Events Calendar
In This Section
Can DNA tests free ex-Akron captain?
Zips' Porter creates culture of success
Health reform passes hurdle in Senate
Lawyers compare four cases to Prade's
Visiting new Navy ship brings back memories for Doylestown man serves on USS New York in 1930s
Green High senior goes extra mile for those who walk and jog the park trails
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Victim of beating in Kent last week is declared dead at Akron hospital
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
Browns' roster nearly devoid of consistent players
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Hitchens leads Zips in second-half comeback
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 47-13
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Four area football teams play tonight
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (69) The Brookings Institute Study on "Bending the Curve" – Four General Strategies
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Adams Mason's new cremator cuts process to 2 hours. Manufactured in Medina, it is environmentally friendlier
By Marilyn Miller
Beacon Journal business writer
Published on Saturday, Mar 08, 2008
New technology is giving families in need of funeral services more reason to consider cremation, says the director of the Adams Mason Funeral Home and Crematory in Akron.
''Family members are able to say goodbye and view their loved one before the crematory process begins and are able to stay in the same room with them until the process is completed,'' said Scott Mason.
''This allows private time with the loved one and time for closure.''
Adams Mason's new cremator, purchased in October for $250,000, is being called the first of its kind in North America. It was made by Facultatieve Technologies and manufactured in Medina, the U.S. headquarters for the Holland company.
It is said to be more fuel-efficient, more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
''It cost a third less to operate,'' Mason said, noting that he is able to pass on savings to his clients.
Industrywide, traditional funerals average about $6,000 in expenses and cremations, about $3,000. Mason said a funeral and cremation at Adams Mason is less than $3,500 and a simple cremation, less than $1,200.
''The simple goodbye service is more for those who want a private moment and not a brass band,'' he said.
Mason said his company tries to keep family wishes in mind so that cremation is respectful and priced for anyone.
''We thought we had the state-of-the art machines, which were purchased in 2003, but then I learned about this equipment at a convention for the Cremation Association of North America,'' he said.
The process has been shortened from six to seven hours to about two hours. Cremation itself takes 70 to 75 minutes, but there are preheating and cooling periods.
The cremator weighs 30 tons, is 12 to 13 feet long and 9 feet wide. ''It can accommodate large people, up to 1,000 pounds, so the person still is handled in a respectful and safe manner,'' he said.
Mason said the funeral home uses a cherry or oak wood casket for a funeral or memorial service and the casket has a lining between it and a box used for the cremation.
According to state guidelines, the only container needed to cremate is a simple cardboard box, but Mason has the manufacturing rights for a container made out of recyclables and said it is a more dignified approach.
There are options if the family doesn't want to wait in the same room. The family can gather to reminisce, have a meal, view a video or watch the outside of the cremation process.
The family can also go home with the ashes of the deceased, something that wasn't possible before because of the lengthy process. The funeral home had to wait until the next day to deliver the ashes to a family.
Mason said 90 percent of the funeral home's business is cremations. The funeral home had 660 cremations last year and anticipates up to 1,000 this year.
Tom Snyder, vice president of sales and marketing for Facultatieve Technologies, said there are only 12 such machines in operation in the United States so far — in Ohio, California and North Carolina.
He said the machine has three sizes, ranging in price from $80,000 to $150,000.
''This is not a fad. Many countries with high populations are choosing cremations, and the United States is moving more toward that trend,'' Snyder said. ''Cremation continues to grow in every market.''
Snyder said Facultatieve Technologies is a world leader in design, construction and maintenance of cremators and incinerator equipment.
There are two chambers in the machine, which operate at different temperatures. Snyder said the primary chamber is where the body is contained and the cremation takes place. The secondary chamber is where the gases are able to combust.
He said Mason asked for additional features on the cremator manufactured for his company, far beyond industry expectations.
''He is to be commended for his vision in creating an environment of trust and confidence. I have traveled all over the world and this is the exception more than the rule,'' Snyder said. ''The cremator is not located in an industrial setting. There is nothing secluded or sequestered about it. He keeps the facility open to the public.''
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or 800-777-7232 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.
New technology is giving families in need of funeral services more reason to consider cremation, says the director of the Adams Mason Funeral Home and Crematory in Akron.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
