Funeral Partners acquires ‘record’ number of businesses in 2024

Funeral Partners has revealed that 2024 was its busiest calendar year on record, having acquired a “record-breaking” 12 new businesses in the space of 12 months. This acquisition period means that the group now has a total of 10,000 years of heritage within its network, as some of the funeral providers acquired date back hundreds of years. The group completed a variety of deals from Dorset in the south west to Bishop Auckland in the north east, bringing the network to more than 280 funeral homes and 140 family brands. The 12 acquisitions were Nicholas O’Hara Funeral Directors in Dorset; W Sherry and Sons in London, including JR Barton and Sons; George Brooke Funeral Directors and G E Harley and Sons in West Yorkshire; M. Rushton Funeral Directors in Southport; Joseph O’Connell Funeral Service in Oxfordshire; White Dove Funeral Home in Staffordshire; Gibson’s Funeral Service in Bishop Auckland; Murray’s Funeral Directors in Staffordshire; and Malone and Fox Funeral Directors in Glasgow. Following such a successful year, Funeral Partners’ acquisitions team are already planning for a busy 2025 – having announced that “a healthy pipeline of high quality businesses” are set to join the network in the coming months. As well as increasing their footprint in England and Scotland, Funeral Partners aims to expand the number of businesses they have in Northern Ireland and Wales. Sam Kershaw, CEO of Funeral Partners, said: “I’d like to thank every former owner who has chosen to put their trust in us to continue their legacy and place in the heart of their local community. This is not a responsibility we take lightly, and we are so proud a record number of businesses have joined us this last year. “One of the most crucial benefits that we bring as a group is the central support office, the regulatory framework and care of the deceased policies and procedures, which are there to protect our teams and the clients. We take this part of our operational commitment very seriously and continue to invest in these areas to ensure we remain compliant, whilst providing exemplary care to all our families.” He added: “In the current economic climate, we are all aware of the impact of increased costs of products and services from suppliers as well as the impacts on business and capital gains taxes. Now may be the right time for some funeral home owners to look at maximising the income from any business sale to safeguard the financial security of their business and future legacy.”