When most university athletes talk about life after sports, the conversation usually turns to coaching, corporate careers, or staying connected to the game in some way. But for Cameron Guest, the journey after his time as a running back at McMaster University led somewhere entirely different: into the memorial and monument industry — and eventually to becoming the founder of Forest City Memorials, a growing full-service monument business based in London, Ontario.
His story doesn’t begin with business strategy or market opportunity. It begins with family.
In 2021, Guest’s father — a longtime owner of C&L Cemetery Lettering Inc., a mobile headstone engraving operation — was diagnosed with multiple forms of cancer. The business, which had served funeral homes and cemeteries across Southwestern Ontario for years, suddenly needed someone to keep it running.
Guest made the decision to step away from competitive football and return home. It was a decision grounded in loyalty rather than career planning.
“I didn’t expect my life to move in this direction,” Guest shared in the press release. “But when my dad got sick, I knew this was where I was supposed to be.”
What began as supporting his father’s business through illness soon became something deeper: a realization that the work carried significance, connection, and legacy.
Re-Envisioning a Traditional Industry
After running the mobile engraving business for a year, Guest and his mother saw an opportunity to expand its potential. In October 2023, they launched Forest City Memorials, shifting the business model from mobile-only engraving to full in-house monument design, creation, engraving, and restoration.
This expansion reflects a broader business trend: the return to local production, even in industries that traditionally outsource craftsmanship to large regional manufacturers.
Forest City Memorials positions itself differently in three ways:
| Business Element | Standard Industry Model | Forest City Memorials’ Model |
| Production | Outsourced to large suppliers | Produced locally in London |
| Customer Experience | Transactional, cemetery-directed | Guided, personal, story-driven |
| Customization | Limited to catalog designs | Fully personalized design |
For consumers, this translates to more transparency, more flexibility, and more authenticity during a highly emotional purchase process.
Restoration and Legacy Work as a Competitive Advantage
One of the fastest-growing segments of the business is memorial restoration — something many families don’t realize is possible.
Over time, even the best headstones fade, accumulate moss, or lose engraving visibility. Rather than replacing the monument, Forest City Memorials uses sandblasting and precision engraving tools to restore lettering and details on-site.
A photograph included in the press release showed Guest in the process of resealing inscriptions — a careful task that requires both skilled craftsmanship and deep respect for the history being preserved.
This service sits at the intersection of:
- Conservation
- Community heritage
- Family memory preservation
And it differentiates Forest City Memorials in a market that often focuses solely on new monument sales.
Building a Business on Empathy and Trust
What stands out most about Forest City Memorials isn’t just the production model — it’s the emotional intelligence built into its operations.
Guest and his team view their role as guides, not just providers. They spend time listening to families’ stories, discussing personal details, and learning about the loved one being honoured.
This approach produces two important business outcomes:
- High client satisfaction and trust
- Referral-based growth without aggressive advertising
“Families come back to visit and talk,” Guest noted. “It’s not a one-time transaction. It’s a relationship built during a difficult moment.”
In service industries — particularly those involving grief — this type of relationship-focused brand positioning is a strategic advantage that can’t be easily replicated.
Where the Business Is Heading Next
With a local production shop, growing demand, and a clear identity, Forest City Memorials is positioned for sustainable expansion. Guest has indicated that future goals include:
- Hiring additional craftspeople
- Introducing more bespoke design options
- Continuing restoration partnerships with area cemeteries
- Increasing community education about direct monument purchasing
The business is still young, but its strategic foundation is solid: purpose-led growth, strong customer relationships, and a commitment to keeping craftsmanship local.
A Legacy Continued — and Evolved
The story behind Forest City Memorials is not only about entrepreneurship — it’s about continuity. What began as a son stepping in to help his father became a new business chapter rooted in respect, craftsmanship, and community service.
In that sense, Guest did not walk away from football. He simply transferred the discipline, resilience, and leadership he built on the field into an entirely new arena.
And in doing so, he created something lasting — not just in stone, but in the way families experience remembrance.
