Bishop Rick August, president of Infinity Funeral Home in Biloxi, Mississippi, and his children Lasha and Jonathan August - vice president and CFO, respectively - share their experience running a successful funeral home.

OGR asked some of its international members to offer perspective on how the coronavirus pandemic has forced innovations in their cities and countries.

I started Veterans Funeral Care in 2001 with the goal of serving the veterans in my community better than any other funeral home. It was the first funeral home in America that was named after the customer we served rather than the owner. Since then, we have grown to a more than 900-case funeral home and I attribute our growth to gaining the business of disloyal customers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many facets of our lives. That includes changes in how we, as consumers, shop for and purchase goods and services, which in turn change funeral service. 

A 401(k) is how most Americans save for retirement, but many business owners think that a small business retirement plan is too expensive, too hard to manage or not valued by employees. However, more than half of small business owners say offering a 401(k) plan attracts better employees, according to a CNBC small business survey. They also note that nearly 25% of departing employees cite a lack of retirement benefits as part of the reason for leaving.

Dale Carnegie said, “91% will give referrals if asked; only 11% ask.” So, we are asking. We are asking you, our member, to help OGR grow by spreading the word to other funeral directors about all the good things going on at OGR. We hope you have been taking advantage of your member benefits. If not, we need to talk. Just give us a call and we will match you with the programs that best fit your needs. 

You may have noticed in OGR’s InSights newsletter we’re starting to see more frequent notifications of new members joining your association, as well as new and improved member benefits.

While I was attending university many years ago, I had a part-time job at a funeral home right across the street from campus. I was well-positioned in those days as I lived right across the street from the funeral home as well.

Being raised in a home “that was Army-Army-Army everything” built a strong foundation of respect within Jim Rudolph for veterans and the service they give their country. It also afforded him the luxury of naturally being able to “speak veteran” from a young age in a way that many others can take years to figure out.

BILLERICA, Mass. (Sept. 21, 2021) – The Dodge Company is pleased to announce the addition of long-time Dodge employee John “Jack” Kleis to its team of sales representatives. Admittedly, it is always good when one can promote from within the company, and so it is with Jack, who says, “It feels like I’ve been apprenticing for this position for 20 years!”

In 2013, scientists shared a discovery they’d made at a burial site of Natufians, the earliest prehistoric people believed to systematically bury their dead. In these graves, found on Mount Carmel in Israel and dating from between the 13,700 and 11,700, scientists found that a number of the dead had been buried on a literal bed of flowers. This discovery answered a longstanding question of when humans started connecting flowers with the ritual of burial: from the beginning: turns out, we’ve been doing it from the beginning.  

Thumbies’ New Viper and Deception Cigar Cutters add personality to utility with engraved prints from pets and loved ones.

Of all our guests this season, Charles Castiglia may have had the most varied list of "edges" that he's worked to develop over the years, from veterans and their families, to crafting stories, and even founding an entire business to negotiate better credit card service charges for not just his own funeral home, but others as well.

Kelley Romanowski knew she wanted to work in a helping profession. She started on the path toward nursing but realized that wasn't for her, and became a licensed funeral director and embalmer at a family owned and operated funeral home instead.

CLARKSVILLE, Ind. (Sept. 7, 2021) – Express Funeral Funding (EFF), the industry's largest privately held at-need insurance assignment funding company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of We Fund Funerals (WFF).

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 2, 2021) – The Order of the Golden Rule is excited to announce one of its members was recognized by the National Funeral Directors Association as the "Best of the Best" for 2021 as part of their annual Pursuit of Excellence Awards.

Joe E. Pray is one of four Joes you may find around Pray Funeral Home in Charlotte, Michigan. They may have strikingly similar names in this family operation, but they pride themselves on the unique, customized service they offer the families who come through their doors.

KINGSTON, Ontario (Sept. 1, 2021) - Mike Hepburn and his team at YourSocialStrategy.com are proud to introduce their new funeral home digital marketing program, FuneralClicks.com.

Mike Hepburn started out working for his family's funeral home with his sister and brother-in-law, even renting out a room above the funeral home, but felt that marketing was more his calling.

Andrew Loos didn’t intend to become a funeral director, but when you marry a 4th generation funeral director, it may not be a shock when you slide into the profession. A few years after joining the family business, they converted it into what is now the Heartland Burial & Cremation & Burial Society, an OGR member firm in the Kansas City area.