LAMCRAFT LAUNCHES FREE ONLINE DESIGN SUITE

Lamcraft recently introduced a new online service: Lamcraft Studio. This complimentary suite of tools assists funeral directors in creating meaningful and professional memorial cards for families.

Straightforward and intuitive, Lamcraft Studio was built with busy funeral service professionals in mind. After uploading a photo of the deceased, simply enter basic information, then type or copy/paste in an obituary. Lamcraft Studio then formats this information into a polished, print-ready obituary tribute that can be trimmed and placed within any Lamcraft Premium Memorial Card. Or it can be printed directly onto a Lamcraft Micro-Perforated
Bookmark or Prayer Card.

For funeral directors who want to offer families something truly personal, Lamcraft Studio also includes an AI writing feature. If an obituary is not already available, Lamcraft Studio can write one for you. After you enter a handful of facts, such as career highlights, hobbies and personality traits, AI composes a warm, eloquent obituary that honors the individual. As a bonus, you can copy the obituary to the obituary section of your funeral home’s website, extending the memorial’s reach.

Lamcraft Studio is designed for licensed funeral professionals only. The funeral director can control every step of the process, from initial entry of the information to final presentation of the keepsake. This ensures every memorial produced reflects the high standard of care and personal attention grieving families expect and deserve. Lamcraft.com/Studio

NGL GIFTS MORE THAN $150,000 TO UNITED WAY OF DANE COUNTY

NGL announced that its corporate gift, combined with the personal pledges and donations of its employees, totaled more than $150,000, all of which it gave to United Way of Dane County’s 2025-26 campaign. United Way of Dane County engages the community, mobilizes volunteers, and strengthens local nonprofits to achieve measurable results and change lives.

“NGL supports United Way because it provides an opportunity to create meaningful impact by offering support and resources for individuals in our community to succeed and thrive,” said Joe Celentano, NGL president and CEO. “I’m proud to deepen my commitment to the Madison community as a new member of the United Way of Dane County Board of Directors. I look forward to helping guide this important work and ensure our collective efforts continue to make a lasting change in the communities we serve. I am grateful for the tremendous generosity of our employees, and excited to serve at an organization with values and vision that are so closely aligned to NGL’s.” NGLIC.com

THACKER HOLDS NATIONAL SALES MEETING, HONORS VARNUM AS TOP SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Thacker Caskets held its 2025 National Sales Meeting April 20-23 in Florence, Alabama. The event brought together the company’s sales team for education, recognition and an inside look at manufacturing operations. The annual meeting featured training presentations by Danielle Thacker, Thacker vice president of sales and marketing; Paul Graham, national sales director; and sales directors Bucky Stevens, John Copper, Craig Lahti and Tim Rahnis. There was also a special presentation by Justin Thacker, vice president of manufacturing, and Mike McKinley, plant manager.

During the meeting, Thacker recognized the outstanding achievements of its sales consultants. Erik Varnum – sales consultant for Southern
Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Western Georgia – received the company’s highest sales honor: 2025 Salesperson of the Year.

Thacker also honored several other sales consultants for their 2025 performance. Will Drew (Northern Georgia) received the 2025 Spear Award, which is presented to the runner-up to the Salesperson of the Year. Tim Rahnis, based in Monrovia, Maryland, received the 2025 Elevation Award, given for exceptional performance by an employee during their first two years with the company. Bren Miller (Southern Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana) received the Unparalleled Positivity Award for his can-do attitude and consistent ability to see the bright side.

Thacker also recognized three sales consultants for their years of dedicated service. Bob Cullen (New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania) was honored for 35 years with the company; Will Drew was recognized for 10 years of service; and David Moore (Eastern Kentucky and Southern Ohio) was honored for five years of service. ThackerCaskets.com

BAUMAN RETIRES FROM CHAMPION AFTER 45 YEARS, ICKES APPOINTED AS SPOKESPERSON

The Champion Company proudly announced the retirement of Paul Bauman, vice president and general manager. This marks the conclusion of an extraordinary 50-year career devoted to advancing Champion and the broader funeral service profession.

Bauman’s funeral service career began when he served as a director and embalmer in Toronto, Canada, and it evolved into a 45-year legacy of innovation and leadership at Champion. Throughout his tenure, he played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s strategic direction, driving growth and strengthening Champion’s reputation as a respected leader in the industry.

