An Interview with Laurens Fish
Laurens Fish sold his Austin, Texas firm, Weed-Corley-Fish, to SCI in March of 2017. Weed-Corley-Fish serves their client families in Austin across four traditional funeral homes. We sat down with Laurens to discuss his experience and provide advice to others, who may be considering a sale.
How did you come to a decision to pursue a sale?
As our family evaluated our future, one of the critical questions we faced was: did we want to grow our business to the next level on our own, or pursue a succession plan by partnering with another company? Our largest location was leased and we were going to have to relocate it in the next five to ten years, which was an opportunity, but also a financial commitment. The more I thought about the next chapter of my career, frankly, I missed the day-to-day aspect of helping families. We felt like when we looked at the future of funeral service, the benefits of being part of a larger organization were best suited to take Weed-Corley-Fish to the next level. Additionally, I thought it would allow me to spend more time serving families and being active in the community, which are things I really enjoy.
What led you to select SCI for your sale?
SCI already had really well run firms in the area that provided great service. This made them the natural suitor. We did speak to a few other smaller corporations, but did not think they could provide the same support as SCI. In hindsight, I can give an example of the benefits of SCI pertaining to our leased location. SCI’s real estate team has already located and purchased a piece of real estate to move our leased location to a new and more modern facility. This was a large financial commitment to the Weed-Corley-Fish brand, and it makes me happy to know the future of our family’s heritage is secure.
What was your experience working with SCI on the sale?
The experience was great all around. Confidentiality was never an issue. John Faulk and his team, including Steve Kramer and Michael Lehmann, were extremely professional, knowledgeable and made the process easier than I could have ever imagined. We also utilized Jake Johnson, who was a tremendous resource to me.
What has your role been since the sale?
I have stayed on full time, as I wanted to continue to work with our firm. I work closely with our market leader in Austin, Rodney Molitor, to set our strategy and promote our brands. With less of the administrative work that comes with ownership, I have also really enjoyed getting back into funeral service through helping serve our families and being more active in community organizations.
How has your team and firm adapted to the sale?
Anytime you transition from a smaller environment to a larger one, change can be difficult. The back office process changes were a challenge for our team. That said, it's great to work with a company where things work well. From our computers and IT to HR, payroll and legal support, the SCI support team is outstanding. Most importantly for me, SCI kept all of our team in place and their pay whole, and wanted to keep the culture and service the same.
What have you enjoyed most about partnering with SCI?
As I have mentioned on a few of the earlier questions, I have enjoyed getting back to work in funeral service, helping families, and being involved in the community. I have a lot less stress and worry in my life knowing our business is taken care of.
What advice would you have for others considering a sale?
I would encourage people to analyze what they do on a day-to-day basis and try to understand how could things change with a sale. Could a sale refocus you on certain areas of your life and remove stresses? I personally have been re-energized by the possibilities ahead and being part of a company that is making a commitment to the future of funeral service.
How did you come to a decision to pursue a sale?
As our family evaluated our future, one of the critical questions we faced was: did we want to grow our business to the next level on our own, or pursue a succession plan by partnering with another company? Our largest location was leased and we were going to have to relocate it in the next five to ten years, which was an opportunity, but also a financial commitment. The more I thought about the next chapter of my career, frankly, I missed the day-to-day aspect of helping families. We felt like when we looked at the future of funeral service, the benefits of being part of a larger organization were best suited to take Weed-Corley-Fish to the next level. Additionally, I thought it would allow me to spend more time serving families and being active in the community, which are things I really enjoy.
What led you to select SCI for your sale?
SCI already had really well run firms in the area that provided great service. This made them the natural suitor. We did speak to a few other smaller corporations, but did not think they could provide the same support as SCI. In hindsight, I can give an example of the benefits of SCI pertaining to our leased location. SCI’s real estate team has already located and purchased a piece of real estate to move our leased location to a new and more modern facility. This was a large financial commitment to the Weed-Corley-Fish brand, and it makes me happy to know the future of our family’s heritage is secure.
What was your experience working with SCI on the sale?
The experience was great all around. Confidentiality was never an issue. John Faulk and his team, including Steve Kramer and Michael Lehmann, were extremely professional, knowledgeable and made the process easier than I could have ever imagined. We also utilized Jake Johnson, who was a tremendous resource to me.
What has your role been since the sale?
I have stayed on full time, as I wanted to continue to work with our firm. I work closely with our market leader in Austin, Rodney Molitor, to set our strategy and promote our brands. With less of the administrative work that comes with ownership, I have also really enjoyed getting back into funeral service through helping serve our families and being more active in community organizations.
How has your team and firm adapted to the sale?
Anytime you transition from a smaller environment to a larger one, change can be difficult. The back office process changes were a challenge for our team. That said, it's great to work with a company where things work well. From our computers and IT to HR, payroll and legal support, the SCI support team is outstanding. Most importantly for me, SCI kept all of our team in place and their pay whole, and wanted to keep the culture and service the same.
What have you enjoyed most about partnering with SCI?
As I have mentioned on a few of the earlier questions, I have enjoyed getting back to work in funeral service, helping families, and being involved in the community. I have a lot less stress and worry in my life knowing our business is taken care of.
What advice would you have for others considering a sale?
I would encourage people to analyze what they do on a day-to-day basis and try to understand how could things change with a sale. Could a sale refocus you on certain areas of your life and remove stresses? I personally have been re-energized by the possibilities ahead and being part of a company that is making a commitment to the future of funeral service.
| PDF Version |
|
What we stand for
Respect Integrity Service Excellence Enduring Relationships |
|
Our purpose
Service Corporation International is dedicated to compassionately supporting families at difficult times, celebrating the significance of lives that have been lived, and preserving memories that transcend generations, with dignity and honor. Privacy Policy |