Purchase broadens the company’s footprint in Virginia and Washington D.C. metro
Orlando, FL – December 5, 2019 – Foundation Partners Group, a leading provider of innovative funeral and cemetery experiences and products, has announced the acquisition of Advent Funeral and Cremation Services in Falls Church, VA, and Lanham, MD; Rapp Funeral Service in Silver Spring, MD; and Chesapeake Crematory in Beltsville, MD. This purchase expands Foundation Partners’ portfolio of brands into Maryland – its 20th state.
“We are excited to add such innovative and forward-thinking brands to our family,” stated Bob Bukala, Foundation Partners Group President and CEO. “Melanie and Jeff Dunaway built an exceptional group of operations that align perfectly with our values and the needs of their community. We are very proud to welcome Advent, Rapp, and Chesapeake into the Foundation Partners family and look forward to growing their brands.”
In 1993, Melanie Wilhelm Dunaway, Advent’s founder and third-generation funeral director, developed the concept for a new type of funeral operation that would provide caring, responsive service with straightforward advice and customized memorial services. In 1995, Advent expanded to Falls Church, Virginia, and in 2013, added its suburban Maryland location in Lanham.
From the beginning, Advent’s mission has been focused on providing options that allowed families to honor their loved ones in ways that are personalized to their needs. Advent specializes in offering the simpler, more individualized life celebrations preferred by families today — whether cremation or burial. In recent years, the company purchased Rapp Funeral Service and Chesapeake Crematory, while at the same time expanding into other funeral businesses including an online solution for direct cremation and pet cremation services.
"Recently, I determined that I had taken Advent as far as I could and it was time to find someone to take the brand to the next level,” commented Melanie Wilhelm Dunaway. “After making contact with Foundation Partners Group, I quickly realized that they are at the forefront of where funeral service is heading. I am sure that I have chosen the right partner to help take our businesses to the next level.”
“It is the strategy of Foundation Partners Group to partner with the preeminent independent operators in the funeral profession,” stated Erin Whitaker, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Foundation Partners. “Advent has built a unique and successful enterprise and we look forward to our partnership as they continue to serve families in and around our nation’s capital.”
About Foundation Partners Group: Foundation Partners Group is a leading provider of innovative funeral and cemetery experiences and products. As one of the largest privately-owned funeral and cemetery operators, Foundation Partners owns and operates funeral homes, cremation centers and cemeteries in 20 states and is actively seeking to expand its presence throughout the U.S. With headquarters in Orlando, Florida, Foundation Partners is committed to revolutionizing the funeral profession through its innovative ShareLife® customer-experience-centered approach and harnessing the power of relationship and partnership. For more information, visit the Foundation Partners Group website at www.foundationpartners.com.
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