A member of the Shives family, former owners of Shives Funeral Home, has bought the business back from Service Corporation International (SCI), a national owner and operator of funeral homes that bought the local business in 1999.

Randolph Shives III returns Shives Funeral Home to being one of the few family-owned, family-operated funeral homes among its competitors in Richland and Lexington counties.

The decision to buy back the business from SCI comes on the heels of Shives’ most successful year in business to date.

“I am excited to be given the opportunity to return our family-named business back to being a family-owned business,” said Shives, the company’s new owner and president.

“In an age when all we hear about is corporate buy-outs and the demise of small businesses in our city, I am proud to be in a position to bring a small business back home,” Shives said.

In late 1900s Shives Funeral Home, like most of the area’s other larger family-owned funeral homes, followed industry trends of corporate consolidation.

“When the opportunity arose to purchase the company back, it was perfect timing,” Shives said. “I realized that the best way to offer the highest level of personalized services to our customers could only be achieved by making decisions on the local level.”

Randolph Shives and his uncle, Bill Shives, of Blythewood, bring a combined 75-plus years of experience to serve their growing customer base.

“We have always been here for the folks in the Blythewood community and our goal is to give them service that can’t be matched by anyone else,” said Bill Shives.

For more information on Shives Funeral Home, visit www.shivesfuneralhome.com.