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Davis-Becker Innovates as Funeral Market Changes
BOARDMAN, Ohio -- The newly opened $2 million Davis-Becker Funeral Home at 8536 Market St. stands to set the bar high for an industry with a long tradition in the Mahoning Valley, says its CEO.
"We wanted to reach out into the community to try to serve North Lima, Beaver Township, Canfield, as well as segments of Poland," says Dan Becker, whose company Becker Funeral Homes, operates Davis-Becker in Boardman, Cunningham-Becker Funeral Homes in Poland and Lowellville, and Davidson-Becker Funeral Home in Struthers.
"Everything we've done in the past, we remodeled what was there," Becker says. But two years ago, his company had the opportunity to build new, and in the process incorporated innovative designs and concepts that the market now demands.
Davis-Becker opened its new location Jan. 2, moving from its former site at 4996 Market St. About three years ago, the company acquired the Davis Funeral Home at that location and there was some consideration about remodeling that building.
But Becker realized it made more sense to develop a new, vertically integrated business in Boardman that includes a 12,000 square-foot funeral parlor, plus a dining hall, monument service and flower shop next door.
"We had the opportunity to build from scratch, and we were able to design this the way we wanted to," Becker says.
The market is changing in the Mahoning Valley, Becker says, and no longer are families as strictly bound to ethnicity as they were in the past. "As the families have changed, and ethnic groups have intermarried with other ethnic groups, they're looking for service rather than where their family has gone [for funeral services].
Moreover, the population in Mahoning County is shifting to the south, he observes, and the new location is centered in the heart of what many see as the future commercial and residential growth area.
"The market is changing, and we're trying to stay ahead and do everything state-of-the art," Becker says. Competition is also very keen, which is another reason why the new funeral home is laden with amenities many others don't have.
A large, nondenominational chapel with rows of pews was incorporated into the new home, Becker says, and is the first of its kind in the Mahoning Valley. "It gives the family the opportunity to have a church-like service if they want that."
The new funeral home includes four separate viewing rooms. Each is equipped with a projector and a large screen on which families can show DVDs reminiscent of a loved one's life, a child area that has a large television, a meeting room in which families can go over plans for the funeral and write obituaries, and an area in which floral arrangements are photographed and cataloged to keep track of those who send their condolences.
While the building includes modern amenities, it is furnished with antiques to provide a comforting balance, Becker says.
Becker also renovated a building in a plaza next door and converted the front space into a floral shop and monument showroom.
The back of the building – a former insurance office – has been renovated into a family center, where families and friends can gather after a funeral or service to a bereavement luncheon.
"It seats 100," Becker says. "We have our own caterer that we use, but people can choose who they want or bring their own."
Many of these ideas and concepts result from years of knowing the market and understanding the needs of Becker's clients, said George Farris, president of Farris Marketing, Boardman, which handles the company's marketing and advertising.
"I'm amazed how he's put together over the years his markets and customers’ preferences," Farris says. "That's how this was designed."
Farris said clients are looking first for convenience and service in the funeral industry, including innovations such a website in which out of town friends and family can post their comments.
"They can actually do live web-casting," Farris notes. "If you've got a loved one who's overseas in the service, you can show a live webcast for them."
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Friday, April 5, with an open house the following day. "So far, we're pleased with the response,” Becker says.
Copyright 2013 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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