The Ronda de Dalt Funeral Home of Serveis Funeraris Integrals achieves an 18% market share in Barcelona

Barcelona, April 4, 2011.

The Ronda de Dalt Funeral Home in Barcelona is celebrating its five-year anniversary since opening in March 2006. Located in the Horta-Guinardó district and built and managed by the Catalan company Serveis Funeraris Integrals (SFI), Ronda de Dalt has performed over 11,500 services in five years and has achieved an 18% market share.

According to Josep Ventura, Director of the Funeral Services Area at SFI, "These results demonstrate the consolidation of the Ronda de Dalt Funeral Home in Barcelona. Our goal for the next five years is to handle 25% of the services in the city." Currently, Ronda de Dalt is the third most visited funeral home in Barcelona, with a high satisfaction level (4.5 out of 5). Ventura notes, "What families value most is the attention of the staff and the quality of the facilities."

In 2010, SFI's Barcelona center provided a total of 2,936 services, generating revenue of 9 million euros and an 8% increase compared to the previous year.

Barcelona Liberalizes the Funeral Sector

Barcelona is currently undergoing a process of liberalizing the funeral sector, which began with the entry of Serveis Funeraris Integrals into the city following the construction of the Ronda de Dalt Funeral Home. This new facility has brought significant change and revitalization to the existing funeral service landscape in the city.

In addition to the Ronda de Dalt Funeral Home, SFI operates family service offices in three city hospitals: Vall d’Hebron, Sant Pau, and Hospital de Barcelona, which helps streamline administrative processes after a death.

Leader in Catalonia

Serveis Funeraris Integrals maintains its leadership with 21 funeral homes, 5 crematories, and 16 cemeteries across Catalonia. The group, which has a presence in a total of 148 Catalan towns, is constructing two new funeral homes in Sant Joan Despí and Vilafranca del Penedès, and plans another in Viladecans. The investment for these three projects is expected to be 15 million euros. “We invest in local funeral homes, with modern, accessible, and comfortable facilities for families, to avoid costly and unnecessary travel during such delicate times,” says Josep Ventura.

In the 2010 fiscal year, SFI closed with a total revenue of 41.8 million euros, representing a 2.2% increase from the previous year, with a 25% market share in the province of Barcelona and 19% in Catalonia. The investment made in 2010 was 5 million euros.

Innovative and Pioneering Services

Since its inception, SFI has focused on offering personalized services tailored to current societal needs. Notably, online services have seen significant growth, including condolences (up 54%) and florist services (up more than 70%). In the 2.0 environment, the company also pioneered the launch of the Tanatopèdia project in November – the world's first virtual encyclopedia on funeral topics.

Another service offered by SFI to address evolving societal beliefs and new cultures is secular funeral sculptures for coffins, created by artist Manuela Rivero as an alternative to traditional Catholic symbols. Currently, 5% of services opt for secular ceremonies, and nearly 2% for other religions (Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim), though 90% still choose Catholic ceremonies.

SFI also maintains a strong commitment to the environment. All managed centers – funeral homes, cemeteries, and crematories – hold ISO 9001:2000 quality certification and ISO 14001:2004 environmental certification. Additionally, the Roques Blanques Regional Cemetery holds the strict European EMAS environmental registration. This nature-integrated cemetery features a pioneering project in the funeral sector: the Forest of Calm, an area where ashes can be buried and a tree planted alongside. Over four years of operation, the initiative has already planted more than 650 trees.

Moreover, in the realm of grief support, SFI collaborates on ‘Art and Absence,’ a pioneering educational project in Catalonia created by the NGO Aves. This program, aimed at children and adults, educational centers, residences, educators, and families in general, seeks to address emotional conflicts and overcome taboos through art and culture.