Jim is the Chief of Manufacturing Operations for Thacker Casket Manufacturing. Jim attended East Mississippi Community College and MUW. A native of Columbus, Mississippi, Jim started in the casket business as a welder for West Point Casket Company in 1989. Jim quickly "climbed the ladder" and became West Point's Plant Manager by 1995 - a position he held until 2002.
In 2002, Jim joined Thacker Casket Manufacturing, which was at the time located in Loretto, Tennessee as the Plant Manager. Jim has now been with Thacker over 10 years in the position. Jim's wife, Renee, also works at the manufacturing plant, now located in Florence, Alabama. Together, they have a son named Taylor - a "next generation" casket maker.
In his spare time, Jim enjoys hunting with his family, attending Taylor's various sporting events, church activities, and cheering on the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
John Cooper came on board in 2007 as Director of Distributor Sales for Thacker Casket Manufacturing. He came to Thacker with 15 years of proven industry expertise including a rich and varied background in metal casket manufacturing, marketing, and distribution at Astral Industries.
In November 2007, the Casket and Funeral Supply Association (CFSA) honored John by electing him to their Board of Directors where he served for three years.
John has earned an Associates degree in Business Administration from Vincennes University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Indiana University at Indianapolis. He and his family live in Fishers, Indiana. In his free time, John enjoys being with his family and playing basketball.
Tonya joined Balanced Line Casket Company in 1986. After moving her way up from order entry clerk to eventual Balance Line Office Manager, Tonya and her family moved to Florence, Alabama to become part of our manufacturing operations in 2008.
Tonya is the Purchasing Manager for our Thacker Casket Manufacturing team, handling all the purchasing duties for the plant. Tonya's husband Mike is also a part of our Thacker team as a department head.
Natives of Cambridge City, Indiana, Tonya and Mike have three boys-- all of whom are actively involved in sports. The boys' hectic schedules keep Tonya busy in her time outside of work.
Tammy is the Customer Service Manager for Thacker Casket Manufacturing. In 2001, Tammy began her career with the industry with S & M, a casket metal fabrication company located near Loretto, Tennessee.
Tammy officially joined the Thacker team in October 2005 and was soon promoted to Customer Service Manager in December 2005. Tammy handles logistics, production planning, and nearly all customer service aspects for the Thacker Manufacturing division.
Tammy and her husband, Jeff, and their two teenage daughters live in Loretto, Tennessee. Outside of work, Tammy keeps busy with her girls' activity schedules.
MIKE McKINLEY
Mike McKinley joined Thacker Casket Manufacturing as the Quality Assurance Manager in December 2015. Mike comes to Thacker with 20 years of manufacturing experience in injection molding, finishing and metalizing of casket component parts. Throughout his career, McKinley has developed and implemented several ISO and TS quality control systems.
Mike will be responsible for designing and implementing continued quality improvement programs alongside the current manufacturing team.
Greg joined the Thacker Manufacturing team in April 2006 as a Senior Production Manager. Greg is responsible for meeting daily production quotas, management of all plant department supervisors, and he also participates in the hiring of plant employees.
Greg has been married to his wife Anita for over 25 years and they have one daughter, Christy. Greg and Anita have two grandchildren, Lucas and Hannah Mae. In his spare time, Greg enjoys spending time with his family, going to Lucas' soccer games, car shows, and restoration of old cars.
James joined the Thacker Casket Manufacturing team in August 2010. James had previously been the Plant Manager for Ampcor II, one of the most well known casket handle and hardware manufacturers in the United States.
After Thacker purchased the assets of Ampcor II, James decided to join the Thacker team in Florence. James primary role is the supervisor of Thacker's second shift, but James also works as Thacker's Hardware Manufacturing Manager supervising all internal hardware manufacturing and quality control. In addition, he works with mold & die makers on new tooling and repairs, as well as with suppliers on quality and new products.
James has been married to his wife Dora for over twenty years and they have a grown daughter, Katie and a grandson Monte. James enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, and fishing.