Why I partnered
Q&A with Mark Krause, Krause Funeral Homes and Cremation Services
Mark Krause is a fourth-generation funeral director who has been in death care since 1976. By the time he reached his 20th year in funeral service, he had transformed the modest family business into the largest funeral provider in Wisconsin. Today, Krause Funeral Homes and Cremation Services (plus Milwaukee Cremation and Informed Choice Funeral & Cremation Alternatives) has six locations throughout the Milwaukee area that serve over 1,850 families annually. Mark is a founder and past President of the Funeral Service and Cremation Alliance of Wisconsin (FSCA), Past President of ICCFA and a nationally recognized funeral educator and speaker. In 2022, Mark partnered with Foundation Partners Group to continue serving families while he explores his next professional adventure: as Vice President of Industry Relations and Government Affairs at Foundation Partners Group.
Why was this the right time for you to sell your business?
I’m 65 now. I don’t know if I want to keep pushing as hard as I have been for the next ten years. My brother Gregg, who is Vice President, intends to retire. I want to keep working, but I’m also ready to take things like Human Resources and IT off my plate. I wanted more time to do the things I enjoy. All these factors told me it was the right time to sell.
Were you considering a family successor?
We considered my daughter and nephew as possible successors. She is a funeral director leading one of our locations and has been devoted to the business. My nephew graduated with a business degree and returned to the company just as Covid hit. After several months of twice our average call volume, he knew his future was at a smaller funeral home.
I kind of created a monster with the largest funeral provider in Wisconsin. It’s too much for one or two young people to take over such a large family business. We started talking to different companies about a succession plan that would continue our legacy and provide opportunities for younger people, like my daughter, to grow.
What qualities were you looking for in a partner?
A couple of things came into play. First, it was important that my staff was taken care of. Even with 70 or 80 staff members, we still treat the business like a family. We often buy lunch on busy days. I feel that Foundation Partners Group would continue to value the personal and professional contributions of our staff.
Second, when I met Kent Robertson, Tom Kominsky, and some other folks in Orlando, they were genuinely interested in what we were doing. They talked about their philosophy and how they liked to do things. I equated Foundation Partners’ leadership style with how the American military operates. The military runs from the middle out – from the sergeants and the people in the field who know what’s going on and can make changes to become more effective. The explanation of the Foundation Partners culture seemed like a great fit for Krause Funeral Homes. Their desire to take a premium brand funeral home and make it even better was music to my ears.
Likewise, we’ve always trusted our team to respond accordingly to families, because they are on the front lines. That’s when I knew that Foundation Partners Group would be the right choice.
What is next for you?
My new title is Vice President of Industry Relations and Government Affairs. I’m looking forward to finding new ways to move the profession forward and doing whatever I can to make Foundation Partners Group an even better place for team members and the families we serve.
Contact Us
If you’re thinking about succession planning, now is the perfect time to arrange a complementary, confidential financial analysis with Foundation Partners.
Foundation Partners Group
369 N. New York Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789
For general inquiries, please call:
Phone: (888) 788-7526
Fax: (407) 583-4735