Dignity plc
 | |
| Type | Public (LSE: DTY) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Funeral services |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, UK |
| Key people |
Peter Hindley, Chairman Mike McCollum, CEO |
| Revenue | £229.6 million (2012)[1] |
| Operating income | £69.4 million (2012)[1] |
| Net income | £35.7 million (2012)[1] |
| Employees | circa 2,450 (2012) |
| Website | www.dignityfunerals.co.uk |
Dignity plc (LSE: DTY) is the largest provider of funeral services in the United Kingdom. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
History
The business was created in 1994 through the merger of Plantsbrook Group and Great Southern Group,[2] both of which companies had been acquired by Service Corporation International Inc earlier that year.[3] In 2002 the merged business was the subject of a management buy-out by the present management from Service Corporation International Inc.[4] The merger brought together a number of funeral service businesses including the following:[2]
- George S Munn, Glasgow – 1812
- Francis Chappell & Sons, London – 1840
- J Rymer, York – 1848
- Ginns & Gutteridge, Leicestershire – 1855
- Lawrence Funeral Service, Halifax – 1857
- E Finch & Sons, Aldershot – 1857
- Beckenham Cemetery, Kent – 1876
- J H Kenyon, London – 1880
- Frederick W Paine, London – 1884
- Perry Barr Crematorium, Birmingham – 1903
- John Bardgett & Son, Newcastle upon Tyne – 1914
- Jonathan Harvey, Glasgow – 1928
- South London Crematorium – 1930
- Seaford & Newhaven Funeral Service, East Sussex – 1950
- Smiths, Funeral Directors, Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
- Joseph Potts, Funeral Directors, Carluke and Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
- Joseph Potts, Funeral Directors, Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland.
The company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2004.[2]
Operations
The company is based in Sutton Coldfield, owns over 600 funeral homes, and operates over 35 crematoriums, across the country.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Preliminary Results 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Dignity: History
- ↑ Competition Commission
- ↑ Management buy-out funeral giant BBC, 11 February 2002
- ↑ Increase in pre-paid funeral plans boosts Dignity profits Herald Scotland, 8 March 2012
