Arthur C Towner, the sixth-generation funeral director that has served the Hastings and Rother area of East Sussex for more than 150 years, has been named a finalist in The Gerald Edelman Family Business of the Year Award at The Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards 2026. According to the business, it is the last firm of its kind from the 19th century still in local independent hands.
The company was established in 1875 by Frederick Edward Towner, a cabinet maker and undertaker in St Leonards-on-Sea, as recorded on the company’s history pages, and was incorporated in 1938. Today it operates branches in St Leonards, Bexhill and Battle. Managing Director Oliver Towner took charge in 2021, succeeding his father Edward after his 46 years with the firm, the company’s website notes.
Modernising a conservative trade
Under Oliver Towner’s leadership, the business reports a deliberate transformation from a traditional, reactive model to an innovation-led organisation that challenges the norms of its sector. Over the past 18 months it has introduced a formal HR function headed by a CIPD-qualified manager, with recruitment refocused on emotional intelligence and values alignment. The result, according to the entry, is stronger onboarding, improved team cohesion and a workplace built on trust, flexibility and wellbeing support.
Innovation extends to the tools of the trade. Oliver has developed STYX, a proprietary funeral management system, and the business says he is pioneering a first-of-its-kind low-carbon cremation shroud with global potential.
Leading on sustainability
Elected to the SAIF National Executive Committee in 2024, Oliver was quickly appointed to chair its new Environmental Group, helping to shape sustainability standards across the independent funeral sector. Environmental responsibility runs through the firm itself, from renewable energy, electric vehicles and paperless operations to a long-term goal of carbon-neutral funerals, and the company is a founder member of the Association of Green Funeral Directors.
That commitment has brought recognition in other programmes, including back-to-back Funeral Service Awards for Sustainability in 2024 and 2025 and a Good Funeral Awards 2024 Green Company of the Year nomination, alongside annual listing in The Good Funeral Guide as one of the best in the country.
Steady through change
The company reports that it navigated COVID-19, regulatory change and a leadership transition without raising prices, and now sits in a stable, growth-oriented position, with a separate NAMM-accredited stonemasonry operation adding further resilience. Quiet, consistent support for local charities, youth programmes and environmental projects reflects a purpose beyond profit built over generations.
Arthur C Towner now joins its fellow finalists on the Family Business of the Year shortlist. Winners of the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards will be revealed at Grosvenor House, London, on 10 November 2026.
