| Cardinal Casket Company, Inc.
was formed in May of 1994 with the purchase
of Alday Casket Company. Alday Casket Company
had been operating in central Florida since
1973 and serving the local Orlando market.
In late 1993, Alday Casket Company was on
the market to be sold. William E. (Manny)
Adams and James R. Cardinal, owners of 2 funeral
homes, purchased Alday Casket Company. The
name was quickly changed to Cardinal Casket
Company, Inc., to put new life into the casket
company as expansion was on the horizon.
During the early years, Cardinal Casket
Company operated
in a 5,200 sq. ft. facility and had a customer
base of 14 funeral homes. Word spread quickly
of the new, independent, locally owned,
casket manufacturing company, and Cardinal
Casket quickly expanded into a 12,000 sq.
ft. manufacturing plant in downtown Orlando.
Growth continued throughout 1995 and the
customer base quickly expanded to more than
65 funeral homes, with markets throughout
North & Central Florida, including Tampa,
Gainesville, & Jacksonville. During
1996-1997, Cardinal Casket Company expanded
to more than 90 funeral homes, and 2 casket
distributors in the South Florida area.
The manufacturing facility expanded again
to keep up with the growth, and by the end
of 1997, was totaling 17,500 sq. ft., with
8 full time employees.
Funeral homes in the South Florida area
were urging Cardinal Casket Company to expand
into the Southern Florida area, and in late
1998, Cardinal Casket Company completed
its purchase of Sun Casket of Florida. Sun
Casket of Florida, which had operated from
a 1,500 sq. ft building in Hallandale Beach,
FL, had been a casket supplier to a few
funeral homes in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
area, but with the name change to Cardinal
Casket Sales, Inc., a division of Cardinal
Casket Company, Inc., the operation tripled.
In late 1999, Cardinal Casket Sales relocated,
with the purchase of a 10,000 sq. ft. building.
The increased building size allowed to better
maintain inventory for supplying the growing
demand.
Today, because of Corporate Funeral Home
contracts with other casket suppliers, Cardinal
Casket Company has completely refocused
its operation in Orlando Florida, strategically
servicing more than 145 Independent Funeral
Homes throughout the Central and North Florida
regions. In addition, Cardinal Casket Company
still services the Caribbean Basin via Florida's
extensive deep water ports.
Cardinal Casket Company, Inc. is an affiliate
member of the Independent Funeral Directors
of Florida, IFDF, and a preferred supplier
as a member of Florida Independent Purchasing
Alliance, FIPA. Cardinal Casket Company
is also a member of the Florida Morticians
Association, FMA. In addition, Cardinal
Casket Company, Inc. is also a member of
the Casket & Funeral Supply Association
of America, Inc., CFSA.
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