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NEWS |
Custom Mausoleum Engineer/Manufacture/Install – Portland, OR May 20, 2010
“KMI did a really nice job on our recent niche installation. Their unique system and custom designed niche sizes allowed us to put niches in our indoor mausoleum where most other systems would not have worked. We really like the single door per niche, the clean look of the interior, and the ease of opening the niches. The installation process was fast, clean and painless. Thanks KMI!” Tim Corbett See the complete Interior Mausoleum Project here
New Columbarium installed – Spokane, WA April 19, 2010
“This columbarium has been a beautiful, timely addition to Holy Cross Cemetery. Sales have been brisk in the first month. KMI developed a feature that blended into the natural setting of our mausoleum entrance. We are very pleased with the quality, style and cost of this columbarium.” Jim
Falkner
Sales booklet now available Jan 26, 2010 KMI Columbaria has released their comprehensive 21-page Sales Booklet in PDF format. Please email KMI Columbaria Inc. to request your copy.
Glass Front Niches featured Jan 26, 2010 KMI Columbaria Inc. adds a new web page featuring glass front niches.
Full Steam Ahead – over 22,000 niches installed since 1999 Jan 5, 2010 The current and anticipated demand for their patented aluminum columbaria system encouraged the ownership team at KMI Columbaria Inc. to advance their industry leading system by developing dedicated CNC robotics manufacturing in 2009. This, combined with their engineered “specific design/build/install” business model for columbarium they sell, has positioned KMI Columbaria Inc. to continue to provide quality, innovative, cost effective solutions that last “indefinitely”. The KMI Columbaria team are well positioned to provide “answers’ to those seeking “Enduring Quality for Peace of Mind” to meet consumer demand. The Cremation Association of North America website advises cremation rates near 2,000,000/year by 2025. The CANA website further advises that as much as 60% of cremated remains are not being placed in a suitable location for final interment. Their recently retooled Website – www.kmicolumbaria.com – confirms that increasing rates in cremation will continue to create revenue opportunities, for many years to come Columbarium niches provide many families with the answer they are looking for in regards to the dignified storage and memorialization of their loved ones. The KMI Website clearly illustrates that a columbarium should be attractive, durable, maintenance free, secure, cost effective and wherever possible, use land deemed to be unsuitable for traditional burial. KMI Columbaria is focused on delivering exceptionally high quality engineered product to meet the needs of you and the families you serve. After a decade in business, we are extremely pleased to now be going back and installing second and third columbarium for our valued customers who are now our friends” says Derek Maher, Owner-Operations KMI Columbaria Inc. “KMI Columbaria builds the best columbarium on the market,” says Maher. “We are unique because we can do any size or shape for our clients. One of our catchphrases is ‘Making Concepts a Reality’ so we really work with our clients to see what they envision and work towards meeting their long term needs. We don’t come to them with a catalogue and tell them to pick one…. That is really one of our strengths – we can do a custom project but not at a custom price. We provide the best quality columbarium on the market that is totally maintenance free.” “I actually receive calls from “decision makers” seeking the “cheapest price” and they are surprised when I tell them they if they are buying on price alone, we are wasting each other’s time.” says Mark Fynn, President KMI Columbaria Inc. “We also receive calls from individuals who have spent limitless time researching columbarium and call to tell me they have determined that KMI Columbaria Inc. has the best system available. Sadly, we have had the experience of working with a customer who had the immeasurable pain of having to replace a columbarium which had actually fallen apart in less than a 30-year time span. Not only did this customer experience the pain of physically, and financially, replacing this “then best price” product; they also had to go through the logistical headaches and heartaches for themselves, and the families they serve, of getting permission to move urns from the niche the family bought and paid for trusting that their long term interests were/had actually been looked after. DO IT ONCE, DO IT RIGHT with KMI Columbaria - is a catch phrase that “fits” the way we do business. Together, it’s our job to provide “Enduring Quality for Peace of Mind” to the families you serve for the dignified storage and memorialization of cremated remains.
