A little about how and why I came to start this business:

My name is Jim Brown, and I have owned and operated Mid-States Professional Services since 1984. One of the questions I am often asked is "How did you ever get into repairing mortuary equipment?” The only way that I know how to answer this question is that my career choices have led me there. In 1965, I started working for a private ambulance service in Kansas City, Missouri. Back in this day and age, we did lots of removals for the numerous funeral homes in Kansas City, and I got to know a lot of funeral service folks. In 1970, I joined the United States Marine Corps and went straight to Southeast Asia. In 1973, I returned to civilian life, rejoined the ambulance service, and completed the first paramedic class in Kansas City. In 1980, I became intrigued by the combination of Fire/EMS services, so I joined the Grandview, Missouri, Fire Department, where I spent the next 26 years and retired in 2006 as an Assistant Chief.

So how did I get into mortuary equipment repair? The Fire Department's 24 hours on, 48 hours off schedule soon left me looking for something worthwhile to do on my days off. I thought and thought of all the different jobs or services that I could do, but found something unappealing about most of them. Our Fire and EMS equipment was always a challenge to repair because there just wasn't anyone around who could do the work. One day I was reminiscing and I wondered "Who repairs the funeral home equipment?" I made a few phone calls, and the rest is simple history. I established a good working relationship with the embalming machine manufacturers by respecting their proprietary methods for building and repairing their products. One day, someone asked me to repair their removal cot. I contacted Ferno-Washington and have been a distributor of their mortuary products since 1988. They are a great company to work with, and their reputation for quality products is second to none. I have always tried to treat customers the way that I would like to be treated. I am upfront about the repairs their equipment will need, and I perform them to the best of my ability. If it's not right.....it simply doesn't leave the shop until it is. I hate to go to buy something like a computer or an appliance, etc., and I have to deal with someone who knows less than I do or an order taker who knows nothing about what I need. If you want to buy a new embalming machine (we feature Pierce and Porti Boy) or a new Ferno Washington cot or embalming table, I will listen to what you are looking for and what you need. We will discuss features and options, and you can select the best product to help you do your job better. This method of doing business has served me well for all these years, and I have no plans to change.