Our History
Thacker Caskets has a rich history from being founded in 1939 to becoming the largest independent, family-owned and operated funeral supply company in the United States. Here are some of the pivotal points in our over 80 years of being in business.
1939 - Thacker Caskets Founded
Thacker Caskets was originally established in 1939 as Old Dominion Casket Company. The company was founded by Carl C. Thacker and was located on North Capitol Street in Washington, D.C. For many years, Thacker was a small funeral supply jobber serving customers in the greater Washington D.C. market.
1959 - Carl C. Thacker Met and Married Audrey Luchetti
Carl C. Thacker met and eventually married Audrey Luchetti in 1959. Audrey had previously worked at the largest casket manufacturer at the time, CSI (Casket Shells, Inc.). She worked as a bookkeeper but later joined Carl at Old Dominion upon marriage.
1960 - Carl Photographs his Entire Casket Line
Carl was an ingenious salesman and marketer. He was the first to photograph his casket product line, transfer the photos to slides and present them via projector to funeral homes in a slideshow format.
1974 - Old Dominion Casket Co. Becomes Thacker Caskets
In 1974, Carl changed the name of Old Dominion Casket Company to Thacker Caskets to reinforce his ownership of the business to his loyal funeral home customers.
1981 - Audrey and Son, CJ, Assume Ownership
In 1981, Audrey and her son, C.J. Thacker, assumed ownership and leadership of Thacker following the untimely death of Carl C. Thacker. While others may have been tempted to sell or close the business, Audrey and CJ were committed to perpetuating Carl’s dream.
1989 - New Headquarters in Clinton, Maryland
In 1989, the company had outgrown its original location in downtown Washington, D.C., and moved to a new headquarters in Clinton, Maryland which is in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.
1991 - Thacker's First Satellite Distribution Center
In 1991, Thacker opened its first satellite distribution center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This was Thacker’s first venture into expanding into new markets outside of its original geographical territory. It was the first of many expansions to come.
1995 -Thacker's First Acquisition of Spencer Casket Co. in Virginia
1995 marked Thacker’s first acquisition. Thacker purchased Spencer Casket Company in Richmond, Virginia from Easley Spencer and his family. Spencer served the Central Virginia and Tidewater markets.
1998 - Thacker Purchases Loretto Casket Company
1998 was a pivotal point in Thacker’s history as they purchased Loretto Casket Company, an independent family-owned casket manufacturer located in Loretto, Tennessee. This was Thacker’s first venture in manufacturing ensuring Thacker’s supply chain into the future.
2001 -Acquisition of Balanced Line Casket Co. in Indiana and Michigan
Thacker continued its growth path in 2001 by completing the acquisition of Balanced Line Casket Company in Cambridge City, Indiana. Balanced Line was a revered brand in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio markets.
2005 -New Manufacturing Facility in Florence, Alabama
Yet another milestone was reached in June of 2005 when the Thacker family purchased a new facility in Florence, Alabama which became the new headquarters of Thacker Casket Manufacturing. This facility has made Thacker the only company who produces both components (such as hardware, beds, stampings) as well as completes casket assembly under one roof.
2010 -Thacker Caskets Purchases Ampcor II
After vertically integrating into manufacturing, Thacker began an initiative to vertically integrate once again into component part manufacturing. In 2010, Thacker purchased Ampcor II, the leading casket handle and hardware maker which kicked off this initiative.
2011-2019 -Additional Satellite Distribution Centers
Throughout the 2010s, Thacker continued its expansion by opening additional satellite distribution centers throughout the southeastern states United States to include locations in Lexington, Kentucky, Atlanta, Georgia, Little Rock, Arkansas, and more!
2016 -Thacker Acquired Edison Casket Company in New Jersey
In 2016, Thacker was approached by Leon Kulesza, owner of Edison Casket Company, which proudly served the New Jersey and New York marketplace for over 60 years. Thacker acquired Edison Casket Company that December carrying on the legacy of two long-standing family-owned and operated businesses serving that market.
2016 -Restoring The Casket Of Emmett Till
Throughout 2016, Thacker worked with Smithsonian curators to restore the original casket of Emmett Till. Emmett Till was a young African American boy whose murder has been said to have sparked the civil rights movement. See our page on the Emmett Till casket restoration HERE.
2017 -Thacker Acquired Madison County Casket (formerly Canton Casket) in Mississippi
Just six months later in 2017, Thacker acquired Madison County Casket Company from the Sullivan and Moore families. This marked Thacker’s sixth acquisition in the casket industry. Madison County had built strong relationships with its customers in the Mississippi and Louisiana markets since 1930 and continues to be one of Thacker’s strongest markets served due to the longstanding legacy of Madison County.
2019 - Thacker Begins Stamping Metal Casket Parts
The year 2019 culminated a three-year and $3.5 million dollar investment for Thacker to begin stamping its own metal casket parts. The Thacker family decided to pursue this heavy investment in order to ensure its long-term ability to serve funeral directors and continue to grow its business.
2020 - Thacker Acquires Miller Berry and Sons
May of 2020 brought yet another acquisition under the Thacker umbrella when Thacker purchased the company that made its casket beds. Miller Berry and Sons was the leading supplier of adjustable casket bed mechanisms, bed mounting brackets, and bed mattresses for many independent casket manufacturers
2020 -New Company Headquarters in Monrovia, Maryland
Shortly after the Miller Berry acquisition, Thacker completed a five-year project of building a brand-new facility for its company headquarters. The 43,000-square-foot building was designed and built brand-new specifically for Thacker’s mixed need of housing the company’s headquarters as well as serving as its largest distribution center!
2021 - Purchase of Quality Professional Products in Michigan
In 2021, Thacker completed its acquisition of Quality Professional Products, “QPP” out of Michigan, Northern Indiana, and Western Ohio markets from the Cook family. QPP was an importer of caskets that rapidly grew the business in the markets served in the 13 short years since its inception. The QPP acquisition is the largest acquisition to date for the company.
2024 - Thacker Expands into East Texas
Thacker's continued growth allowed them the opportunity to expand into Eastern Texas. In January 2024, they opened their 17th distribution center in Tyler, Texas.