A Santa Fe company is receiving a $150,000 Local Economic Development Grant to help with the expansion of its rapidly growing business.
Parting Stone provides an alternative to burials or regular cremations by turning cremated remains into smooth stones.
The stones can be shared with loved ones and unlike regular cremated remains they are environmentally friendly. The company can also process deceased pets.
The process is also more affordable than traditional burials.
The State of New Mexico is pledging the LEDA funding. The City of Santa Fe is serving as the fiscal agent for the grant and pledging an additional $25,000 of local LEDA economic assistance, pending review and approval by the Santa Fe City Council.
“Parting Stone has done a brilliant job of recognizing a deep human need and developing an important business to meet that need, sensitively and artfully," said Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber. "This business is a Santa Fe success story and a testimony to the entrepreneurial talent in our community. We’re eager to continue celebrating their success and working alongside them to support their continued growth.”
Launched in 2019 Parting Stone has seen a great deal of expansion from a 100 square foot office to a 8,000 square foot facility on Plaza Le Prenza.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham says it’s the kind of business innovation New Mexico needs to focus on developing.
“This is very valuable technology. This is a company with a relationship with Los Alamos National Labs and you can see these relationships, this scientific research evolving into these meaningful businesses,” she said.
Parting Stone founder and CEO Justin Crowe said he started thinking about the cremation process with the loss of his own grandfather in 2014, realizing he and many family members craved a more permanent lasting connection.
“It is a profound opportunity to live with the remains of our loved ones, but the look and feel of conventional cremated remains make that experience uncomfortable,” he said. “We developed a new form of remains to help families feel a connection with their departed. When you choose cremation, you no longer have to take home ashes.”
Crowe says thanks to the LEDA grant the company will be able to grow from 20 to over 100 employees over the next five years with an average salary of $48,000 at its Santa Fe facility.