World-class product range

Ashton Manufacturing offers a world-class product range consisting of premium quality caskets that are handcrafted from the finest solid timbers and precious metals, through to contemporary, personalised coffins, and traditional designs, together with economical and sustainable choices.

Ashton caskets & coffins

Originating from a family business, established in 1977 on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Ashton Manufacturing is now one of Australia’s largest and most respected suppliers of caskets, coffins and allied products and services to the funeral industry. We’re in the business of locally made, handcrafted products, and are committed to maintaining our legacy of manufacturing; we are the trustworthy and reliable name in casket and coffin supplies.

 

Download catalogue

Batesville Casket Company

Batesville caskets represent a unique choice available to families in Australia. Different from traditional coffins, Batesville caskets are larger, more substantial vessels made from the finest materials with unique features to help memorialise the lives of loved ones. For over one hundred years, Batesville has manufactured the finest caskets available anywhere in the world. Superior craftsmanship, the highest quality materials and constant innovation have become the hallmarks of
the Batesville brand.

 

Visit website

Expression Coffins

Life is beautiful, goodbyes can be too. Families can choose a coffin that celebrates the memory of their loved one – a loving tribute not to a life lost, but to a life lived. Expression Coffins are personalised, image-wrapped coffins. We have an extensive range of existing designs or families can supply their own photographs for a coffin design that reflects their loved one’s personality, interests and joys experienced in life.

 

Visit website

Return to Sender

Return to Sender are New Zealand’s leading designers and manufacturers of contemporary coffins, catering to the growing number of people looking for less traditional, aesthetically designed coffins with an environmental focus. Return to Sender’s coffins and accessories are available in Australia exclusively through Ashton Manufacturing. These award-winning coffins are designed to ensure families are able to express what was important to their loved one through their coffin choice, by being handcrafted with care, from natural materials; made with the environment in mind; and allowing the expression of individuality and values.

 

Download catalogue

Accessories

Ashton’s accessories include ashes urns, crosses, memorial books, coffin and casket hardware, drapery, grave markers and mortuary products.

Download catalogue

Special attributes of our range

Our production facility uses the latest robotics and automation to ensure quality control in the creation of our extensive range of world-class products. We use the finest, responsibly-sourced timbers from around the world, as well as carefully selected timber veneer and eco-friendly fibreboard.

DiamondCoat Lacquer

DiamondCoat Lacquer: our own specialised wood finish that dries by a solvent curing process, producing a smooth, hard, durable surface. This finish can be of any sheen level from matte to high gloss. It is both combustible and ethanol free.

eZero MDF

eZero MDF represents the most eco-friendly fibreboard available and is manufactured from managed and renewable plantation pine and is Australian Forestry Standard chain of custody certified (COC). A thin paper veneer can be glued to the surface to create a wood grain effect.

ShowroomShine Finishing System

ShowroomShine Finishing System was developed by Ashton as a final step to produce a dazzling, deep shine for the highest quality models in the casket range. Only the finest quality products are finished with this unique system.

Managed resources

As part of our commitment to sustainability, we use solid timber from managed forestry resources. Natural solid timber is inherently beautiful and produces some of the finest quality products across our casket and coffin range. We use timber species such as: plantation pine, cedar, camphor laurel and other fine timbers.

ISO/IEC 17025

ISO/IEC 17025 independent laboratories are used by Ashton to randomly test coffins and caskets to ensure structural integrity and to ensure that manufacturing standards meet the highest quality. Ashton utilises leading quality cabinetry and joinery materials to produce its world-class ranges.

AM Premium

AM Premium is the hallmark of superior quality and craftsmanship. These models exemplify elegance and refinement, with the most exquisite features and remarkable design-work. Only premium quality materials are used to produce this exclusive selection.

A1 Plantation Pine

A1 Plantation Pine is the highest quality radiata pine in the world. This timber is free of knots and blemishes, and often used in the finest quality joinery and mouldings of Ashton’s coffin and casket range. The majority of plantation pine forests are Forest Stewardship Council certified.

Australian timber veneers

Ashton uses exclusively Australian timber veneers, which are thin slices of pine, that are glued onto a substrate, such as particleboard or MDF, to produce a less expensive option than solid timber. Ashton’s solid timber veneers are polished to represent various tree species.

H₂O Ink

The image-wraps in our patented Expression Coffin range are produced using environmentally- friendly, water-based inks and the technology has been recognised as an industry leader in environmental certifications and awards.

We’re people focused and understand family

We greatly value the professional skills of our clients as they support and guide families through the process of arranging a funeral service for a loved one. Below are some common questions from our clients.

Why should I use Ashton?
Since 1977 we have manufactured and supplied premium quality caskets, coffins and accessories to Australian funeral homes and have become the trustworthy and reliable name in casket and coffin supplies.

