Hillenbrand to expand cremation business, marketing

NEW YORK, May 13 (Reuters) - Casket and cremation urn maker Hillenbrand Inc (HI.N) said on Tuesday it plans to expand both its cremation business and its marketing in 2008.

The Batesville, Indiana-based company will spend "a couple million" on the cremation business and marketing, respectively, Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Camp told Reuters in an interview after Hillenbrand released second-quarter results, its first as a stand-alone company.

Hillenbrand is hiring both marketers and a team to focus on the cremation business.

Spun off from its parent in March, the largest U.S. manufacturer of caskets reported earnings of $23.3 million, or 37 cents per share.

Second-quarter revenue rose 6 percent to $191.4 million. (Reporting by Helen Chernikoff)