Did you know that one-third of the state of Minnesota is covered by forests full of 53 native tree species? The Land of 10,000 Lakes is well-known for its stunning deciduous maples, birches, and oaks, as well as its year-round Instagram-worthy coniferous pines and firs. In fact, Minnesota’s hardwood forests, historically known as the “Big Woods,” are legendary, inspiring paintings, poems, and a plethora of handcrafted hardwood products.
As a company that was born and raised in Minnesota, Terrybear® Urns & Memorials appreciates every aspect of their home state, from its heritage to its hardwoods. To that end, and as part of their ongoing initiative to lower their carbon footprint, the folks at Terrybear are proud to introduce a new line of urns lovingly crafted in Minnesota from locally-sourced regional wood species.
“These four new urns are not only the first products to be included in our new and expanding ‘Made in the USA’ line, but they are actually crafted here in Minnesota,” shares Brent Thorson, Manager of Client Success & Growth at Terrybear. “This particular partner is known for the quality of their craftsmanship and the quality of their manufacturing. We can’t say enough good things about them.”
Above: 400004L Melrose.
From the heart of Minnesota
While the four new urns in Terrybear’s Made in the USA line are sure to hold a special place in the hearts of Minnesota residents, their composition, design, and texture will appeal to any family looking for a beautiful, high-quality, lovingly-crafted solid wood urn. The hardwoods Terrybear and their partners chose for this line — maple, walnut, cherry, hickory — are representative of the wide variety of species found in Minnesota.
Above: 400003L Lakeland.
“The Benton is solid cherry, the Fairfax is maple with a walnut lid and base, and the Lakeland is solid walnut,” explains Nikki Nordeen, Executive Director of Client Success and Brand Growth at Terrybear. “It’s in a Yamasaki design, and actually has a very interesting texture. Then we have the Melrose, which is solid hickory. The product assortment really runs the gamut of Minnesota hardwoods.”
Above: 400002L Fairfax.
As some of the urns are crafted from higher-end materials, the hardwood urns are available at a variety of price points. Additionally, as another nod to their Minnesota origins, each model was given the name of a Minnesota city or county.
“It’s a very corny Minnesota thing to do,” laughed Thorson.
Part of a bigger mission
Terrybear’s Made in the USA product line is just one aspect of its initiative to reduce the organization’s carbon footprint, an eco-friendly effort that kicked off in 2023. Inspired by the company’s core values, the initiative began with the goal of eliminating 90% of Terrybear’s landfill waste by 2025. To that end, Terrybear is replacing its styrofoam-based packaging with biodegradable materials, which will eventually eliminate 742 cubic feet of waste each month, or 8,900 cubic feet each year.
The new urns will continue those efforts by eliminating the detrimental effects of importing products from overseas and elsewhere, like greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution.
Above: 400001L Benton.
Another important aspect of the Made in Minnesota urns is that, at any time, Terrybear’s quality control team can visit the manufacturer to ensure the products are being crafted to the company’s high standards. Admittedly, Nordeen says, Terrybear’s quality standards make the vetting process too exhausting for some vendors.
“When potential vendor partners start to understand our quality expectations, especially being that this is someone’s final resting place for eternity, they begin to drop off,” Nordeen explains. “We understand the quality expectations of the industry having been in it so long and our quality expectations are much, much higher than many others would be.”
Special details
Nordeen and Thorson plan to feature the Minnesota-hardwood urns to the deathcare community at the NFDA International Convention & Expo in New Orleans in October, along with some yet-to-be-unveiled additions to the Made in the USA product line. These hardwood urns are already available through the Terrybear website and the Memory of a Lifetime portal.
Like most of the items in Terrybear’s product line, the hardwood urns can be personalized through the easy-to-use Memory of a Lifetime portal and approved via QuickProofs™ technology. Two of the urns also feature an etched outline of the state of Minnesota in homage to their origins just north of Terrybear’s St. Paul headquarters.
Above: 400001L Benton Personalized.
You can try out Terrybear’s Memory of a Lifetime digital portal at absolutely no cost, and trust that Terrybear will deliver the quality, service, and support you’ve come to expect. To get started, simply visit Terrybear.com/join to register. If you need additional assistance do not hesitate to call Terrybear directly at 1.888.588.8767, they will ensure you get set up to begin using this free tool.
Written by: Patricia Hartley