We are a wholly Australian owned company and have the biggest, most comprehensive range of caskets and coffins available. Our range includes our patented Expression Coffin range, the internationally acclaimed Batesville Casket Company range and our more traditional Ashton Manufacturing range of caskets and coffins. Our range is always increasing as we predict and meet the emerging needs of modern funeral service requirements.

Some special attributes of Ashton caskets and coffins includes:

  • DiamondCoat Lacquer: our own specialised wood finish that dries by a solvent curing process, producing a smooth, hard, durable This finish can be of any sheen level from matte to high gloss. It is both combustible and ethanol free.
  • Sustainability: We use solid timber from managed forestry resources. Our MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) coffin range is produced from eZero MDF, and is manufactured from managed and renewable plantation pine.

We also offer unparalleled assistance to funeral homes around Australia through Ashton Assist, which is our suite of value-added services. These services include:

  • Graphic Design services for the creation of funeral home branded, printed and digital casket and coffin arrangement albums.
  • Our SET (Skill Enhancement Training) program is designed to improve funeral homes’ staff casket and coffin knowledge; develop a more professional approach to coffin selection that empowers families; and increase their understanding of the important role of funerals.
  • Technology support: such as casket and coffin iPad album set up and support and AVS (Ashton Virtual Showroom), Ashton’s proprietary funeral home virtual showroom concept.
Where is Ashton located? Do you deliver to my area?
Our head office and casket and coffin production facility is located on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. We have an 8000m2 site where our team of craftsmen and administration staff are located.

We also have our own distribution centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth that are all linked via our integrated logistic network of Ashton trucks and delivery personnel.

We have funeral director clients all across Australia and deliver to all areas. Please contact us to discuss what your regular scheduled delivery times will be.

What is your ‘standard’ coffin size?
Our standard internal coffin size is 180cm long x 52.5cm wide x 30cm deep.

This size is suitable for majority of funeral requirements and maintains aesthetically balanced proportions.

We also stock other sizes to suit the small percentage of cases that differ to our standard size. Coffins can be purchased with various internal dimensions, such as:

  • Widths – 50cm, 53cm, 55cm, 60cm, 75cm, 85cm
  • Lengths – 170cm, 180cm, 190cm, 200cm, 210cm
  • Depths – 30cm, 32.5cm, 35cm, 38cm, 45cm

(Please note that not all size combinations are available)

We also produce customised coffins to suit very large people, where coffin dimensions may exceed widths of 100cm.

Does Ashton keep stock of finished caskets and coffins?
Yes, because we understand that there are often short turnaround times between a person’s death and their funeral. And, we know the importance of supplying funeral homes on-time and when required.

Therefore, our production team stocks 3,500 – 4,000 finished caskets and coffins in our production facility and distribution centres around Australia. This is backed up by our integrated logistics network of Ashton delivery trucks and personnel that ensures a seamless process from ordering to delivery to your funeral home.

What happens if I need an urgent, unusual sized coffin?
We stock a range of oversized caskets and coffins throughout our distribution centres. These options are especially valuable for those times when a deceased person is larger than originally anticipated.

We also stock a range of child’s coffins and accessories in all of our distribution centres.

Are Ashton caskets and coffins still handmade?
Whilst automation and robotics play an important part in modern manufacturing, there is still a significant element of handmade craftsmanship that goes into each of our caskets and coffins. We employ many trade-qualified men and women to produce our stunning products and our high-end caskets will take a tradesperson up to 20 hours to create.
Can I visit Ashton’s production facility or distribution centres?
Yes. We encourage all funeral professionals to come through our facilities to gain a deeper understanding of our product range.

We offer specialised educational tours tailored for funeral professionals at our production facility on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

I have damaged a coffin, what should I do?
We understand that caskets and coffins get bumped and scratched in funeral homes. We are happy to repair any damages for you, alternatively, we supply free touch up kits that can be used to make quick, last-minute repairs before a funeral.

You can check our Resources page for more answers on repairing coffins and how to polish a coffin before a funeral.

Can I contact Ashton after-hours?
Yes, you are welcome to contact us if you have urgent requests after-hours. We can help you over the phone with stock availability and coffin sizes etc.

After-hours you can reach one of our team by calling our head-office phone number 1300 263 346 (1300 COFFIN).

Our head-office business hours are Monday – Friday 6:00am – 4:30pm (Qld time).

Do you only supply caskets and coffins?
No. We supply a full range of accessories such as casket and coffin handles, nameplates, draperies, mortuary products, child coffins, ashes urns, memorial books, crosses, crucifixes, grave markers, polythene coffin linings and more. We are your one-stop funeral supply shop.
I want to buy a coffin. Do you sell to the public?
No. We are a wholesale supplier and only sell our caskets and coffins to funeral industry professionals.