Tradition Doesn’t Mean Standing Still: Sunburst Memorials Builds for the Next Century

In this episode of Monument Matters, host Mike Johns talks with Jill Kampa, president of Sunburst Memorials, and Dylan Gertken, director of operations, about the company’s move from its 108-year-old facility into a new headquarters and production facility in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The conversation explores how Sunburst approached growth, Lean Manufacturing, employee ownership, workflow redesign, safety, technology and culture. Jill and Dylan also share practical lessons for other monument shops, including why process and people should come before equipment investments and why innovation can strengthen, rather than replace, the craftsmanship at the heart of memorialization. Chapters (00:00:00) - Monument Matters(00:01:27) - Sunburst Memorial's Move Into New Headquarters and Production Facility(00:03:53) - How Big Is Sunburst Memorials?(00:05:03) - Building a new plant in Minnesota(00:07:18) - What Lean Manufacturing Looks Like in a Monument Shop(00:12:48) - Questions about redundancy in the monument industry(00:14:42) - Sunburst Industries: 100% Employee Owned(00:18:17) - What feedback from employees has had the biggest impact on the final facility(00:22:26) - The New Granite Plant's new facility(00:24:18) - Exploring a Production Expansion with Lean(00:28:00) - Continuous Improvement in Manufacturing(00:29:59) - Monument Matters