CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A backlog in the production of gravestone markers continues to hit that industry and COVID-19 is at the center of the problem, but maybe not how you’d think.
Lisa Troost, president of Peter Troost Monument, said the backlog in some cases can be up to a year.
Part of it is because of how hard hit India was with COVID-19 since the country is where a lot of granite comes from. But quarries in the United States have been impacted as well. She said domestic quarries are eight to 12 weeks behind, she added.
“There’s been a spike in order volume so a lot of the quarries have record backlogs for cutting stone. That is atypical in a normal year,” Troost told WBBM Newsradio.
Troost said there have been deaths due to COVID-19 but says there have been more requests than usual for markers for people who died years ago. She suspects some people may have used stimulus money to buy headstones.
Troost said a shortage of overseas shipping containers and a shortage of truck drivers in the United States have also played a role in delaying monuments from being completed.
“Lead times can now be up to a year. So many of the factors are just beyond our control. We don’t know when the next port shutdown or quarry closure is going to hit and we don’t want to disappoint anybody by being late," she said.
Troost said her company is upfront with customers about the timing issues.
“Customers, in general, have been very understanding. We’re always eager to accommodate special requests when there’s a memorial service planned or family coming in from out-of-state,” she said.
Troost also said there’s been a shortage of an adhesive stencil material that’s used in the engraving process.
Troost planned to be part of an industry call during the afternoon to find out from vendors when the supply chain may loosen up.
“Just to kind of compare notes. Has anybody had any success anywhere or found better supply options. Have the quarries and such tell us more specifically what is it they’re struggling with? When to they see themselves caught up?”
Also impacting the placing of grave markers is a climate deadline. Troost said headstones are not allowed to be installed once the ground freezes, which she says usually happens around the second week of November or later.