Central Maryland funeral directors are weathering the current economic downturn fairly well at the moment.
“With the changes in the economy, funeral homes are not a whole lot different from a business standpoint,” says G. Douglas Stauffer, co-owner of Stauffer Funeral Home. “Operating costs and overhead are far greater than they were. … Contrary to what many people believe, the large profits simply aren’t there. You’ve got to be a good manager and provide good service to survive, and you can’t take shortcuts.” Stauffer Funeral Home has 6 facilities in the area, and recently consolidated their administrative operations in Frederick, to save money.
Stauffer and Keith Roberson of Keeney & Basford Funeral Home in Frederick both say families have not been cutting back significantly on their options, saying that many families have already made provisions for funeral costs. Still, Stauffer says prearrangements are starting to fade slightly at his business.
