E Gill and Sons joins Funeral Partners

Funeral Partners has announced that the Newark-based family business, E Gill and Sons, has joined its network of funeral providers. The business has been family-run for five generations, when Edwin Gill first took ownership of the business in 1915 from his previous employer. His son, Edwin J Gill, became the principal in 1930, and two decades later was joined by his two sons, John and Peter. In 1958, the family opened a hardware and gardening shop to complement the funeral and joinery business, which was a “thriving” part of its operation until the family made the decision to close it in 2003. The old hardware and gardening shop is now a showroom for the funeral group’s masonry arm. The business is now run by the fourth generation of Gills – David, Simon and Emma-Jane – with David’s son Ian and Simon’s son Nick adding to the family involvement. According to David Gill, now is the right time to find an acquisition partner for management, regulatory and marketing support, while the family carries on their work in the community. Gill said: “Our family has been in business for over 100 years and people we meet know and recognise us, not just through our funeral services, but also our work in the shop. In fact, people tell us even now they miss the shop, which is very heartwarming. “In the funeral industry, the regulation, legal and administration required is getting harder and harder to keep up with when trying to focus on the quality of the client service. Simon and I have worked 60-hour weeks for as long as we can remember, and our sons probably want a better work life balance than we’ve had.” He added: “Looking to the future, we feel it is the right time to do this to protect our business and the next generation of Gills. Having a support network means we can focus on what we do best and that’s working with families.” Sam Kershaw, CEO of Funeral Partners, said: “E Gill and Sons Funeral Directors is exactly the sort of business we are keen to work with at Funeral Partners. They have a rich history which we will respect, and a fantastic reputation in the community. “It is business as usual, enabling the family to run the day-to-day business with a Gill at the helm. I look forward to working with David, Simon and the rest of the family.”