History
Under their direction, the company grew and prospered. Ever alert to opportunity, Thacker Caskets partnered with the prestigious Marsellus Casket Company of Syracuse, NY as a valued distributor and jobber of their internationally known hardwood caskets.
By 1989, the company had outgrown their original location and relocated their headquarters and distribution center to their current home in Clinton, MD. These facilities featured expanded office space, an ample casket selection room, conference rooms, and a warehouse capable of storing over 3,000 caskets. Adjacent to Andrews Air Force Base, the company is strategically positioned near all of the area's major interstates to expedite Thacker’s signature delivery service.
Expansion continued. In 1991, the Company’s first satellite distribution center was established in Pittsburgh, PA. The success of this venture quickly spawned a second distribution center in Virginia Beach, VA in 1992. Funeral directors in an ever expanding radius were discovering the value, quality and exceptional service inherent in dealing with Thacker Caskets, Inc.
Following in his father’s pioneering spirit, CJ led an initiative in 1994 that resulted in the formation of the Independent Advantage group. During this time, the funeral industry was rocked by the actions of large corporate funeral home conglomerates. Firms like SCI, Loewen, Stewart Enterprises, etc had a voracious appetite for independent funeral homes and casket companies alike. SCI owned the York Casket Company and Amedco. Batesville Casket Company had “gone public”. Rather than sit back, CJ proactively contacted a number of casket companies similarly caught up in the quickly changing American funeral landscape. CJ even solicited his own competitors to come together to pool resources, to leverage their combined buying power, to implement joint advertising, and to share ideas as to how to best meet the challenges posed by the big corporate groups. Independent Advantage remains today a strong and viable assemblage of Independent Casket Companies working together for the common good.
In 1995, Thacker Caskets purchased the Spencer Casket Company of Richmond, VA. For more than a half century, Spencer Caskets, under the leadership of Easley Spencer, had assembled hardware and trimmed custom caskets for their customers. This was Thacker Caskets first venture into casket manufacturing. Albeit limited, this was a positive experience and the Spencer trim shop remains with us today at our Thacker Caskets Inc. Richmond Customer Service Center. Valued customers in Virginia can still enjoy hand made interiors for their special need requirements. The Richmond Center is under the capable direction of long time associate, Dennis Christian.
