Tombstone companies feel impact of global supply chain issues

It's a grave problem: A shortage of materials, monthslong backlogs and rising costs are causing holdups in getting monuments and gravestones.

George Pantelic, owner of ABC Monuments in Chicago's Lawndale neighborhood, said orders from a domestic supplier used to take four weeks to arrive. Now, they take seven months.

"I'm out of gray stone that's coming from Georgia, and I have close to 100 orders that I can't fill," Pantelic said. "I've been waiting for that stone for the last two and a half months."

COVID-induced supply chain issues have affected almost every step of monument and gravestone production. Many quarries closed when the pandemic hit. When they reopened, there weren't enough workers. Add to that a shortage of containers for shipping the stones, severely congested international ports and a shortage of truckers to deliver the product from port to shop.

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