Our story - Edwin Pounds & Sons Funeral Directors
Background
Edwin Pounds & Sons has 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. Edwin had eleven children, eight boys and three girls with all the boys working in the business, hence why it was given its name.
The centenary of Edwin Pounds & Sons was in 2004 when Charles, Edwin’s last remaining child was still working in the business, aged 85. He passed away in 2006 leaving granddaughter Judith and great grandson Simon Broome to run the business.
Judith retired in 2007, leaving Simon in charge with his wife Helen working as the Office Manager.
Simon remains Business Principal for Edwin Pounds and is proud to have continued working from the premises in which his grandfather spent much of his life.
“It has definitely been a weight off my shoulders. I was trying to be a Funeral Director and deal with all the legal aspects, the paperwork, and the regulations.
Considerations
With Simon and Helen’s two children following their own paths in life, there was no succession plan which secured the future of the business, so Simon decided to explore alternative options through the sale of the business.
“I spoke to my family about it, and when I explained the situation fully, they understood why we were looking at our options.
Simon had received a leaflet from the Funeral Partners Acquisitions Team in the post and whilst on the school-run one day, decided to take the plunge and give the team a call. He said the call was relaxed and informal and at no point did he feel under any obligation.
“We then went out to several companies, and Funeral Partners still seemed the best option. It didn’t seem profit-focused – much more about the families.”
“Everyone at Funeral Partners we dealt with was great, from the very first conversation.”
The Logistics
Simon said he found the due diligence process more difficult than expected.
“It’s a long process which takes a lot of time and goes into great detail,” he said.
Former owners often comment on the due diligence process being a little more onerous than anticipated. As with any business sale it is important to select solicitors who have managed these sorts of transactions previously to ensure the right level of support is available.
Simon goes on to explain: “The other difficult part was, for the majority of the time, it was confidential, so we were trying to get things together without yet informing the staff, while also arranging and conducting funerals.
He praised Funeral Partners Head of Acquisition Integration David McCarthy who spent a month with the team at Edwin Pounds & Sons following the sale.
Having hands-on support during the transition period was particularly beneficial at what was an immensely busy time with funerals.
Helen explained “David knew exactly when to step in and explain something, and when to just let us get on with what we were doing.
Moving Forward
Less than a year after joining Funeral Partners, a new branch of Edwin Pounds & Sons had been opened on the other side of Bradford in Wibsey.
Funeral Arranger Brigid-Mary Oates is running the home, with business starting brightly.
Helen said: She’s fantastic and exactly the right person for that new branch.
“It’s working out exactly as we had hoped, with people across the city knowing who we are, and them being able to access us more easily.”
Simon said his team had worked hard to get used to new ways of working, mostly brought about by the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) regulations, plus adjustments to their on-call rota, but were now adapting well.
The Result
Simon said that since joining Funeral Partners his stress levels dropped and he was able to enjoy a healthier work life balance.
“It has definitely been a weight off my shoulders. I was trying to be a Funeral Director and deal with all the legal aspects, the paperwork, and the regulations.
“Now I have got Funeral Partners behind me, I can get out again and meet people. That’s what I am good at and why I love the job.”
Partner Stories
John Blenkiron & Sons – Our Story
Read the full story
Ian Chambers & Jeff Brighty’s Story
Read the full story