Our executive management team is comprised of three seasoned funeral professionals who collectively have spent 85 years successfully acquiring, integrating and managing funeral businesses. Local management consists substantially of former owners, their former managers and their other key employees. We have very strong relationships with the former owners of these funeral busineses, with over 80% still actively supporting our funeral homes in some significant way. Steve Tidwell has been actively involved in the Funeral Services Profession for nearly 3 decades. Steve began his career in funeral service as a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer working in a local funeral home and later at a large funeral home and cemetery combination in Nashville, Tennessee. He has since worked with the Funeral Services Industry’s largest brokerage company, two industry consolidators and was a co-founder of Keystone in 1996. Steve works closely with Keystone’s Senior Leadership Team to develop and implement organic growth strategies as well as their external growth and acquisition strategy. Steve strongly believes that the key elements that distinguish Keystone from other companies is a clear vision for the future of funeral service, the innovative services ideas which Keystone continues to develop, the Funeral Services background of the company’s leadership and a strong team approach to management. Additionally Steve Serves on the Board of Directors of John A. Gupton college in Nashville, TN. And is an active member of the National Funeral Directors Association, Sigma Chi Fraternity, Tampa Club and The Centers for Creative Leadership Back To Top Jim Price, a licensed funeral director and embalmer, grew up working with his father and grandfather in their family-owned South Carolina funeral home. He later served in several key management positions in funeral service organizations, including Operational Vice President for Pierce Brothers in Los Angeles, and Southern Regional Vice President for Prime Succession. Prior to co-founding the Keystone Group, Jim was President of Bonney-Watson Funeral Homes and Washington Memorial Park in the Seattle area. Jim's focus is on ensuring that Keystone delivers a high level of integrity and sensitivity along with informed guidance. He believes the company's growth will be realized by staying true to the fundamental goal to merge select funeral homes and cemeteries that are committed to providing quality and value to families. He is convinced quality service creates generations of loyalty. Back To Top Steve Shaffer was introduced to the funeral industry as a CPA, conducting independent audits at a Big Six accounting firm for various funeral businesses. His growing interest in the industry eventually led him out of his pure accounting career and into a position with Prime Succession as corporate controller, then to his current responsibilities with the Keystone Group. Steve perceives two major elements in his role as CFO: to insure that the accounting, finance, and information systems resources serve affiliates so they may, in turn, service families; and to provide the discipline and conservative guidance that will keep Keystone Group on the steady path towards long-term success. He ardently pursues the goal of keeping the company in a strong financial condition in order to be poised to take advantage of all future opportunities. Back To Top