ORLANDO, Fla. – Foundation Partners Group, a leading provider of innovative funeral and cemetery experiences and products, today announced the acquisition of Farley Funeral Homes and Crematory in Venice and North Port, Florida, and Venice Memorial Gardens in Venice, Florida. The acquisition is the company’s sixth this year and it expands Foundation Partners’ Florida footprint to 35 locations and its national footprint to 166 locations.
“Michelle Farley Williams and John Williams have an outstanding reputation in their community and the profession. The Farley name is synonymous with an unwavering commitment to customer service and innovation,” said Tom Kominsky, Foundation Partners Group chief financial officer. “We continue to grow our footprint in Florida and throughout the Southeast, and the Farley team is a great example of the type of industry leaders we are bringing into the Foundation Partners family.”
The Farley family has been in the funeral profession for over 90 years. John J. Farley, Farley Williams’ grandfather, opened his first funeral home in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1932. After selling the Indiana location to his brother in 1962, he opened a funeral home in Venice, Florida with the help of his four sons – David, Joseph, Mark and Phillip. David’s daughter, Michelle Farley Williams, and her husband, John Williams, purchased the funeral home 15 years ago and continued its steady growth.
When it came time to consider selling the business, preserving and honoring her family’s legacy was a top priority for Farley Williams. “Our family has always talked about how we would approach the funeral home leaving our hands,” she said. “We want to continue to be present in our community so we looked for a partner that would make us proud for years to come.”
Farley Funeral Home is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the community, Williams said. “Over time, our market has become much more progressive so we knew we had to stay on the leading edge or be left behind. We are very proud of our approach to innovation so we looked for a partner who also valued innovation – one that could anticipate our community’s needs and grow with it,” he said. “Things are changing and we are confident that Foundation Partners will meet consumers where they are today and where they will be tomorrow. They don’t approach change reluctantly; they embrace it.”
“Foundation Partners isn’t just investing in the future of the business, but also in the future of Farley employees,” Williams added. “We have bright people who are going places. Foundation Partners can give them the most competitive benefits and opportunities for advancement at an organization that is scaling to offer even better and more comprehensive services to our families.”
Williams will be joining the Foundation Partners team as director of cemetery strategy, overseeing cemetery development across the company’s entire portfolio.
About Foundation Partners Group: Orlando, Florida-based Foundation Partners Group is one of the industry’s most innovative providers of funeral services. The company owns and operates a network of nearly 170 funeral homes, cremation centers and cemeteries across 20 states. Our organizational structure allows us to embrace and grow the legacies of the local funeral homes we acquire while leveraging the economies of scale, deep understanding of technology, and our ShareLife® customer experience-centered approach to deliver truly innovative and compassionate care to the families we serve. Visit www.foundationpartners.com to learn more.