Under his leadership, the company expanded its business and revolutionized embalming practices worldwide. He was instrumental in developing and introducing some of the most advanced and effective product lines in the profession. He consistently delivered exceptional results while addressing the real-world needs of practitioners.

Equally significant was Bauman’s commitment to workplace safety and environmental responsibility. Long before these priorities were widely embraced, he advocated to rid traditional products of their hazardous components and replace them with safer alternatives. These advancements improved daily working conditions, reduced occupational risk, and demonstrated that performance and safety can – and should – coexist.

Beyond his technical and strategic achievements, Bauman was respected widely for his mentorship and dedication to professional education. He frequently served as a guest lecturer for embalming programs around the world. His guidance helped shape a new generation of professionals committed to excellence and responsibility.

In other news, The Champion Company appointed Kari Ickes as its official spokesperson. In this role, she will represent Champion at industry events, in media and across strategic initiatives. She will serve as a consistent, authoritative voice aligned with the company’s core values of safety, innovation and integrity.

A licensed director and embalmer with more than 30 years of experience in funeral service, Ickes holds degrees in psychology and mortuary science. She serves communities across southwest Michigan as a freelance director. Her experience – spanning operations, education and consulting – gives her insight into the evolving needs of funeral service professionals.

Thanks to her widely recognized online presence as “Kari the Mortician,” she has built a strong following by delivering practical, accessible education to both professionals and the public. Her work advances transparency, supports students and propels conversations surrounding funeral service.

Said Ickes about her new role: “I’m honored to represent The Champion Company. Champion’s commitment to innovation and integrity reflects the future of our profession, and I’m proud to help carry that forward.” TheChampionCompany.com

BATESVILLE NAMED A MOST TRUSTWORTHY COMPANY FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR, MAKES STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN ETERNEVA

For the third consecutive year, Batesville was named one of the “Most Trustworthy Companies in America” by Newsweek. Alongside other well-known national and global brand leaders, the company ranked in the top 30 of the “Consumer Goods” category.

The “Most Trustworthy Companies in America” list is based on an independent study that Newsweek conducts in partnership with Statista Inc. U.S. companies are evaluated and then ranked based on responses from residents, online mentions and company performance indicators.

“Being recognized as a trusted company is especially meaningful because it reflects the care, respect and commitment our associates bring to supporting funeral professionals and the families they serve,” said Chris Trainor, Batesville CEO. “For more than a century, Batesville has built its reputation on reliability, integrity and service, and we remain deeply committed to earning that trust every day.”

In other news, Batesville made an equity investment in Eterneva and formed a strategic partnership with the company to expand access to custom memorial diamonds. Eterneva is a pioneer in creating diamonds from the cremated remains or hair of loved ones. Each one is a keepsake that can be set into jewelry and passed down for generations.

Founded in 2017 by Adelle Archer and Garrett Ozar, Eterneva has gained national recognition for its approach to memorialization. The company even secured an investment from Mark Cuban during its appearance on Shark Tank. The Texas-based company is known for its high-touch customer experience, which guides families through every milestone of the diamond-creation process with photos, videos and personal updates.

The partnership offers a meaningful way for funeral homes to remain engaged with families after services and extend their role in the memorialization journey. Batesville will leverage its national network to bring Eterneva’s service directly to funeral homes. The program will initially launch in select markets, but there are plans to expand nationwide over time. Batesville.com

MESSENGER HONORS TOP SALES REPRESENTATIVES, PROMOTES BUCKMAN TO CHIEF SALES OFFICER

The Messenger Co. honored its top-performing sales representatives with achievement awards at the company’s National Sales Meeting in Clearwater, Florida. The President’s Club Award, which recognizes the top 10 sales representatives, was presented to Jay Amburgey, Pete Arehart, husband-and-wife team David and Pam Bednar, Jeffrey Burnett,
husband-and-wife team Terry and Deborah Cain, Steve Coker, Max Eddings, Dave Kolbe, Sherry Noble, and Glenn Vaughn.

