Viner & Sons, established in 1777 by William Viner in West Malling, Kent, is one of the country’s oldest family-run independent funeral directors. The well known and respected firm is now owned by James Gardner and his wife Charlotte.
James’s connection to Viner & Sons began when he was 14, working a Saturday job cleaning fleet vehicles. James continued to work with the firm at intervals before leaving university to join Viner & Sons full-time.
As a young man with ambition, James worked in London for two years, before he joined his older brother Paul Gardner and set up a business in plastic manufacturing. The company became a hugely successful multinational with offices in both London and the US and was eventually sold to a US firm with all staff kept on, including James and his brother Paul. In 2019, after three years as MD, James decided to leave the business and begin a new venture, uncertain of what that might be.
James Gardner commented, “The famous Benjamin Franklin quote ‘nothing is certain except death and taxes’ kept coming to mind, and I decided to return to my roots and visit my old bossand mentor at Viner & Sons. I mentioned that if he were ever to sell the business, I would be interested in continuing the Viner legacy, and by March 2020, Charlotte and I were signed and sealed as the new owners”.
The purchase of Viner & Sons coincided with the global Covid pandemic, and the country went into lockdown; James and Charlotte then faced unprecedented change and uncertainty in the funeral industry.
James commented, “We were determined that Viners would continue to serve the community with the same dignity and professionalism it has always been known for.” He added, “We decided to invest in a new first-call vehicle as, during this time, it would be the most important vehicle in our fleet.”
James contacted family-run independent Superior UK Automotive Ltd and soon took delivery of a brand new Mercedes-Benz Vito removal vehicle fitted with Superior’s market-leading ‘Rise&Fall’ decking system.
“The Vito was a game-changer for us in terms of functionality and ease of use for our staff, and the hearse-like interior gives families a greater sense of dignity when we arrive to take loved ones into our care.”, said James.
When James and Charlotte recently decided to upgrade their Mercedes hearse, they went directly to Superior’s Jon Helm, who supplied them with an immaculate 2016 Binz hearse. James commented, “The timing was perfect – Jon delivered a pristine hearse that matches our existing Mercedes fleet at Viners and our other recently acquired funeral firm, Hogben & Partis, perfectly.”
James and Charlotte have also opened an art gallery and retail shop in the heart of West Malling and hold regular coffee mornings as a support hub for local residents to connect and socialise. The pair proudly support their community and other small businesses in all their endeavours; James commented, “We want the local community to get to know us before they need us.”
