Houston-based Service Corporation International, the nation's largest provider of funeral and cemetery services, will invest $41M into facilities across Texas, including Houston. The money will go towards renovating several locations around the Houston area, reports the Houston Business Journal, including American Heritage, Chapel of Eternal Peace, Pat H. Foley, Forest Park Lawndale, Forest Park Westheimer and Pasadena Funeral Home. The company also recently expanded the parking facilities at Katy Funeral Home.

The company operates 1,522 funeral homes and 468 cemeteries in the US and Canada. Such an industry giant is a recent development. Up until the '70s, funeral homes were independently owned. Now, publicly traded companies own 14%. We can all only hope the move in Houston is a long-term play and not a sign we should be worried. [HBJ]