SIC 3995 Burial Caskets

Contenidos

• NAICS CODE(S).
• INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT.
• ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE.
• BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT.
• CURRENT CONDITIONS.
• INDUSTRY LEADERS.
• FURTHER READING.

SIC 3995

This industry includes companies primarily engaged in manufacturing burial caskets, vaults, and cases, including shipping cases, of wood, metal, fiberglass, or other material except concrete.

NAICS CODE(S)

339995

Burial Casket Manufacturing

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

High overhead and limited market potential have limited the number of participants in this industry. The complete set of dies necessary to manufacture a metal casket shell is estimated to cost as much as $1 million, not including the cost of the stamping machines in which the dies are used. The U.S. Census Bureau reported 160 companies in this industry in the early 2000s.

There were only a few companies producing all of the necessary components for metal caskets. According to the Casket & Funeral Supply Association of America (CFSA) in 2003, of the more than 30 companies that assemble metal caskets, 90 percent are produced by around a dozen companies. Hardwood casket manufacturing is believed to be limited to another dozen companies, with the manufacturing of both metal and hardwood caskets being limited to a very small number of companies as well. 70 percent of all caskets produced are produced by the top three companies in the industry.

Industry shipments in 2003 were valued at $977 million, down from $1.2 million in 2002. Metal caskets comprised about two-thirds of the total dollar value of caskets shipped, with wood and alternative materials such as fiberglass, cardboard, and composite materials making up the other one-third.

ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE

Caskets are generally made of two types of material, wood and metal. Wooden caskets are available in both soft and hardwood. Because they do not generally have a sealing mechanism, wooden caskets are known as nonprotective caskets. Non-protective caskets are not designed to prevent the entrance of air or moisture. Metal caskets are available in carbon steel, copper, bronze, and stainless steel. Carbon steel caskets are available in different gauges, ranging from 20 gauge (the thinnest) to 16 gauge (the thickest). Bronze and copper caskets are available in 32 and 48 ounces of material per square foot. The majority of metal caskets are protective caskets, meaning that they use some type of sealing mechanism, usually a natural rubber gasket, to...