NORWICH – The Wilson Funeral Home Inc. of Norwich is the first funeral home in Chenango County to meet Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) standards of the New York State Funeral Directors Association (NYSFDA), announced Frank Kerbein, NYSFDA Director of Member Relations. The funeral home was awarded “Platinum” status, the most prestigious designation.
“The ESP helps member funeral homes establish business practices that reduce waste and utility costs; improve operational systems and equipment performance; provide a safer working environment for themselves, their families and their staff,” said Kerbein. A funeral home’s designation is based on an ESP scorecard.
Part of the high score earned by the funeral home relates to its partnership with NYSEG to complete thousands of dollars in energy efficiency upgrades, and its commitment to the future upgrade or replacement of certain other equipment and materials to further enhance energy efficiency.
“After the required energy audit was completed, it was clear how new technologies can benefit us and, most importantly, the families we serve,” said Douglas Wilson, owner and president of the Wilson Funeral Home. “The energy savings we will see will allow us to continue to keep funerals competitively priced and affordable,” he said.
The ESP also supports funeral homes’ use of local contractors for ESP-related work. The funeral home met the criteria due to its ongoing practice of using local businesses and contractors to complete its building and maintenance work. “Not only will these commitments benefit the families we serve, but will continue our support of other local businesses,” Wilson said.
Another first by a Chenango County funeral home was Wilson’s decision to power the funeral home with a variety of sources generated exclusively in New York. Wilson Funeral Home Director, John Gawronski, who spearheaded this initiative, said, “We were provided power by a company based in Texas, and in the spirit of ‘buying local,’ this didn’t seem right.” The funeral home switched to a Syracuse-based company that delivers electric power generated by all kinds of sources – and all produced in New York. “Plus, the power costs less, which will also help meet efficiency goals and the needs of Norwich families,” continued Gawronski.
In addition to the cost savings associated with these efforts, the funeral home adopted the ESPs “green funeral” standards. These funerals give families an option of having a loved one buried strictly by means of biodegradable or recycled materials, such as all-wood caskets and shrouds. The nearest “green cemetery” that offers such burials is Greensprings Cemetery near Ithaca.
Wilson said that making decisions and investments to respond to consumers’ interests can be more easily initiated by a locally owned funeral home. “These initiatives were taken by Wilson Funeral Home staff here on Broad Street,” he said, “and we will continue to work to meet the needs of Norwich residents, support our community and keep funerals affordable.”
For information on the Environmental Steward Program, please visit: www.nysfda.org or www.wilsonfh.com. To view the funeral home’s energy supply choices, see: www.bluerockenergy.com. Green burial information is available at: www.naturalburial.org.
Established in 1891, the Wilson Funeral Home, 68 South Broad Street, remains Norwich’s only independent- and family-owned funeral home. Founded in 1889, and headquartered in Albany, NYSFDA represents over 900 member firms and 3,500 licensed funeral directors in New York State, and is the oldest state association of funeral directors in the United States.