed to manufacture Wilbert® brand burial vaults. The company also sells its Astral brand of caskets and Pierce Chemical brand of embalming fluids and other funeral industry products directly to funeral home customers through its vast distribution network. Wilbert’s Internal Licensee division manufactures and distributes vaults, caskets, lawn crypts, monuments, and other precast concrete products as a licensee. For more information about Wilbert, please visit www.wilbert.com
About Memorial Monuments & Vaults, Inc.
Established in 1979, Memorial Monuments & Vaults, Inc. is a leading supplier of monuments, vaults, and large-scale memorial installations throughout the western United States. The company has 19 locations in the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana, and Colorado. For more information, please visit www.memorialmonumentsinc.com
