BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
ing was near the corner of U.S. 1 and Orange Avenue in Fort
Pierce. The business moved to 3015 Okeechobee Road in 1976.
The new location began with one main building. In the
following 15 to 20 years, the Haisleys bought nearby property
that now includes a reception center and gymnasium, a planning
center and a pet services building across the street from
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the main compound.
The reception center “can seat 100 people for a sit-down
meal after services,” Haisley said. The center is used as a
community room by several nonprofit organizations. The
building also houses Gem’s Fitness. Client families can use
the gym free of charge for a year. Bereavement classes and
counseling are also offered.
“We are in our 20th year of offering bereavement counseling,
a free service to anyone in the community,” Haisley said.
Haisley’s interactive Web site includes online guest book
signing, sells flowers and gifts and provides live streaming
of services, which can be viewed around the world. “We’ve
been webcasting for about seven years,” he said. Clients can
also make cremation arrangements from their laptops without
having to come into the office.
Clients have been choosing cremation services for their
loved ones in increasing numbers, Haisley said. About 60
percent of his services have cremation as final disposition,
compared with about 10 percent in 1973. Although the trend
seemed to be moving toward cremation, the economic downturn
in recent years contributed to its rise for economical
reasons, he said. >>
Options include services for bereaved pet owners and a gymnasium for clients.
The reception area of the new center in Port St. Lucie offers assistance in the southern part of St. Lucie County
.