By Thomas A. Parmalee
When you talk with Rone Luczynski, it’s immediately clear that he brings a creative perspective to deathcare.
His career didn’t begin in cemeteries, crematories, or funeral homes — it began in the retail world, where he spent years doggedly reengineering Fortune 500 supply chains. That experience eventually led him to Service Corporation International, where he and his team helped rebuild and centralize the company’s procurement systems during a critical phase of its growth.
“I joined SCI at a time when they were moving from restructuring into a growth mode,” Luczynski recalled. “SCI did a strategic assessment, and I was hired to redesign the supply chain.”
The scope of his role was enormous. At SCI, he oversaw about 90% of the company’s total spend, from caskets and urns to facilities maintenance, the vehicle fleet, vaults, the procurement of granite and more.
When he started, SCI had over 545,000 suppliers in its database. Under his leadership, that number dropped to just 84,000, as he streamlined relationships, reduced redundancies, and drove significant efficiencies. Vault suppliers alone were consolidated from 400 down to 20; granite from 465 to just 10.
The results were striking: In his first five years at SCI, Luczynski’s team delivered $250 million in cost savings and cost avoidance — all while maintaining strong supplier relationships. “We didn’t want the Walmart model where you beat up suppliers,” he said. “We wanted partnerships.”
With that philosophy, he established enduring collaborations with major players like Batesville and others that serve the deathcare profession.
After 13 years, Luczynski left SCI on a high note. The stock price had gone from $4 when he started to $80. His reorganization of the supply chain was a small part of the success story.
Frankly, the man could easily retire, kick his bare feet up at a beach and never work again, but that’s not who he is.
He remains determined to help other deathcare operators and suppliers improve their supply chains. He’s teamed up with his wife, Lia, to focus on that mission.
The Birth of Revurbia
During the pandemic, Luczynksi’s wife earned a master’s degree in sustainability and together they decided to pivot her existing consulting firm into a strategy, supply chain, procurement/merchandising and sustainability consulting practice focused on improving both companies and the planet. They called it Revurbia — a nod to urban renewal and revitalization. The company’s logo – an elephant – was inspired by Lia’s love for the majestic animal. Luczynski serves as chief vision officer, and his wife serves as the company’s president.
“We knew we’d have some deathcare clients,” Luczynski said. “But we didn’t expect 90% of our client base to be in this industry. And of those, about 70% are suppliers.”
What Revurbia offers is more than just cost savings. It brings a data-driven, AI-enabled approach to procurement that helps companies — large and small — streamline spending, navigate tariffs, diversify sourcing and strengthen supplier partnerships.
For some clients, Revurbia has even designed merchandising systems and item hierarchies that mirror the scale and sophistication of SCI’s, enabling mid-sized firms to operate with greater efficiency.
Helping Companies Navigate Challenges
Revurbia’s expertise shines in times of disruption. Luczynski points to the lessons he learned at SCI during the pandemic as an example:
“At SCI, we never ran out of critical supplies — even body bags — because we were prepared,” he said. “We stockpiled PPE before shortages hit and even sourced products from Spain, securing body bags for New York and New Jersey when supply was critically low.”
SCI also did whatever was necessary to keep operations going, often removing everyone at a location to get tested for COVID when a colleague tested positive and bringing in an entirely new team, he said. “A cleaning company would come in and sterilize the location – it was very challenging, but the operations team was amazing in what they accomplished to serve our families,” he said.
That kind of foresight and dedication is what Revurbia now offers its clients. Whether it’s building resilient sourcing strategies to weather tariffs, helping companies move manufacturing out of China to Vietnam or India, or reviewing product portfolios to reduce costs, Revurbia focuses on both protecting margins and driving revenue.
Of course, Revurbia often gets asked how it can help companies navigate tariffs, which poses challenges for business owners.
“Some of these issues were raised in 2016, when President Trump came into office the first time,” he said. “At SCI, we asked a lot of suppliers to move from manufacturing in China to India and Vietnam.”
For instance, one very large supplier used to make all its urns in China before shifting a good chunk of production elsewhere, he said. “Others did not do that – and they are in the process of doing it now,” he said.
The “up and down” strategy surrounding tariffs, however, has made it difficult to plan ahead, he said. “A lot of it is posturing to get the best deal possible,” he observed. “Whether you agree with the tariffs or not, it they were consistent, they would be easier to manage. We recommend to companies they move production if they can.”
But regardless, there will always be a chunk of product – especially metal and plastic components – that come from China, he said. The best strategy is to manufacture product in countries where tariffs are lower than elsewhere or bring in component parts and assemble the products in the United States, so that you only get hit for a portion of the overall costs, he said.
“Also, if you can buy directly from the manufacturer instead of going through multiple middlemen and distributors, that also lowers costs,” he said.
Flexible Consulting for All Sizes
While Revurbia works with major suppliers like Matthews, Batesville, and Terrybear, it has also begun developing programs for smaller companies.
Many mid-tier and family-owned firms can’t afford traditional consulting rates, so Revurbia offers fractional programs and shared-savings models that align their fees with results, Luczynski said.
“If we don’t help them succeed, we don’t win either,” Luczynski said.
Margins in deathcare can be slim, so Revurbia makes sure its pricing stays palatable —typically when it agrees with a client on such a model, it will receive an initial fee along with a small percentage of what it saves the client.
A Free Whiteboarding Session
Revurbia offers a free in-person whiteboarding session for anyone interested in learning how to tackle supply chain and merchandising challenges.
The team travels to a client’s location (the client covers only travel costs) and spends a full day — or even two for larger firms — digging into spend data, operations and opportunities.
“We prepare a deck in advance, sign an NDA, and do a lot of research on the company,” Luczynski said. “By the end of the session, we can lay out high-level priorities that show exactly where they can save money or generate more revenue. Then we go deeper from there.”
Looking Ahead
For Luczynski, Revurbia isn’t just a consulting business — it’s the culmination of decades of supply chain expertise, paired with a deep respect for the funeral and cemetery profession that he loves so very much.
“Funeral directors are incredible at serving families,” he said. “But supply chain and merchandising aren’t always their strengths. That’s where we come in. We make their lives easier, so they can focus on what they do best.”
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