HOUSTON, June 07, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI), North America’s largest provider of funeral and cemetery services, and its brand Dignity Memorial®, today announced a $40.9 million investment in new, upgraded and expanded facilities in cities across Texas including Dallas/Ft. Worth, El Paso, Houston, the Rio Grande Valley and Austin. These initiatives are part of the company’s ongoing commitment to the communities served by SCI and reinforce its core values of innovation and service excellence.
“These firms have been a vital part of their communities and our long range plan will enhance our properties with functional and aesthetic improvements and add jobs to these communities. Our improved facilities will allow us to provide an even higher level of service, along with the compassionate care and quality offerings our client families expect and deserve,” said John Faulk, vice president of business development at Houston-based SCI.
Texas Investment Projects
SCI Texas investment projects include:
- Dallas/Ft. Worth – Two new projects are scheduled for the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. A new development is planned for Laurel Land Memorial Park in Dallas featuring a new 21,000-square-foot funeral home. Additionally, Dignity Memorial is expanding its footprint in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area with the new 8,000-square-foot Keller Funeral Home, to be completed by the end of 2016.
- El Paso – The city of El Paso’s largest cemetery, Evergreen East, is in the development phase of a new funeral home, scheduled to be completed by late 2016. The 10,700-square-foot building will be located near the entrance of the cemetery and will make it the first SCI/Dignity Memorial property to feature both a cemetery and funeral home in El Paso. Current plans for Evergreen Cemetery, located on Alameda Avenue, include a renovation of the existing office property.
- Houston – Pat H. Foley, Forest Park Lawndale, American Heritage, Chapel of Eternal Peace, Forest Park Westheimer and Pasadena Funeral Home have recently or will undergo renovations to their facilities. In addition, parking facilities at Katy Funeral Home have been expanded.
- Rio Grande Valley – Extensive development planned for the Rio Grande Valley includes the construction of three new funeral homes and expansion of one existing location. The development of a 10,700-square-foot funeral home for Palm Valley Memorial Gardens in McAllen is currently underway and will include two chapels, a grand lobby, three arrangement rooms and business offices. Construction of a new funeral home and paved roads at Highland Memorial Park in Weslaco has just been completed while construction of a new funeral home and offices at Roselawn Memorial Park in Harlingen will be completed in 2016. Funeraria Del Angel’s Valley Memorial Gardens in Mission will be expanded to include a new 3,000-square-foot chapel and offices while Restlawn Memorial Park near Weslaco and Mont Meta Memorial Park near Cameron will feature newly paved roads.
- Austin – A facility renovation is scheduled for Cook-Walden Capital Parks Funeral Home in Austin.
These investment projects are part of SCI’s continuing commitment to provide communities with up-to-date, well-maintained facilities at its locations in Texas and around the country.
About Service Corporation International
Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is North America’s leading provider of deathcare products and services. As of March 31, 2016, SCI operates 1,522 funeral service locations and 468 cemeteries (including 262 combination locations), which are geographically diversified across 45 states, 8 Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Through its businesses, SCI markets the Dignity Memorial® brand which offers assurance of quality, value, caring service and exceptional customer satisfaction. In January 2016, SCI was presented with the J.D. Power President’s Award in recognition of an ongoing dedication to service excellence including quality improvement, customer satisfaction and the development of enduring client relationships. For more information about Service Corporation International, please visit www.sci-corp.com. For more information about Dignity Memorial, please visit www.dignitymemorial.com. As used herein, “SCI” or the “Company” refers to Service Corporation International and all of its affiliated companies.