Dustin Garness - Family Memorials by Gibson
What does your business do? What products does it sell?
Family Memorials is a local, family-owned South Dakota business founded in 1982. We employ about 30 South Dakotans throughout the state and provide memorial stones and other memorialization services for eastern and central South Dakota, southwest Minnesota, northwest Iowa, and northeast Nebraska.
What sets your business apart from your competition?
Family Memorials is a full-service monument company. This means that we handle all parts of the memorial production process in-house. Once we receive the stone from the quarries, we manage the design, carving, and installation. This also means we guarantee everything we do for the lifetime of the product (which is basically forever).
We also provide a custom product for every person we have the honor of memorializing. Whether you are trying to remain as budget-friendly as possible or are designing a large, elaborate memorial, we work with our families to create a stone that is truly unique to the person being memorialized.
What is the most rewarding thing about doing what you do?
For me, the most rewarding part of my job is playing a key role in the grieving process by helping families "close the chapter" on the loss of their loved ones. Often, when someone views the memorial stone on their loved one's grave, there is a sense of finality to their grief that allows them to begin to move on. Also, receiving thank you notes from customers is very nice.
How has the PNC helped your business?
The PNC group has helped me in my business by enabling me to build my network of local professionals and contacts. It has helped me become better at presenting our products and in understanding the importance of working with fellow professionals who are trustworthy, honest, and overall good people.
What would you like people to know about you as a person?
I grew up and graduated from Baltic High School. I then earned my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Washington University in St. Louis. I have been back in South Dakota for over ten years. I have been married for over nine years to my beautiful wife and best friend, Hezel. We are Covenant Members of Connection Church in Sioux Falls, and our faith in Christ plays a central role in our lives. We have one dog named Cooper, and I have a couple of freshwater aquariums. We love to travel to explore the world and visit our international family.
What is a random fact about you that most people wouldn’t know?
I cannot bend my thumbs without bending my pointer fingers; however, I can bend my pointer fingers independently from my thumbs.
Contact Information
Phone: 605-295-4980
Email: dustin@gibsonmonuments.com
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Website: gibsonmonuments.com