“You always have to pivot in business. We have to be willing to evolve and change with what people want and need or we’ll get left behind and we wouldn’t be in business.”, Todd Walton, Owner of Walton Funeral Service, Inc.
Our CEO Trio recently went inside Welch & Cornett Funeral Home in Linton to hear from Todd and fellow Licensed Funeral Director, Susan Gill. Todd says he didn’t set out to work in the funeral business, but he took a job at Welch & Cornett when he was 15 years old and did odd jobs like washing cars. Over time, he knew he wanted to pursue funeral service as a career. Todd went to college to become a licensed funeral director. Today, he and his wife, Cindy, own and operate three funeral homes in Linton, Worthington, and Spencer. They offer a variety of services including funerals, burials, cremation, grief dogs, and more. Todd and Susan gave CEO students an extensive tour of the Linton location, explaining their services and also sharing some history of the building. Todd and Susan explained that the funeral industry is a tough business, but they say the job of helping others through the most difficult time is rewarding. Todd talked about how the work-day is never really done— an unpredictable schedule is part of the business. Todd says he often comes in early, stays late, and works on off-days to catch up on paperwork and plan ahead. Todd says he tries hard to plan about 10 years out— this helps with budgeting and the ever-changing funeral industry. Todd and Susan talked about continuing education including attending advanced restorative art conferences. There are currently 5 Licensed Funeral Directors employed at Walton Funeral Service, Inc. Students asked about cremation, the biggest challenge of the job, how Covid changed the industry, and staffing. Todd says, “When we hire, we look for people who are positive. One negative person can make the whole organization negative. We want upbeat and positive people. In any business, you want to create a culture. We make sure all of our people care and put families first.”
Thank you, Todd and Susan, for the insightful and very informative business visit!
News
22Feb