Memorial Business Journal

Broadview, Ill. – Tony Colson resigned Oct. 1 as president and chief executive officer of Wilbert Funeral Services to become president and CEO for a new casket company that is based in Detroit called Genesis Casket Company. “The company is a subsidiary to the parent company which is Gestamp North America,” Colson said. “The company is an entirely new venture dedicated to providing caskets of world class quality and service.”

Colson served as director of sales for Batesville Casket Company from 1988-2004. He joined Wilbert in April 2008 after two years as vice president and general manager of Pella Window & Door Corporation. Colson had also been a consultant for Legacy Management Partners in 2005-06.

While the industry expects to hear more about Genesis, Dan Isard, president of The Foresight Companies, Phoenix, commented on Colson’s former company. “I think that Wilbert has the best product distribution system in the industry.  They have blended a quality product with quality installation and have built relationships with their funeral homes that are extremely valuable,” said Isard. “Unfortunately they are being squeezed equally as the casket companies are squeezed, as every time a casket is not used a vault is not used. In fact, since many caskets are rented or cremated, this puts the vault in third place (behind the service fees and caskets).

Isard added that Wilbert has successfully aligned itself with entrepreneurial regional partners, whereas many of the casket companies are distributing via employees. “They have promoted their partners to create other services (such as retort operations) and have attempted to get involved in the casket distribution,” he said. “At the same time, Batesville has moved forth to the vault business on a trial basis.”