The Vice President’s Club Award, which recognizes those who rank in the top 20, was awarded to Tom Ahlers, Meredith Feminis, Mark Hess, Shannon Hutchins, Christopher Iverson, Brad Johnson, husband-and wife team Bill and Linda Lindley, Gary Marks, Bret Welsh, and Brian Wiglesworth.

Messenger’s highest honor, Sales Representative of the Year, was awarded to Jay Amburgey for his outstanding sales performance in 2025. Amburgey has served customers across southern Indiana and select counties in Ohio and West Virginia for more than 25 years. During this time, he has built a reputation for trust, consistency and results.

The award was ceremonially passed from 2024 recipient Bret Welsh as a way to highlight the organization’s proud tradition of excellence and continuity. Both Welsh and Amburgey join an elite lineage of top-performing sales leaders, including Sales Representative of the Century Dave Kolbe.

Messenger also presented the Sales Rookie of the Year Award to Ashley Purdion in recognition of her impressive achievements and the meaningful strides she has made within her territory since joining the Arkansas team in 2023. Demonstrating a commitment to customer relationships and consistent growth, Purdion has quickly established herself as a rising leader within the organization.

In other news, Messenger Co. promoted Andy Buckman to chief sales officer. In this role, Buckman will lead the company’s sales and marketing teams across its full portfolio, which includes Messenger Stationery, Thumbies, Express Funeral Funding, CemSites and Just Digital. He will oversee growth initiatives and strengthen customer relationships for each brand.

To ensure continuity of leadership, service and strategic direction for Express Funeral Funding, Buckman will continue to serve as Express Funeral Funding president, as well.

Said Buckman about this new opportunity: “I am honored to take on this new role and continue contributing to the success of The Messenger Co. I look forward to working with our talented teams to deepen customer relationships, expand our reach and drive meaningful results for our clients.” TheMessengerCo.com

CUSTOS OFFERS DIGITAL MEMORIAL PLATFORM SPECIFICALLY FOR FUNERAL HOMES AND FAMILIES

Scott Mysogland recently launched Custos, a simple way for funeral homes to create beautiful digital memorials that families can receive before they even walk out the door. These memorials include photos, prayers, obituaries and life stories. Participating family members receive a completely free permanent digital keepsake they can share with loved ones, add to their Apple Wallet and carry forever.

Custos is the first memorial app to offer Apple Wallet passes. Just one tap creates a pass with the individual’s photo and name, dates, and a QR code that opens the full memorial. It’s the digital equivalent to handing a family member a prayer card they cannot lose.

For funeral homes, the value is clear: It’s a meaningful, modern touchpoint with the families they serve that costs them nothing to offer. The portal uses AI to create its memorials in seconds. Custos.life

PASSARE AND WEBCEMETERIES INTEGRATE TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS FOR COMBINATION FIRMS

Passare now integrates with webCemeteries, enabling combination firms to connect cemetery and funeral records in a single, unified workflow. Eliminating the need for double entry across the two platforms, the integration reduces administrative burden and allows professionals to focus on serving families.

The integration works through Passare’s public application programming interface, allowing case information entered in Passare to flow directly into webCemeteries. Cemetery and funeral professionals no longer have to reenter family information across systems, and the risk of error from manual reentry is significantly reduced.

Passare excels in funeral case management, whereas webCemeteries focuses on cemetery operations, digital mapping and public tools. Together, the integration bridges the gap between the two platforms to create a smoother experience for everyone. Passare.com; webCemeteries.com

TENDING APP RECEIVES ICCFA KIP AWARD

All Funeral Services recently announced that its app, Tending, the first nationwide service for headstone restoration and grave maintenance, received an International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association (ICCFA) Keeping It Personal (KIP) Award in the “Innovative Personalized Product” category. The award recognizes the company’s innovative approach to personalized memorial care and reinforces that technology-driven deathcare can deliver deeply personal results for families across the country.

The KIP Award program honors cemeteries, funeral homes and suppliers that go above and beyond in personalizing services and products for families. To ensure independent and unbiased evaluation, entries are judged by individuals outside the profession.

This recognition validates Tending’s commitment to delivering transparent, professional grave maintenance that lets families honor their loved ones with dignity. Tending’s modern infrastructure enables personalized service, regardless of geographic location. AllFuneral.com; Tending.app