Scottish Enterprise Awards 2020

33 | Scottish Enterprise Awards 2020 Nov20321 Coffin Manufacturer of the Year 2020 In the south-west of Scotland, hidden away in the heart of Annan, the team behind DFS Caskets have built a name for excellence in the funeral industry. To the uninitiated, one coffin might look very much like another, but even the untrained eye can see the attention to detail, the care and the love that marks out DFS Caskets as something truly special. The team at DFS Caskets have become market leaders by applying a continual policy of innovation and improvement. With the fourth generation of the family now running the firm, the team still have yet to settle. They are always looking for ways in which their products can be improved further, which is why they have pride of place as a market leader. The commitment to quality reaches over five different areas, with Appearance, Construction, Usability, Finish and Protection at the heart of every product. The quality of a DFS Casket is not just limited to what is can easily be seen. The team have taken steps at every point in the construction process to provide a casket that is a cut above the rest. Each coffin comes with thicker bases for greater strength and unique kurfed moulds to prevent breakages. Of course, on the day of the funeral, it pays to have a coffin design that is easy to carry. As such, the team have developed an approach which champions deeper rounded finger grips for safer and easier carrying, precision CNC drilled lid holes and precision CNC drilled handle holes. As the casket is often the focal point of a funeral service, the team know that the finish must be nothing less than exceptional. The DFS Caskets team offer unparalleled smoothness as well as colour matching to customer requirements to ensure that what you get on the big day is precisely what you want. When it comes to remaining at the forefront of the industry, however, the value of the team’s investment in the Family Assistant design software cannot be overstated. It’s the first specific coffin creation/design software in the world. The software is designed to be as simple to understand as possible, displaying a photo realistic three-dimensional coffin model which can be easily customised to suit the precise needs of the occasion. This means being able to change the material, the mouldings, the lid style, the colour as well as add panels, handles, lid fittings, and cords to create the coffin of choice. These options are displayed as a reference for the user and the whole page can be saved as a photo either for future presentation or so that choices can be communicated via email. By taking this technological approach to coffin manufacture, it’s easier to meet the needs of a rapidly changing market. When people think of coffins, they often don’t consider the thought and care that must go into each and every one. That’s the business of DFS Caskets, to ensure that what their customers get is ideally suited to the purpose, bespoke designed to make that final send off as smooth as possible. Company: DFS Caskets Contact: Martin Smith Email: [email protected] When looking at coffins, quality is a factor that should be considered first and foremost. For the team behind DFS Caskets, quality is not just an ambition, it’s their watchword. We take a closer look at this incredible family run firm as it achieves success in the Scottish Enterprise Awards for the second year in a row.