Valley company selling caskets direct to public

PHOENIX - A Valley company is selling caskets direct to the public and the owner claims he's saving customers thousands of dollars in the process.

Joey Floyd owns FrugalCasket , a casket manufacturing business located in the North Valley near the Deer Valley Airport.

From start to finish, Floyd builds caskets in every size and color imaginable.

"As far as metal casket manufacturing, we're the only ones in the Southwest," said Floyd.  "There's nobody else building metal caskets."

Floyd sells the majority of what he makes to funeral homes.

But, Floyd says, in this down economy, the fastest growing segment of his business is selling direct to individual customers.

"People just don't have the money to spend on a funeral," sais Floyd. "They're not skimping, they're just buying the same thing they could (at a funeral home). They're saving money."

Floyd says funeral homes mark up caskets as much as 400 percent over what they pay the manufacturer.

By buying direct from him, Floyd claims customers can save thousands.

FrugalCasket will deliver your casket to the funeral home in 24 hours or less.

Floyd says the FTC mandates that funeral homes not charge any type of handling fee for using an outside vendor to supply the casket.

"You're basically cutting out the middle man," said Floyd.

As Floyd will tell you, there's no need to bury your money as well.

FrugalCasket is located near Deer Valley Road and 7th Avenue.  The showroom is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 pm.

More information is available here .