By Thomas A. Parmalee When Dan Lodermeier joined Homesteaders Life Company in 1991, preneed was still finding its footing. Some consumers had never heard of funeral preplanning. Many funeral homes believed they didn't need a formal preneed program. Account executives carried pagers, relied on answering machines and often pulled over…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Homesteaders Life Company recently issued its 2025 annual report, celebrating its 120th anniversary and updating the deathcare profession on its strong momentum. Steve Shaffer, president, CEO and board chair, reflected on the year, writing, “In 2025, Homesteaders issued more policies than ever and paid a record…
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By Thomas A. Parmalee When Homesteaders Life Company made the bold move to join Birch Hill Equity Partners in taking Park Lawn Corp. private in 2024, it saw a transformational opportunity to double down on the funeral profession through a $250 million investment made through an affiliate, Viridian Acquisition. Now,…
Read MoreBy Thomas A. Parmalee Teresa Carlson, one of the most recognizable bankers in funeral service, has worked at The Bancorp for the past seven years, spearheading an innovative lending program with the backing of Homesteaders Life Company. A married mother of three, she would never dream of becoming a funeral…
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