As Northern Casket celebrates their 100th anniversary this year, a new chapter for the company has begun. The Lindsay-based company recently announced it has been acquired by Southwest Crematoriums Ltd., an Ontario-based group of 82 independent funeral homes.

Caley Ferguson, director of manufacturing, first approached Southwest two years ago to sell them some cremation products. “As we started into the conversation, it became apparent that there was a bigger opportunity than simply a customer supplier relationship.”

Northern Casket has been approached throughout the years by other competitors who wanted to purchase them. However, those competitors would have production shut down in Lindsay.

“The idea of selling to a competitor and putting 100 people out of work in Lindsay? I was not willing to let that be my legacy as a fourth-generation family run business owner,” Ferguson said.

“What Southwest offers is the exact opposite. They offer huge growth potential, including employees. We’re in the middle of hiring 40 more employees right now,” Ferguson said.

He predicts that in the next 12 months Northern Casket will be 40 per cent busier than they currently are. Of the 82 funeral homes that make up the shareholders of Southwest, only 30 per cent are currently Northern Casket clients. “The shareholders, since they own us now, are going to support and purchase those products from Northern Casket.”

Now, they are preparing for their production demand to increase.

It was important to the company to find a partner that shared their commitment to Canadian manufacturing and could help Northern grow. Ferguson said Southwest brings significant scale and strong relationships across the funeral profession.

“We wouldn’t have gone through with this acquisition if the ownership group and the senior management team at Southwest weren’t like-minded. It means a lot to them for product quality and customer service,” Ferguson said.

Both Ferguson, and his brother Chris, will remain with the company, and manufacturing and operations will continue without any interruptions.

Ferguson said he hopes customers know the company is still committed to delivering quality products, and Northern Casket will continue to uphold their commitment to serving the funeral service industry. “It’s going to be a bit of a learning curve, but we are very confident that this was the right decision.”