TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter From Bill Backman............................................................. Page 2 Rep Service Center Awards........................................................ Page 3 Manufacturing Spotlight Building Quality into Every Casket.............................................. Page 4 Logistics News.............................................................................. Page 5 New Partnershps Western State Funerla Supply..................................................... Page 6 Thriving in 2010 New Aurora Accounts................................................................. Page 7 New Account Spotlight Sand Mountain Family Funeral Homes, LLC.............................. Page 8 Lifetimes/Professional Develpment............................................ Page 9 Family Advisors .......................................................................... Page 10 The Washington Poplar.............................................................. Page 11 Social Media............................................................................... Page 12 Aurora in the News .................................................................... Page 13 NFDA............................................................................................ Page 14 ACCO Scolarship Program....................................................... Page 15
THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 1
LETTER FROM Bill Backman ReADY. AIM. FIRE. As we begin 2011, I would like to thank each and every Aurora employee for your hard work and dedication this year. I truly believe we have the best people out there, and despite a shaky economy, we’ve pulled through with another successful year. We’ve had several ups and downs that brought us to this point. Keystone Group, a significant Aurora customer, was acquired by Service Corp. International at the beginning of 2010. This was a blow that we struggled to make up for, and we still have some ground to cover to reach our sales and revenue goals. However, we saw positive growth in our primary market segment— family-owned funeral homes—that has allowed us to achieve a positive position moving into 2011. We have made significant strides in our manufacturing, logistics, and quality control processes. We have seen great success with the introduction of our Aurora Designer Hardwoods. The acquisition of Alliance-St. Laurent allows us to compete in a growing market segment. Our sales team is gaining momentum with several new key account wins. And most noteworthy, we will take the profession by storm this year with the introduction of our new Family Advisor technology.
Our key to success in 2011 rests in the collective efforts of every individual on Team Aurora to pull together and execute with excellence
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each day. We’re ready with the best team in funeral service. We’ve taken aim at the opportunity in front of us. Let’s fire off to begin 2011 like never before.
Bill Backman BAX THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 2
Congratulations rep service center awards
Congratulations to our 2010 Sales Incentive Winners! We know these achievements do not come easily, and we all compliment you on your hard work. You are setting a high standard for others to follow and achieve and look forward to seeing many more wins from everyone in 2011.
Sales Rep of the Year: GARY GARYWEBER WEBER Coming from behind quota and pulling out all the stops in December
National Growth Leader of the Year: Stephen Nazareth With 608 units of growth
Regional Growth Leaders: • • • • • •
WEST: Doug Bowell – 258 units of growth East: Scott Baird – 269 units of growth MidSouth: Clayton Beasley – 340 units of growth Central: Robert Acevez – 420 units of growth MidWest: John Meyer – 380 units of growth Southeast: Jenae Register (Second year in a row) – with 312 units of growth
Rookie of the Year: Stephen Nazareth
Also, congratulations to the Midsouth Region, the only region to achieve 2010 quota!
regions fearless leader: BILL HUDSON Mike Nash Dennis Beasley Max Miller Mike Blair
David Bentley Roger Grizzel Clayton Beasley Mike Jaudon
Jason Kumm Stacey Cassidy Adam Quantz
THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 3
MANUFACTURING
SPOTLIGHT: LOREM IPSUM DOLOR SET Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Curabitur eleifend semper nibh, luctus rutrum diam varius hendrerit. Nulla sagittis arcu vel enim sagittis faucibus. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Duis risus erat, mollis viverra consectetur at, tincidunt a libero. Ut suscipit viverra lectus, nec volutpat mauris iaculis in. Vestibulum et dui est, quis euismod quam. Maecenas volutpat condimentum dapibus.
