Death-Care Industry Confronts an Existential Crisis

For nearly a century, John Dioguardi’s family-run Rome Monument in western Pennsylvania has crafted custom headstones, but rising cremation rates and steep tariffs have threatened the business. President Trump’s tariffs increased costs for imported granite, prompting Dioguardi to shift two-thirds of his supply chain from China to India, where tariffs are lower. Bringing production to the U.S. remains costly due to higher labor expenses, and some unique granite types are only available internationally. Small memorialization companies face financial strain from changing social practices, trade policies, and rising costs, forcing them to adapt rapidly to survive in a shifting industry.