Everyone told this Atlanta couple to sell their inherited cemetery business — it now makes $6 million a year
Shayda Frost and Timothy Amoui turned Lincoln Memorial Group’s struggling four-cemetery business into a $6.3 million annual revenue enterprise by modernizing operations, despite industry advice to sell. They achieved this through digitizing records, prioritizing long-term "pre-need" sales, and leveraging the cemetery sector’s resilient, decades-long market stability projected to grow from $20B to $27B by 2031.
An Atlanta couple has transformed a struggling inherited cemetery business into a thriving enterprise, generating $6.3 million in annual revenue and $1.7 million in net income by embracing the sector’s long-term stability. Shayda Frost and Timothy Amoui, who previously worked in film production and financial public relations respectively, took over Lincoln Memorial Group in 2023 after Frost’s father inherited the business from his mother, the company’s founder. Despite widespread advice to sell, the couple decided to modernise the four-cemetery operation, navigating outdated systems and paper-based records to unlock its potential.
The transition was far from straightforward. Employees relied on intercoms and physical memos, while critical records remained scattered across filing cabinets and Rolodexes. Frost has since prioritised digitising hundreds of thousands of documents while maintaining analog systems to ensure continuity. “My north star is to get to a place where we are digital only,” she said. The operational challenges have been compounded by the industry’s unique dynamics, where ownership often passes to the next generation with little enthusiasm for succession.
Yet the couple sees immense opportunity in an industry where many owners are nearing retirement with few successors willing to take over. The US funeral home market, valued at $20 billion in 2026, is projected to grow to $27 billion by 2031, according to Mordor Intelligence. Unlike sectors vulnerable to rapid technological or economic shifts, cemeteries operate on decades-long timelines, making them resilient to short-term fluctuations. Frost emphasised the importance of long-term planning, noting, “In this space, we don’t plan for the next two to three years. We plan for the next 20 to 30 years.”
The company’s primary growth driver has been “pre-need” sales, where customers purchase burial arrangements years in advance. This model not only secures future revenue but also aligns with the industry’s inherent stability. Frost and Amoui’s decision to reinvest rather than sell has paid off, proving that even unconventional assets can yield significant returns with the right strategy. Their story underscores how niche industries, often overlooked, can become lucrative ventures with innovation and perseverance.