Proin enim est, fringilla nec sollicitudin vel, facilisis eu quam. Aliquam pellentesque nibh et mauris dapibus eget gravida turpis tincidunt. Etiam elementum augue vel sem tempus fermentum. Aenean at tortor at velit molestie facilisis eget adipiscing est. Proin lacus augue, lobortis ac euismod vel, tempus at velit. Suspendisse eleifend, eros at tincidunt pellentesque, ipsum erat vehicula sem, et gravida nisi magna et odio. Maecenas lorem enim, rhoncus sed placerat et, tristique ut nunc. Vivamus faucibus dui sed ipsum tempor convallis eleifend metus consectetur. Aliquam erat volutpat. Suspendisse eros odio, accumsan sed vehicula at, interdum vel lacus. Quisque id rutrum dolor. Nunc vulputate orci in erat ornare sodales.
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THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 4
Logistics Logistics NEWS
Aurora would like to congratulate the Shipping department (Doug Barrett, Ray Bryant, Rick Clark, Randy Deamron, Mike
Dennis, Brad Disbro, Chris Doherty, Sonny Henry, Lewis Hill, Mack Johnson, Joe Meyer, Greg Roland, Tim Snider, Lucian Turner, Mugga Waller, and Keith Wuellner) for their outstanding improvements with respect to quality. Through the use of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s), Quality Alerts, and other problem solving tools; the team has reduced the percentage of quality defects charged to shipping by more than 30% compared to the same time period last year. This has contributed to a more than 40% reduction of MRA’s charged to shipping. Congratulations and keep up the good work.
THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 5
NEW PARTNERSHIPS Western States Funeral Supply To create new opportunities for our funeral home clients, Aurora has joined forces with Western States Funeral Supply.
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This Newton, Kansas-based company will distribute Aurora caskets and technology solutions. The partnership will give Aurora two distribution points in Colorado, and is expected to double Aurora’s presence throughout the state.
Alliance-St. Laurent Casket Company Last year, Aurora completed the acquisition of Alliance-
“Our strategy has always been focused on creating
St. Laurent Caskets, a company based in New Brunswick,
opportunity for our funeral home clients,” said Jim Wiens,
Canada. Alliance-St. Laurent will operate as a wholly owned
president of Western States Funeral Supply. “Aurora carries
subsidiary of Aurora. Aurora began distributing Alliance-St.
that same attitude and commitment. We’ve been family
Laurent products in 1996 after acquiring a 50 percent share
owned since 1954 and are delighted to partner with
of the business.
another family-owned supplier and offer Aurora caskets to our customers.” Western States Funeral Supply is a division
Paul Michaud will continue to serve as President of Alliance-
of Doric Concrete Vaults, Inc. and employs over 60 people
St. Laurent. “Our partnership with Aurora has been mutually
in seven locations. In addition to Aurora products, Western
beneficial for both of our companies, our employees, and
States Funeral Supply offers burial vaults, monuments and
the clients we serve,” Michaud said. “As a wholly owned
other memorialization products.
subsidiary, we will continue to focus on quality, innovation and business growth.” Alliance-St. Laurent, founded in 1978, is a leading provider of hardwood and cloth caskets and cremation and transport containers to funeral service providers throughout North America. The company operates
OUR STRATEGY HAS
ALWAYS BEEN FOCUSED
ON CREATING
OPPORUNITY
FOR OUR
manufacturing facilities in Quebec and New Brunswick.
“We are thrilled to bring another trusted family business into the Aurora family,” said Bill Backman, president of Aurora Casket Company. “The products produced by AllianceSt. Laurent, and the relationships they have established throughout the funeral service profession will be key to our company’s growth. There is intense competition for
FUNERAL HOME CLIENTS.”
this market segment, and our partnership with Paul and
Jim Wiens, president of Western States Funeral Supply
position to compete and offer more to our clients.”
the team at Alliance-St. Laurent provides Aurora a strong
THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 6
THRIVING IN 2010 NEW AURORA ACCOUNTS
The following list provides a sample of new accounts that we are now privileged to serve: CLIENT
CITY/STATE
REP
SERVICE CENTER
Sand Mountain Family Funeral Homes, LLC
Decherd, TN
Mike Jaudon
07 Leeds
Ambruster-Donnelly Funeral Home
St. Louis, MO
Pete Arehart
03 Union
Wujek-Calcaterra Funeral Home
Sterling Heights, MI
Ben Hamilton
43 Plymouth
Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory
Lynchburg, VA
David Bowman
02 Christiansburg
Ponders Funeral Home
Dalton, GA
Jenae Register
11 Suwanee
Right Way Funeral & Cremation Service
San Leandro, CA
Ed Cox
88 Sacramento
Heald & Chiampa Funeral Directors, LLC
Shrewsbury, MA
Darren Lewandowski
74 New England
Turner & Son Funeral Home
Hillsboro, OH
KC Krumeich
98 Tri-State
Miller Sekely Funeral Services, Inc.
