Case Study

Funeral Director

Malinow & Silverman Mortuary
Randy M. Ziegler
President

The Malinow & Silverman Mortuary has been operating in Los Angeles since 1927, serving a predominantly Jewish clientele. It was family owned for many years and then purchased by Service Corporation International (SCI). Randy M. Ziegler, president, began working at Malinow & Silverman in 1988 and purchased the business in 2004. His first purchase as owner of the mortuary was the BioSeal Facility System.

Challenge

Two factors were combining to create inefficiencies and lost potential profits in Ziegler’s operations. "First," explains Ziegler, "in the Jewish tradition, we do not embalm our dead. Second, Malinow & Silverman ships 25% of our volume–both out of state and out of the country."

The shipping of unembalmed remains raises the issue of honoring Jewish Law while managing odors, which meant that, without the BioSeal Systems solution, the remains had to be shipped in the industry–standard Ziegler case (no relation). This meant that Malinow & Silverman not only had to store the bulky cases, but that the cases had to be treated as biohazardous waste and destroyed at the other end of the shipment.

There was also the significant issue of the deceased’s remains being handled by non–Jews during transport as well as being disturbed by the receiving funeral home as they were removed from the Ziegler case and transferred to their final casket.

In addition to the worry about potentially disrespectful handling of their loved one’s remains, the deceased’s family faced the financial burden of having to purchase the Ziegler case from Malinow & Silverman and then a casket from the mortuary or funeral home at the final destination.

Overall, it was an inefficient, costly shipping and handling process.

However, Ziegler had seen the BioSeal Systems technology at trade shows and read about it in trade publications. “I wanted to get the BioSeal System as soon as possible,” he says. "I knew it was going to help us better serve our customers." And it did.

Solution

With the BioSeal Facility System, Malinow & Silverman is now able to provide a secure container for unembalmed remains that completely contains odors and is flexible and lightweight enough that it can be shipped within a proper casket. “This has eliminated all of the problems we had when our only option was a Ziegler case,” says Ziegler. They no longer have to stock the bulky metal cases nor worry about offensive odors. “Most importantly,” says Ziegler, “once the rituals are performed over the deceased and he or she is sealed in the BioSeal Systems container and laid to rest in the casket, now the families can take comfort in knowing that their loved one’s remains will not be disturbed.”

In addition, since the BioSeal Systems container can fit into a traditional casket, Malinow & Silverman now has the opportunity to sell the families the caskets, rather than losing those potential sales to the funeral homes that were receiving the remains under the Ziegler case scenario. And since 25% of its volume is shipped elsewhere, that has been significant opportunity for increased profit.

"Our investment in the BioSeal System technology has paid for itself many times over, in both measurable profits as well as immeasurable customer satisfaction and peace of mind," says Ziegler.

The BioSeal Facility System has also proved to be a worthwhile investment for Malinow & Silverman in applications beyond the shipping of unembalmed remains. "The BioSeal System has really improved working conditions for us in terms of its performance and portability," says Ziegler. He specifically appreciates the ease of use of the wheeled dispenser and the quick heat sealing of the material–a vast change from the old world of the bulky, unwieldy Ziegler cases.

Ziegler also cites other instances where the BioSeal System technology has improved their operations. "When we have a body that is in a state of advanced decomposition or has been burned, once it is sealed in the BioSeal Systems container, the foul odors disappear. It’s truly amazing and makes a huge difference in the working environment for our practitioners."

He also appreciates the versatility of the BioSeal Systems material when it comes to handling the remains of larger–than–average people. By simply heat sealing one length of BioSeal Systems material to another, they are able to manufacture–onsite–a custom–sized container to accommodate remains of any size, even those of the morbidly obese.

"I’ve been in this business for over 25 years and, in my opinion, the BioSeal Systems solution is one of the most important innovations we’ve seen in this industry,” says Ziegler. “This technology has been a boon for my business and a blessing for my customers."