DAVENPORT, IA (February 2, 2017) – Service Corporation International (SCI) announced today that it has acquired Weerts Funeral Home in Davenport, Iowa and its affiliated companies Riverbend Cremation and Quad Cities Pet Cremation located in Bettendorf, Iowa. This transaction will ensure that the highest standards for funeral and cremation services will continue at all of these businesses. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Founded in 1909, Weerts Funeral Home has served the Quad Cities region for over 100 years. David Deuth acquired the firm from Jim Weerts in 2005. Under Mr. Deuth’s leadership, Weerts Funeral Home continued to provide meaningful funeral and cremation services for thousands of Quad Cities area families. In 2012, Deuth developed the region's state-of-the-art cremation center, Riverbend Cremation.
Mr. Deuth and SCI have worked closely together to ensure a smooth transition. “They have demonstrated a commitment to the care and continuity of our excellent staff, to the continuity of our brands and their respective operations – and to the care of the community that depends upon our services. I have found SCI to be forthright, honest and fair, with a genuine commitment to the future of funeral service,” stated Mr. Deuth in an open letter to members of a regional funeral directors' association.
Stepping away from the successful businesses he helped grow and create was no easy decision. Mr. Deuth was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and will be undergoing a stem cell transplant treatment to achieve remission. “Linda and I have decided and agreed that the restoration of my health must be my singular focus and my number one priority,” says Mr. Deuth who committed to being retained by SCI in a consultative role moving forward.
SCI does not anticipate any significant changes to operations including the existing management team and staff. Additionally, SCI will continue to honor and fulfill all customers’ pre-need contracts. Bill O’Brien, SCI’s Managing Director, is pleased to welcome the Weerts Funeral Home and Riverbend Cremation Center family to SCI. “We are very excited to have the Weerts’ high-standards, tradition and team join our company, and we look forward to their continued success in the Quad Cities.”
Service Corporation International, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is North America's leading funeral and cremation service provider. Generational Equity, headquartered in Dallas, Texas selected its Iowa partner Marigold Resources, in Davenport, to lead Mr. Deuth's M&A advisory team.
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