Batesville Casket Co., Batesville Operations Batesville, Ind.
Employees: 780, union
Total square footage: 521,000
Primary product: Metal burial caskets
Start-up: 1959
Achievements: 73.1% reduction in returns as a percent of production since 2002. Excellence Achievement Award from National Safety Council for 1 million work hours without a lost work day in 2005.
At Batesville Casket Co., there is a keen awareness that the plant's production is ultimately dependent on tragedy, acknowledging in its mission statement a goal of helping families at the most difficult time of their lives as they honor someone they loved. Although Batesville Casket has a dominant position as a maker of metal and hardwood burial caskets, it is as susceptible to market forces as any other manufacturer.
For instance, a trend toward more economical funerals has seen families choosing cremation urns over traditional burials in some cases, and a preference for the lower-priced metal caskets over hardwood caskets. There's also the growing competition from foreign suppliers and their lower-priced products. On top of that, no two caskets are ever exactly alike, with numerous features and options available to Batesville Casket's 16,000 funeral director customers. The company is under a continual challenge to build non-standard products that look like standard products, points out John Harmeyer Jr., controller.
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