Expansion for Funeral Partners as
Third generation Funeral Director James Brown MBE
E
ighteen respected funeral homes across Northern Ireland have become part of the high-quality Funeral Partners network - which becomes the leading funeral provider in Northern Ireland. The investment by Funeral Partners sees James Brown & Sons, the name synonymous with arranging family funerals in Belfast since 1904, expanding to South Belfast and Dunmurry. The acquisition also includes 120-year-old Belfast businesses Houston & Williamson and Bairds of Antrim, which was founded in the late nineteenth century, and other established businesses in Bangor, Belfast, Carrickfergus, L’derry, Donaghadee, Dungannon, Glengormley, Holywood, Larne, Portadown and Newtownards. Funeral Partners is the UK’s third largest funeral business, with the new businesses bringing their total number of funeral homes to over 200, maintaining the heritage of more than 100 family businesses across England, Scotland and now Northern Ireland.
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Chief Executive Officer Sam Kershaw said: “As our first funeral acquisition outside the UK mainland, these 18 branches represent significant growth for Funeral Partners. “These well-established funeral businesses have excellent reputations in their local communities and we look forward to working with the local teams and investing in the businesses to ensure they continue to provide a caring and professional service to local families in Belfast and across Northern Ireland.” Funeral Partners understands the importance of traditional and cultural differences when providing funeral services in Northern Ireland compared to the mainland. Third generation Funeral Director James Brown MBE, whose grandfather founded James Brown & Sons, said: “I have been greatly encouraged by Funeral Partners’ willingness to engage with the businesses here in Northern Ireland and to listen to their views. “I have every confidence that the already excellent service our staff in Northern Ireland
