Carrons Funeral Home, located in Wilson, North Carolina, is a cornerstone of the local African American community and has served generations of families. Originally known as the King & Darden Funeral Home, the family business was established by Robert M. King, Sr., in 1985. After his passing in 2003, his daughter Carla King and her husband Ron Horne inherited the business. They renamed it Carrons, merging their names, and organized the business as an LLC. They also moved from paper recordkeeping to computers and added insurance as an additional line of business to help their clients fund the cost of funeral services.

Carla and Ron brought complementary skills into the business. Carla had assisted her father for years informally, which provided a strong operational foundation. In preparation for the day when she would take over, Carla earned a degree in mortuary science and became a licensed funeral director. Ron, who worked in private banking, contributed his financial expertise. Though the couple divorced, Ron amicably resigned his ownership and continued assisting with the funeral home’s finances. Carla expanded the business, more than tripling the volume of funeral services. Under her leadership, Carrons also upgraded to a new location.

Carrons’ operations are characterized by a blend of in-house expertise and external partnerships. Carla meets with families, conducts services, and oversees the delicate process of makeup for bodies, demonstrating the funeral home’s dedication to respectful care. The embalming process is outsourced to “Mr. Eric” (Eric Willoughby) of Willoughby Funeral Homes. An independent contractor supplies the flowers, which is one example of Carrons’ engagement with the local business community. During busy times, Carrons brings in outside funeral directors to help. Small, independent funeral homes like Carrons turn to each other for support, which enables them to handle the flow of business as well as personal obligations that may arise. By outsourcing certain processes and engaging with local businesses, Carrons not only streamlines its operations but also fosters a local ecosystem of mutual support and economic growth.

Carla and Ron are glad to have rejected offers to become part of a national funeral home chain. In their view, chain ownership prioritizes profits over service and ultimately undermines the community ties that make a funeral home business like Carrons viable in the first place. Indeed, a competitor sold to a national chain and soon went out of business. Potential customers recognized that the apparent local ownership was a façade and that the funeral home was no longer fully part of the African American community in Wilson. Instead, the focus was on meeting earnings expectations, and profits flowed elsewhere.

By contrast, true community service forms the backbone of the business philosophy for Carrons and explains its resilience. The owners and employees of Carrons live in and contribute to the community, and they believe that everyone deserves equal treatment. As Carla put it, “I love helping people, especially in a great time of need for them. The cases that are most special to me are those cases for which there is no life insurance involved. Trying to help them maneuver things at a time of great need. It doesn’t matter if a family has spent $5,000 and someone else has spent $10,000. Same service. No difference.” For Carla and Ron, that approach is the key to long-term business success and the personal satisfaction of a life well lived.