Two more established funeral businesses devoted to serving their communities have joined the Funeral Partners network.
Edwin Pounds & Sons have been operating on the same site in Bradford for more than 100 years – initially working in the farming and coal industries before moving exclusively into funerals after the Second World War.
Simon Broome, now Business Principal for Funeral Partners, is Edwin Pounds’ great grandson. He is proud to have continued working from the premises his grandfather spent his much of his life.and will continue to do so under the new ownership.
“The key to our success is longevity,” he said.
“People call us and ask to speak to the same people they have dealt with before – they really want a familiar face and voice to support them through one of the most difficult times in their life.
“By the same token, we’ve had people go elsewhere and then say they wish they had come back to us because of the service we offer.
“What I love about the work is going out into the community and meeting people, even though I’ve been more office-based for the last few years.”
The business has always been a family affair with the majority of Edwin’s 11 children working there at some point. When Simon’s mother retired 15 years ago, his wife, Helen, joined the team, running the day-to-day operation of the office.
Simon said ‘’Securing the future of his team was a big factor in choosing to work with Funeral Partners.
“Of all the big companies, Funeral Partners are the best in my opinion, they really value and respect the people that have helped build this business,” he said.
“I felt I had a duty to my team to ensure they are OK. Many of them have been with us for a long time and I wanted to make sure they were looked after.”
John Roach Funeral Directors of Johnstone, Renfrewshire, in Scotland was established two decades ago by John and his business partner Les Boyce, who officially launched their new venture on Christmas Eve in 2001.
John, who is staying on as Business Principal alongside Les, explained how the pair thought they had mastered the processes needed in the funeral business quickly, before being given a reality check.
“We had five funerals in the first week, but over the next month we only did two,” he said.
“In our first year, we calculated we needed 88 funerals to break even and we did 88 exactly – there is nothing like cutting it fine.
“I have loved the last 20 years in the industry, dealing with our families is very rewarding.
“A lot of people thank you from the heart for delivering their funeral request to the very last detail. You are asking clients to put lot of trust in you, and it is a privilege to provide the service.
“The key to our success is continuity. We’ve had the same people in the business for 21 years and you know who you are going to speak to.”
After more than two decades serving the community, John said Funeral Partners were the perfect company to work alongside.
“There is no feeling of being swallowed up by a corporate giant,” John said. “It is like joining a big family.”
Funeral Partners CEO Sam Kershaw said: “With reputations built on compassion and high standards, we are delighted that both Edwin Pounds & Son and John Roach Funeral Directors have chosen Funeral Partners as their acquisition partner.
“These are exactly the sort of businesses we strive to work with, we share their ambitions to retain the rituals and tradition of funerals and their dedication to the profession. Together we will protect and grow the businesses to enable them to continue to serve their communities, which is at very heart of what we do.”
More information about Edwin Pounds and Sons can be found at www.edwinpoundsandsons.co.uk/ while more details on John Roach Funeral Directors are available at www.funeraldirectorsjohnstone.co.uk/