Elizabethtown, PA
Scott Baird
38 Carlisle
Doug Bowell
68 Los Angeles
Victor Valley Mortuary Victorville, CA Starks Family Funeral Homes
St. Joseph, MI Robert Acevez
15 Kalamazoo
Modell Funeral Home
Darien, IL
Allison Nelson
82 Chicago
Merle Hay Funeral Home
Des Moines, IA
John Dukes
36 Des Moines
Worley-Luginbuel Funeral Home
Grove, OK
Scott Houston
77 Tulsa
Brown-Dawson-Flick Funeral Home
Hamilton, OH
Fred Fowler
98 Tri-State
Carman Funeral Home Russell, KY
Stacey Cassidy
98 Tri-State
Whitehurst Funeral Chapels, Inc.
Malcolm Robertson
88 Sacramento
Ridley Memorial Inc. Roxbury, MA
Brett Nazareth
75 Providence
Melton Funeral Home
Sylva, NC
Taylor Sword
53 Asheville
Craig-Flagler-Palms Funeral Home
Flagler Beach, FL
Steve Risch
10 St. Petersburg
Los Banos, CA
THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 7
New Account
SPOTLIGHT: Sand Mountain Family Funeral Homes, LLC.
Why Aurora? As the owner of Sand Mountain Family Funeral Homes, Jeff Gamble knew he needed a strategic partner to guarantee the growth of his business in the future. His funeral homes, including 13 locations in two states, serve nearly one thousand families every year. They face many of the same problems as firms nationwide, such as the rapid rise in cremation rates. Mike Jaudon, Bill Hudson and Dan Colvin were able to demonstrate how Aurora can be the total package—not just a vendor, but a partner that provides solutions to today’s problems and strategies for creating future value. Previous supplier: Batesville 900+ Calls/Yr Rep: Mike Jaudon
The many locations of Sand Mountain Family Funeral Homes will be implementing various Aurora solutions. Some locations are facing cremation rates as high as 40% and will be implementing the Journey cremation system and presenting Celebrating Life’s Journey brochures to their families. Other locations will be installing Family Advisor to make it easier to show families funeral packages and merchandise. Lastly, each firm will be launching a WebConnect Marketing System website. This firm will also take advantage of our partnership with Homesteaders and the Rollback program.
THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 8
LIFETIMES LIFETIMES
Continuing education is a vital part of any funeral
director’s career, and Aurora offers many different courses in professional development to help our clients meet these needs. Courses cover topics such as building better relationships with families, growing local market share and improving leadership and interpersonal communication skills. Classes are taught at Aurora’s home office, in funeral homes and at conventions and other events nationwide.
The cornerstone of Aurora’s Professional Development program is Lifetimes: A Balanced Funeral Arrangement. This class teaches funeral directors a simple and practical process for uncovering what families need early in the arrangement process. After participating in this class, funeral directors can
COMPLETING THE
LIFETIMES ARRANGER TRAINING
WAS AN
OUTSTANDING EXPERIENCE
FOR OUR STAFF.”
see how all aspects of the funeral process work together to create real meaning and satisfaction. Lifetimes is taught by
“Completing the Lifetimes arranger training was an
Lacy Robinson through a combination of lecture, discussion
outstanding experience for our staff. I took the training
and skill practices.
myself and learned quote a bit. I figured if this ‘old dog’ could learn a few new ‘tricks,’ then our younger staff would
Professional Development courses are just one more solution that Aurora offers to our funeral home clients to ensure that
absorb the information like sponges, which they did.” Chet Stewart, French Mortuary, Albuquerque NM
we can meet all of their business needs. • Other professional development offerings: • Making an Emotional Connection • Meeting the Needs of Cremation Families • No Religion, Please • Creating Funeral Packages that Work • Four Generations in the Funeral Home • Ten Great Ideas for Your Funeral Home Website • The New Opportunity with Obituaries • Simplifying Arrangements with Family Advisor • The New Rules of Merchandising • Leading the Next Generation • Advanced Cremation Arrangements
THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 9
FAMILY ADV FAMILY ADVISORS What is Family Advisor?
