Everyone told this Atlanta couple to sell the family cemetery business when they inherited it — but they stuck it out. Now it makes $6 million a year

The Atlanta couple left Los Angeles to run Lincoln Memorial Group, a four-cemetery business that brought in roughly $6.3 million in revenue and about $1.7 million in net income in 2025, according to CNBC Make It.

Their business sells burial plots, vaults, headstones and cemetery services in what Frost jokingly calls “innovative real estate.”

Almost overnight, the pair inherited not just a family business, but an aging operation full of paper files, outdated systems and enormous long-term responsibilities.

“Everyone we knew — every industry professional, every contact we had — everyone said, ‘Sell it,’” Frost recalled. Instead, they doubled down.

A ‘future-proof’ business

The couple never planned to enter the death care industry full time. Frost, 39, worked as a film producer in Los Angeles while Amoui, 36, built a career in financial public relations. Everything changed after Frost’s father, who inherited the cemetery company from Frost’s grandmother, who founded it in the 1970s, died unexpectedly in 2023.

Taking over the company felt less like acquiring a modern business and more like stepping into a time machine that landed them back in the 1970s.

Employees communicated through intercoms. Paper memos were placed in physical office mailboxes. Critical records were kept in rooms packed with filing cabinets and Rolodexes.

Even today, the company is still digitizing “hundreds of thousands” of paper records while simultaneously maintaining analog systems to stay operational.

“My north star is to get to a place where we are digital only,” Frost said.

Despite the operational headaches, the couple sees major opportunity in the cemetery industry especially because many owners are approaching retirement age with few younger successors interested in taking over.

There are over 15,000 funeral homes across the U.S., and a whopping 75% of them are privately owned.

According to Mordor Intelligence, the U.S. funeral homes market size is estimated to grow from an estimated $20 billion in 2026 to $27 billion by 2031. Unlike sectors threatened by artificial intelligence, economic downturns or shifting consumer habits, cemeteries operate on decades-long timelines.

“In this space, we don’t plan for the next two to three years,” Frost said. “We plan for the next 20 to 30 years.”

The company’s biggest growth engine is “pre-need” sales which are burial arrangements purchased years before they’re actually needed.

The couple also hopes to expand by acquiring more cemeteries and eventually adding funeral homes to their properties.

What to do if you inherit a business

Frost and Amoui’s story is just one example of a growing reality across the U.S.: roughly 6 million small to medium businesses are going to change hands by 2035, in a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ wave of ownership transitions, according to McKinsey.

Inheriting a business unexpectedly can become financially and emotionally overwhelming if heirs aren’t prepared.

Here are several steps you should consider if you inherit a business:

Pause before making major decisions

Frost says many people initially encouraged them to sell the business. But taking time to assess the company’s operations, liabilities and growth potential allowed the couple to make a more informed decision.

Review the finances

Inherited companies could come with hidden debt, tax obligations, aging infrastructure or declining cash flow. Carefully review financial statements, payroll obligations, insurance coverage and legal liabilities as soon as possible.

Hire professionals early