Scottish funeral directors business sold for undisclosed sum

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Fosters Funeral Directors was established in 2011 by Tony Foster. It subsequently “undertook a period of expansion” following investment by August Equity LLP in 2017, Scotmid noted, with Fosters operating from a head office in Glasgow and employing around 80 staff.

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Karen Scott, chief executive of Scotmid Co-operative, said “This is an exciting acquisition for Scotmid, and is absolutely in line with our strategy to grow our funeral business. The Fosters business is a great fit geographically, extending our branch network further west and bringing with it some very experienced people in the funeral sector.”

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Nick McLaughlin, managing director of Fosters, said: “By combining the strengths of these two well-respected brands, Scotmid and Fosters are poised to elevate funeral standards across Scotland. Customers can continue to expect a seamless, caring, and empathetic experience only made better by the unique values and principles of Scotland’s largest independent co-operative”.

Ms Scott paid tribute to John Brodie, who recently retired as chief executive of Scotmid and led the transaction.

She said that Mr Brodie “leaves us with a funeral business which is now much larger and geographically diverse”.

Scotmid describes itself as “Scotland’s largest independent co-operative”, employing around 3,600 people.

It has more than 180 convenience food stores spread throughout Scotland. It also owns Semichem, the health and beauty chain which has more than 60 stores in Scotland and Northern Ireland and the north of England.

Scotmid’s property division has a portfolio of more than 500 commercial and residential properties throughout Scotland.