Family Advisor is the industry’s first all-inclusive merchandise display and funeral home management system. The software was originally developed in 1997, and has continued to evolve and grow over the years based on direct feedback from hundreds of funeral directors nationwide. Family Advisor Management Edition, released in 2009, gave funeral directors even more tools to keep their businesses running smoothly— the latest version includes self-populating PDF forms and seamlessly integrates with Microsoft QuickBooks accounting software.
Who uses Family Advisor? Family Advisor is a solution for funeral homes of all
SELECTIVE FUNERAL
MERCHANDISE
CAN BE UNPLEASANT.
FAMILY ADVISOR MAKES FAMILIES FEEL
MORE COMFORTABLE IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION.” JUSTIN BAXLEY, HIERS-BAXLEY FUNERAL SERVICES, OCALA, FL
sizes. Memorial Mortuaries of Salt Lake City, Utah serves over 500 families from seven locations in the Salt Lake area. They have been using Family Advisor since 2009. Superstition Funeral Home of Apache Junction, Arizona is a brand new small funeral home using the software. Because Family Advisor is flexible and customizable, a funeral home of any size can use it advantageously.
What are the benefits of using Family Advisor? As a digital display system, Family Advisor allows funeral directors to offer families more choices than a traditional selection room. Real-time inventory updates ensure that families will only see products that are currently in-stock and available. When funeral homes move from a traditional selection room to a digital display, they free up thousands of dollars in inventory and can reallocate that space for more gathering areas or offices. The software also makes data management in the funeral home easy, allowing funeral directors to only enter information once and export it to forms and stationery software, streamlining the tasks required to serve families.
THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 10
The Washington
POPLAR
Late in 2010, Aurora introduced the newest member of the Designer Series, the Washington Poplar. The Washington continues the trend of innovation and creativity that Aurora customers have come to expect from our Clarksburg manufacturing facility and has thrived in test markets so far.
The Washington Poplar is characterized by its unique two-toned finish, a design that was actually inspired by a piece of furniture right from Aurora’s casket showroom. The unique credenza that makes up part of Aurora’s Family Room display blends a deep black finish with rich wood grain and gold-toned hardware.
To create the Washington’s unique look, solid poplar is stained and painted then polished to a glossy shine. The gold trim, a defining
UNIQUE TWO-TONE FINISH TAILORED CREME BASKETWEAVE INTERIOR SOLID POPLAR CONSTRUCTION
feature of this casket, is hand-painted on each and every unit.
N2H010
THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 11
SOCIAL MEDIA Aurora launched its official Facebook page in September, and has since grown to have several hundred fans. Connect with your coworkers and get the latest news, photos and company announcements. Your participation is welcome, so spread the word and join the conversation.
Aurora’s Facebook page
showcases: Events • State conventions & conferences • National conventions & conferences • Aurora training events Photos • Conventions & conferences • Company events & happenings Articles & Announcements • The Aurora community • Aurora partners & programs • Aurora news articles • Company announcements and newsletters Videos • Production & manufacturing demos
“LIKE” Aurora on Facebook Search “Aurora Casket Company” on Facebook and click the “LIKE” button at the top of the page. Get instant access to the latest news and happenings at Aurora, and join the discussion!
THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 12
AURORA
IN THE NEWS: AURORA SAYS ITS New Cremation System is Paying Dividends
To avoid employee waits, Aurora Casket’s doctor is in
By: Tom Parmalee, September 13, 2010
By: James Ritchie, October 22, 2010
Aurora Casket Co. rolled out its new Journey Cremation
Aurora Casket Co. officials wanted to make sure employees
System to educate families about cremation choices about
in rural southeast Indiana had quick and convenient access
a year ago, and so far, the company says the funeral homes
to primary health care. So, they contracted for their own
using it are pretty happy.
company doctor.
The system offers funeral homes free, personalized brochures
“In this area, you can’t always get in to see a doctor the
that present packages that coincide with a funeral home’s
same day you call,” said Tom Heintz, chief financial officer. “If
offerings, according to Marty Strohofer, director of marketing
you fall ill on the weekend and then can’t see a doctor until
for Aurora.
Wednesday, you could end up missing several days of work.”
Strohofer says that when Aurora looked at the challenges that
So Aurora enlisted St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Northern
its consumers were facing, it found that cremation ranked at
Kentucky to open the Aurora Primary Care Center in
the top of the list. Funeral homes would say that they were
downtown Aurora, about five minutes from the casket
trying to educate families about different choices, but a closer
manufacturer’s headquarters…
examination found that there was no uniform method…
[Full article available online at bizjournals.com/cincinnati]
[Full article available online at www.funeralserviceinsider.com]
Casket business far from dead By: Jon Newberry, September 27, 2010 Bill “Bax” Backman is the son of a son of a casket maker who founded Aurora Casket Co. 120 years ago. He followed in his father’s footsteps as president of the company, which is still family-owned, and has seen tremendous changes in the past 35 years. “We are literally reinventing ourselves on a daily basis to stay ahead of the trends,” he said. One big change is the increased preference for cremation over traditional burials. That’s a trend Aurora has embraced as a way to continually improve its service to family-owned funeral homes, he said. It now makes a separate line of products, from caskets to urns, specifically for cremations. The bulk of Aurora’s caskets are made in the United States… [Full article available online at bizjournals.com/cincinnati]
THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 13
ACCO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Aurora Casket Company, Inc. awards one renewable scholarship each year in the amount of $3,000 per year to an eligible employee’s child.
To obtain an Aurora Casket Company Scholarship application or renewal, contact Andi Bushman at extension 5605.
Scholarship applications must be sent to Andi Bushman by April 30 (by hand delivery or postmarked no later than April 30). This scholarship will be presented at the student’s awards ceremony if possible. Renewal applications must be received by May 10. Applicants must meet the following requirements to apply for a scholarship through the ACCO Scholarship Program. You can only apply if you meet ALL of the general eligibility requirements.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: • The scholarship applicant must be the child of an Aurora Casket Company, Inc. employee. The student’s mother, father or legal guardian must be a current employee at Aurora Casket Company, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries at the time of application with at least one year of continuous service by the application deadline. The employee must be one of the following: (1) an hourly paid employee, (2) a non-exempt office employee or (3) a truck driver paid on a mileage basis. • The applicant must be a graduating high school senior in the upper one-third of the graduating class. • The applicant must fulfill the qualifications established by the school to which he/she intends to enroll. The applicant must be planning to enroll in a 4- or 5- year college program at an accredited institution. Vocational schools or junior colleges are not to be considered. Full-time student status must be maintained. The student’s mother, father or legal guardian must remain a full-time employee of Aurora during the school year for which the scholarship is awarded. • The applicant must make written application and complete the forms provided by the Company. The applicant must also furnish complete high school transcripts showing all grades for the four year period, except the final quarter or semester. • The Company will pay the scholarship directly to the student’s chosen institution. • The scholarship is renewable three times. To be eligible for renewal, the student must maintain full-time college status during the school year with a minimum cumulative 3.0/4.0 G.P.A. A G.P.A. less than 3.0 will be reviewed prior to renewal. In addition, the student’s mother, father or legal guardian must still be employed as a full-time employee of the Company. A renewal application must be completed and submitted by May 10.
THE AURORA REPORT | SPRING 2011 PAGE 14
PRSRT STD Cincinnati OH Permit #5780
10944 Marsh Road Aurora IN 47001 800.457.1111 www.auroracasket.com
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