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The Neptune Society, Inc. is an American provider of cremation services that was founded in Plantation, Florida.^[1]

History

The Neptune Society was established in 1973 and was incorporated in 1985.^[2]

In 1999, the Neptune Society announced its completion of equity financing of $7 million with Standard Securities Capital Corp. in Toronto, Ontario and appointed Marco Markin as president and chief executive.^[3] In 2000, the company announced it had acquired the Cremation Society of Iowa^[4] and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission to be listed on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange.^[5] In 2003, it was reported that an $11.5 million deal proposed by the firm of Walt Disney’s great-nephew to buy Neptune Society was called off.^[6]

In June 2011, Service Corporation International announced it had purchased control by buying a 70 percent share of the company. At that time, the company's annual revenues were more than $55 million and it had more than $125 million in future revenue on its books.^[7]

Neptune Memorial Reef

The Neptune Memorial Reef is an underwater memorial 3.25 miles (5.23 km) off the coast of Key Biscayne, Florida, where cremated ashes can be interred. Neptune's burial at sea involves mixing cremated remains into concrete for a sturdy and secure final resting place.

Neptune Society Columbarium

The Neptune Society Columbarium of San Francisco is an architectural landmark in San Francisco and is the city's only nondenominational public burial space. The columbarium was built in 1898 by architect Bernard J.S. Cahill and is currently operated and maintained by the Neptune Society of Northern California. The copper-domed, Neo-Classical structure houses more than 8,500 niches for cremation urns. The building was designated as a San Francisco city landmark in 1996.

Controversies

There have been a number of controversies with the Neptune Society. In the late 1990s, the company settled lawsuits from the widow of a former Burbank mayor^[8] and 308 Southern California residents who claimed remains were mishandled.^[9]

In November 2013, residents of East Oakland and members of Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) gathered around the Neptune Society office on Grand Avenue to protest against the planned construction of a new crematory that would process 3,000 remains per year. Opposition was primarily driven by environmental concerns.^[10] Arguments in favor of the facility pointed to job creation and other possible benefits of the crematory.^[11]