“Satisfied and extremely pleased with the quality and workmanship… of the columbariums KMI Columbaria provided for our most recent cemetery expansion is an understatement. We purchased 8 columbariums from KMI, they delivered and erected all of them on time. These structures are the centre piece of the three new sections in St. Patrick Cemetery, Bay City, Michigan and are basically selling themselves. We are very pleased and intend to purchase more columbaria from KMI as our needs warrant.” Ken Groya, Director
“KMI lived up to their promises, the installation went smoothly and we are happy with the finished product.” Robert E. Lindquist
“Thanks again for a job well done at an affordable price." Dave Welsh
Read complete article (PDF 468K)
Cemetery responds to family needs with Installation of columbarium When the fourth-largest open-space cemetery in New Jersey planned to add a columbarium, the project became an international endeavour. St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum, in Lakewood, New Jersey, recognized that the increasing rate of cremation influenced their growth strategy. Their search for a company to design and install a columbarium, providing 356 niches, led them to KMI Columbaria in Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada. KMI Columbaria was selected for its innovative engineered technology and its patented system. Aluminum niches with granite exteriors ensure an element-free structure and significantly more niche space than with conventional construction. KMI’s process of assembling and installing on-site ensures maximum customization and minimized opportunity for damage. Having no concealed hardware, the niches are accessible despite the icy New Jersey winters. Although St. Mary of the Lake turned to KMI for its technical expertise, they found the working relationship to be just as impressive. “The ease of working with KMI Columbaria was nearly unheard of,” notes Erik Gross, the director of St. Mary of the Lake. “Everyone created for us a rare experience: they were always knowledgeable, efficient and pleasant.” The design of the columbarium, in the shape of a cross, is both attractive and created to accommodate expansion. Plans allow for two additional cross-shaped columbaria, for a tableau that represents the crucifixion. St. Mary of the Lake commissioned the installation to accommodate the needs of its families. Before the final design was completed, seven of the niches had been reserved and even more since the completion. St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum is a parish cemetery serving the Catholic population and their families in Lakewood, New Jersey, for more than 100 years. It is the fourth-largest open-space cemetery in the state. KMI is the leading manufacturer of Columbaria throughout North America, providing full service to cemeteries, funeral homes and church organizations from design to installation.
Designs and installations by KMI Columbaria provide increased capacity to manage growing rate of cremation Montreal, Quebec – August 1, 2008 – The recent installation at Rideau Memorial Gardens of two custom-designed columbaria, with a combined 498 niches, signifies the considerable increase in the rate of cremation. It also reflects the commitment of KMI Columbaria to provide state-of-the-technology designs and installations so that cemeteries like Rideau can better accommodate the preferences of the families they compassionately serve. Rideau Memorial Gardens’ columbaria, one commemorating The Last Supper and the other featuring The Good Shepherd, provide both increased capacity and long-term sustainability because of KMI’s unique features:
“Our new columbaria replace two 30-year-old concrete structures that were difficult to maintain due to concrete breakdown,” explains Timothy Hingley, property manager at Rideau. A residual problem occurred. “Shifting concrete caused irregular niche sizes.” The new structures are both low-maintenance and house niches of stable, equal size. Rideau’s parent company, with 42 cemeteries and nearly 100 funeral homes, did a thorough search before selecting KMI Columbaria. “KMI was accommodating in all ways,” notes Hingley. “Installers were knowledgeable, work was scheduled with our convenience in mind, timelines were always met and personnel were accessible and often on site.” Rideau Memorial Gardens, established in 1954, is a non-denominational facility with on-site funeral home, crematorium and mausoleum on the western island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. KMI is the leading manufacturer of Columbaria throughout North America, providing full service to cemeteries, funeral homes and church organizations from design to installation.
Expanded ownership accommodates growing demand at KMI Columbaria A growing demand throughout the U.S. and Canada for their patented columbaria system caused KMI Columbaria owners Harry and Sonia Stienwand to turn a strategic eye to their business. Ironically, the increased demand was coming at a time when they were looking to decrease their day-to-day involvement in the company they had nurtured and grown. The solution was straightforward: their expanding business would benefit from new and expanded ownership. Within sixty days of meeting with the Stienwands, a new ownership team was in place. On October 31, 2008, Mark and Wendy Fynn and Allan Diemert joined the ownership and management team at KMI along with KMI general manager Derek Maher. They bring to the company skills and experience in a variety of strategic areas, including real estate, advertising and financial services, complementing Maher’s ongoing contribution as a fourth-generation funeral director. Company founder Harry Stienwand, referred to as the “Ambassador,” retains a minority interest in KMI and is under contract to provide stewardship during the transition. The team is enthusiastic about the growth opportunities for KMI and each is immersed in their roles. “When Harry told us initially that his was the best columbaria system in North American, we all agreed,” comments Mark Fynn, President. “Since the acquisition I have traveled, on average, 10,000 miles per month and have personally had the pleasure of hearing firsthand from customers that indeed KMI is the best system marketed in North America.” While the new owners have innovative ideas for the growth of KMI, they are firm about maintaining the quality of products and service established by the previous owners. “Quality, integrity and innovation are the hallmarks of KMI,” notes Fynn. “We pride ourselves in being able to conceptualize and deliver projects that no one else can offer, as well as providing comprehensive answers for every columbaria need.” Most members of the new ownership group have a role
in the sales function. In addition, their responsibilities and titles
include: |
| 25,000+
Columbaria Niches installed by KMI Columbaria Inc. since 1999 |
E-MAIL KMI or call toll free 1.866.562.4744 |
