LOEWEN EXPANDING SERVICES
By Adnews Staff
Funeral giant Loewen Group of Burnaby, B.C. is expanding in the black and Jewish communities of the United States. Under a deal with the National Baptist Convention, the largest African-American religious organization in the U.S., Loewen will buy "underperforming cemeteries" from the group, improve management and facilities and have church representatives sell plots as commissioned sales staff. Loewen has also bought MHI Group, which provides funeral and cemetery services to Jewish communities in Florida and Colorado. In addition, Loewen has bought the Shipper Group of Woodbridge, New Jersey. which owns Jewish cemeteries in New York and New Jersey. Loewen has also bought the Louisiana funeral and cemetery businesses of S.I. Acquisition Associates, which S.I. acquired from Ourso Investment Corporation. Loewen currently operates 764 funeral homes and 172 cemeteries in North America and does about 90% of its business in the U.S.