“We are very pleased to be the succession-planning partner for the Hartsons,” Melissa Howsare, Pinnacle's controller, said. “Having been a part of the Wisconsin funeral service landscape for a number of years, we’ve taken notice of the solid business that Gary and Missy have built. They’ve worked very hard and we admire that.”

With this acquisition, Pinnacle strengthens its position in Greater Milwaukee by having acquired a number of high-quality funeral homes in strategic locations in the state.

Pinnacle plans to continue to be active in acquiring funeral homes, giving retiring owners an important alternative to selling their businesses to a publicly traded company.

Howsare explains that there is always going to be a “right fit” component in striking a mutually beneficial agreement. Sometimes the discussions can take time. Owners typically need to decide for themselves if the time is right to detach.

“We favor the kind of arrangement that will allow families to continue to be served with compassion and care by staff already involved in the business and the community,” Howsare said.

“Local, family-owned businesses like Hartson are a great fit for Pinnacle because we support the same type of personalized care. We can offer a custom-tailored succession plan to meet retiring owners’ needs,” she said.

Pinnacle’s strength is in giving owners confidence that their hard work, investment and dedicated staff will continue to set the tone with local customers and families who have turned to them for decades.

“We have no reason to alter the fundamental goodwill and continuity that comes with the business,” Howsare said. “It’s an important part of what gets us talking in the first place.”