In a market where many long-standing industries have consolidated, digitized, or outsourced craftsmanship to reduce cost, one London entrepreneur is quietly moving in the opposite direction — and finding growth by doing so.
Forest City Memorials a cemetery monument company, founded in 2023 and led by former university athlete Cameron Guest, is reshaping how families in Southwestern Ontario purchase and care for memorial monuments. The company focuses on local stonework production, personalized design, and long-term monument restoration — offering a level of transparency and customer engagement that has largely disappeared from the sector.
The business grew out of Guest’s experience working in his late father’s company, C&L Cemetery Lettering Inc., a mobile monument engraving service. But while the original business operated on a mobile model, Forest City Memorials takes a more expansive and strategic approach: it designs, engraves, installs, and restores monuments entirely in-house, from its production facility on Neptune Crescent.
This local-first manufacturing approach sets the business apart in an industry that, behind the scenes, often relies on large regional processing centers.
“Families assume monuments come from the cemetery they’re working with,” Guest says. “In reality, many cemeteries outsource to big suppliers. We wanted to bring that work back to the community — and make the process more transparent for families.”
A Customer Experience That Prioritizes Clarity and Choice
One of the core challenges in the memorial industry is information imbalance. For decades, families have typically purchased memorials directly through cemeteries, without realizing they have other options.
This is where Forest City Memorials has carved out a meaningful niche.
The company provides:
- Direct consultations in a dedicated showroom
- Detailed design guidance
- Clear pricing without third-party markups
- Locally produced monuments created by a small, trained team
This model streamlines decision-making during an emotionally difficult time and reduces confusion around cost and customization.
Guest says the goal is not just to sell a product, but to provide clarity and agency in a decision families may only make once in their lifetime.
A Growing Demand for Heritage Preservation
In addition to new monument creation, Forest City Memorials has become known for its restoration and reclamation work. This includes:
- Re-engraving faded headstone lettering
- Cleaning and resurfacing aging monuments
- Repairing cracks, structural shifts, and weather damage
These services are increasingly in demand as older sections of cemeteries across the region age — and as families look to preserve historical stones rather than replace them.
A recent image shared by the business shows Guest working onsite, resealing inscriptions using specialized sandblasting equipment. The technique restores clarity without erasing the stone’s original character — a detail particularly valued in heritage cemeteries.
For many families, the service is not only cost-efficient but also an opportunity to protect family history and cultural narrative.
Building a Scalable Business With Local Roots
The company operates with a team of four and continues to invest in new equipment, material sourcing, and training. Early growth has been driven primarily by referrals — a signal of brand trust in a sector where reputation is more influential than advertising spend.
Guest says the company is intentionally growing at a sustainable pace, focusing on:
- Quality control
- Relationship-building
- Specialized training for new staff
- Strategic partnerships with local cemeteries and funeral service providers
“We’re growing, but not in a way that sacrifices our identity,” Guest explains. “Local production and personal connection are core to who we are.”
A Business Model Grounded in Longevity, Not Rapid Turnover
Unlike many modern startups, Forest City Memorials is not built around rapid scaling or rapid churn. It is built around lasting work — literally and metaphorically.
Every product is designed to endure decades, if not generations.
Every client relationship is treated with long-term value in mind.
And the business itself is structured to remain rooted in the community that shaped it.
In a landscape where speed and efficiency often overshadow care and craftsmanship, Forest City Memorials reflects a different kind of business strategy — one built on continuity, trust, and local expertise.
As consumer values continue to shift toward transparency, authenticity, and supporting local production, Guest’s approach may prove not only emotionally resonant — but economically prescient.
