A funeral business which has been operating in Blackpool for more than a century, run by four generations of the same family, has become the latest company to join Funeral Partners.
Box Bros. Ltd was formed in 1915 by Thomas Edwin Box initially specialising in transport before expanding further, including into funerals, in the 1920s.
Trevor Box, the founder’s grandson, joined in the 1940s. The business would eventually focus solely on funerals, becoming Box Bros. Funeral Directors. They were one of the first in the country to offer families the use of a private ambulance and worldwide repatriation services.
Susan Haslem, Trevor’s daughter, has been managing the business for the past three years alongside her husband Peter. They previously enjoyed successful careers in nursing and the fire service respectively.
They used their career experience and knowledge to bring a different perspective and drive improvements to the funeral home’s operations, continuing to build on the reputation, the support and care they provide for their clients and their families and have now taken the decision to sell the business.
Funeral Partners was chosen as an acquisitions partner to ensure the legacy of Susan’s father was respected and that all their colleagues based at their funeral homes in Blackpool and nearby Poulton le Fylde, would remain employed.
Susan said: “Our daughters have their own career aspirations outside of the funeral profession. By joining Funeral Partners this was a way to ensure the Box Bros’ name in the community and in the funeral profession kept going for years to come – which was something my father desperately wanted.
“We also wanted to make sure that the team had job security. We have a great team, many of whom we have known for a long time as friends, and others who have become friends over the years, so knowing their futures were secure and that there would be continuity in the team for our families, was a massive reason for us choosing Funeral Partners.”
Susan said her experience with the people involved in the acquisition at Funeral Partners had been first-class.
“Everybody has been professional, friendly and helpful,” she said.
“Throughout the sale process, Acquisitions Director Steve Wilkinson kept us informed every step of the way and even when there were minor delays, his constant communication and reassurance meant we knew everything was on track.”
Susan and Peter have decided to step back from the day-to-day business, handing the reigns to new Diary and Logistics Manager David Potts and Funeral Manager Andrew Whitaker who have been recruited to lead Box Bros going forwards. They will be working alongside long-serving Office Manager Kim Bonar and the rest of the team, including Funeral Director Adrian Anderson who has been at Box Bros for more than 30 years.
David and Andew previously worked together at Layton Funeral Directors, a business which was set up by David’s mother Jenny and late father Mick, who had a wonderful relationship with the Box Bros team for many years.
David worked closely with his late father from a very young age, starting permanently in 1990, whilst Andrew has spent nearly two decades working in the funeral industry locally, and most recently ran his own business.
“Andrew and I are both excited to be working together again with Kim, Adrian and the team and for the future of the business,” David said.
Kim added: “It has been a privilege to help so many families during my 26 years at Box Bros, and I am looking forward to this new chapter in the history of the business working alongside, Andrew, David and the Funeral Partners’ team.”
Funeral Partners’ CEO Sam Kershaw said: “I’d like to thank Susan and Peter for putting their trust in us and I am delighted that their experience during the acquisition process was so positive.
“This has strengthened our presence in the Northwest of England. With the strength of the team we have in place I know we can continue the remarkable legacy their family have built up in Blackpool and along the Fylde coast as part of the Funeral Partners’ family.”
