Corporate Funeral Homes vs. Family-Owned Funeral Homes

There was a time in New Zealand, when practically all funeral homes were family owned with the business passing down from generation to generation. For many of these businesses however there comes that time where the youngest generation simply do not want to follow into the funeral service profession. What does an owner do? The ability to sell the business provides the owner of the time the opportunity to divest and allows the funeral home business to continue to carry on delivering the same level of empathetic care and support to families they serve.

So what does that all mean? Quite simply, the ownership changes from a single owner taking all the profits and instead enables investors and members of the public to invest and take an active involvement in ensuring the service continues to be sustainable. Running a funeral home is a significantly capital-intensive activity. Under such ownership, the funeral home has access to significantly larger capital reserves to ensure premises, hearses, and the increasing levels of bespoke individualism and innovation that families seek in a farewell today can be provided. This requires a level of investment out of the reach of many stand-alone businesses.

A further little-known fact is the significant philanthropic activity that some homes make to enriching the quality of life for people and communities whilst they are still alive. “At Davis Funerals, we are humbled and constantly reminded of the difference we can make to organisations doing good in our community, for instance and most notably here in the west, Hospice West Auckland and the invaluable support that they provide to patients and their families. Their work is supported through ongoing funding and support activities” says Michael Powell, General Manager, Davis Funerals.

Choosing your funeral provider is a very personal decision for a family, says Powell, and many things can influence this decision including, but not limited to, prior family experience, attendance of another funeral, a personal recommendation, religious affiliation etc. The important thing is that your decision should not be based on “who owns the home” as this is not a guarantee of receiving a “perfect farewell”, it could in some instance even be a compromise. Most importantly it overlooks the compassion and skill of the many fabulous professionals working in the industry throughout New Zealand today.

For a grieving family, there are significantly more important factors to be concerned about when organising a funeral. It is more important to beware of:

· advertised offers “from a certain dollar figure” and insist on a detailed estimate of costs.

· always check the credentials and commitment to training and formal qualification of the home you are engaging.

· you should ask where your loved one will be looked after and cared for throughout the arrangement period and prior to the farewell taking place.

· and most importantly safeguard your decisions by choosing a funeral home that is a member of the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand (FDANZ).