Two Portland funeral homes plan to join forces, they announced this week.
AT Hutchins and Dolby, Blais & Segee will each continue to operate under their own names, with the current owner-operator and staff in place. Each is family owned and operated.
Both funeral homes characterized the merger as an effort to combine resources while continuing to provide choice to customers. Terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.
They serve a market that includes Portland, Westbrook, Gorham and Windham.
AT Hutchins Funeral and Cremation Services was established in Portland in 2010. Owners Mark and Roberta Hutchins named their funeral home after Mark’s father, Allie, who had a funeral home in Portland from 1965 to 1979. It is based on Brighton Avenue.
“Being a family business has been very important to the people and communities we serve,” said Mark Hutchins. “Growing up in Portland and being active in the greater Portland community allowed me to meet so many wonderful people. Many of these people already knew my dad, as he had established a relationship of trust with their family.
“Opening AT Hutchins has allowed me to continue the same philosophy that my father established with his own funeral home, which is to treat everyone equally, with respect and dignity. Every new family becomes a family. We are extremely happy to work with Eric, who shares these same values.
Eric Segee, co-owner and funeral director at Dolby, Blais & Segee, is also committed to his community. The practice was established in 1953, with funeral chapels in Windham, Gorham and Westbrook.
“At all three of our locations, our name is respected and well known,” Segee said. “We have succeeded in blending the traditions of the past with a variety of new services tailored to individual needs. Our goal is to honor the memory of your loved one.
