Landmark Funeral Group enters Kentucky and Indiana with Funeral Excellence deal

Landmark Funeral Group is expanding into Kentucky and Indiana through a partnership with Funeral Excellence Group that adds nine locally owned funeral homes to its network. The deal keeps local leadership in place while giving Funeral Excellence more resources for growth.

Why it matters: - The deal extends Landmark Funeral Group’s footprint into two new states and adds nine operating locations to its network. - The partnership keeps local ownership culture and community relationships intact while providing capital and resources for future growth. - Funeral Excellence Group gains a larger platform to accelerate its expansion plans.

What happened: - Landmark Funeral Group announced a partnership with Funeral Excellence Group on October 22, 2026. - The transaction brings five Kentucky locations and four Indiana locations into Landmark’s portfolio. - Local leadership and teams will remain in place to continue running the businesses and serving families. - Funeral Excellence Group was founded in 2023 by John Horan. - Luke Densow leads Funeral Excellence Group and will remain with Landmark as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team. - Densow will focus on Strategic Initiatives, Business Development and Partnerships.

The details: - The Kentucky locations are A.F. Crow & Son Funeral Home in Glasgow, Butler Funeral Home in Edmonton, Caneyville Funeral Home in Caneyville, Hartford Funeral Home in Hartford and Leitchfield Funeral Home in Leitchfield. - The Indiana locations are Goodwin-Sievers Funeral Homes in Vincennes and Washington, and Huber Funeral Homes in Tell City and Cannelton. - Seb D'Appolonia, President and CEO of Landmark Funeral Group, said the company respects the local owner-operators and wants to support their growth plans. - D'Appolonia said Landmark’s investment will help the businesses expand while the local leaders continue to guide operations and provide personalized care. - Densow said Landmark values Funeral Excellence’s leaders and staff and shares its principles of integrity, respect, kindness and teamwork. - Densow said the partnership gives the group more resources to build on what the team has established and expanded. - Landmark says it works with independent funeral homes through advanced technology integrations, strategic resources and investment. - Landmark says its model is designed to help independent funeral homes grow while local teams continue serving families. - More information is available on Landmark Funeral Group’s website. - Landmark also shared a company page on LinkedIn.

Between the lines: - The structure of the deal suggests Landmark is pursuing growth by partnering with established local operators rather than replacing them. - Keeping the same local teams in place may help preserve customer trust in communities where funeral homes often rely on long-standing relationships. - Densow’s move into Landmark’s leadership team signals an integration focused on business development and future acquisitions or partnerships.

What's next: - Landmark and Funeral Excellence Group are expected to continue operating the nine locations under local leadership. - The partnership gives Funeral Excellence Group a broader resource base to pursue expansion in its existing markets and beyond. - Landmark is likely to keep using partnerships with independent funeral homes to build out its regional network. - Landmark says its investment approach is intended to help community funeral homes grow while maintaining their legacy and service model.