ABOUT
US
Keith and
Bernice Watts founded Watts Vault & Monument
Company in 1957 in Montezuma, Iowa. Their son
and daughter-in-law, Craig and Lyndal Watts
took over ownership of the business in 1986.
In June 1991, they expanded the operation with
the purchase of Dude's Central Hawkeye Vault
Company in West Des Moines, Iowa. In 1995,
they also purchased E & D Vault of Chariton,
Iowa. A new 35,500 square foot central manufacturing
facility was built at 4920 NE Hubbell Avenue
in Des Moines in 1999. We still maintain distribution
and sales facilities in Montezuma and Chariton.
The third generation is also very involved
in the family business. Son, Scott manages
the Des Moines operation. Longtime employee
Ed Jordan manages the Chariton facility. Daughter
Angie, daughter-in-law Julie and Lyndal handle
the daily business and monument sales at our
Des Moines office. In March 1998, James Russell,
a licensed funeral director, joined the company
as Marketing and Education Director. With his
help we implemented the first, if not the only,
education center for funeral directors and
pre-need staff in the burial vault industry.
Watts' offers a complete line of burial and
cremation products. Trigard, Doric, Eagle,
and Clark Steel burial vaults are maintained
in inventory to serve the needs of funeral
directors throughout Iowa. As a retail monument
company, our granite now comes from all over
the world. We offer a wide selection of both
granite and bronze memorials to families in
all price ranges. In 2002, a complete line
of bronze, copper, steel and wood Trigard Caskets
were added. Sold only through funeral directors,
we offer daily delivery to most customers.
In January 2004, Lowell Coburn, a licensed
funeral director, joined the company as a sales
consultant for our Trigard Casket line. February
2004, we expanded to the east with the acquisition
of a building in Iowa City to serve the Iowa
City – Cedar Rapids area. There we have
a facility, a large display of memorials and
employees to help families when purchasing
a memorial. We are very excited about the new
additions to our company. With a very knowledgeable
staff of employees, the company today handles
over 4000 interments per year throughout Iowa.
Our customers and the families they serve,
remain key to our company. Service, quality
products and a fair price are the backbone
of this company! |
