Rowland Brothers International

What Rowland Brothers International does

Rowland Brothers International is a UK-based, privately held specialist in international body repatriation, operating from Croydon since 1971 as the international division of the seventh-generation Rowland Brothers funeral business (family roots to 1873). The company coordinates the cross-border return of deceased individuals and cremated remains from any country to any destination, handling collection, embalming, documentation, consular liaison, coffin/casket/urn supply, flight booking, and final delivery. A multi-lingual team covering English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, and Russian underpins 24/7/365 service for bereaved families, UK and overseas funeral directors, assistance and insurance companies, corporations, and embassies.

The core technology is human-led case coordination supported by three operational assets: a curated network of 500+ funeral agents and airline partners worldwide, a client business portal providing case management and daily updates for enterprise accounts, and standardised cross-border procedures adopted by partner agents. The company is BS ISO 9001 certified and operates the official NAFD helpline. Its product architecture is modular — the core repatriation service is augmented by add-on modules including documentation, translation, chapel of rest, exhumation, cryonics, cremation, coffins/caskets/urns, and educational programmes for corporate clients.

Revenue derives primarily from project-based professional-services fees for full repatriation packages (typically £1,800-£4,000+ depending on destination) plus ancillary hardware sales (coffins, caskets, urns), with a growing subscription/recurring layer from pre-paid repatriation funeral plans through the Golden Leaves International partnership. Go-to-market combines 24/7 direct-to-consumer telephone service, an enterprise client portal for assistance companies, channel partnerships through the NAFD helpline and the global funeral-agent network, and content marketing for top-of-funnel awareness. The company is family-controlled (Chairman Tony Rowland and Managing Director Stephen Rowland) with no external institutional capital.

Name

Rowland Brothers International

Legal name

Rowland Brothers International Limited

Website

https://rowlandbrothersinternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1873

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Rowland Brothers International is a UK-based private specialist in international body repatriation, coordinating cross-border transport of deceased individuals and cremated remains to any global destination for bereaved families, funeral directors, assistance/insurance companies, corporations, and embassies through a 500+ agent network since 1971.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Funeral Repatriation Services

NAICS

Death Care Services (8122), All Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (561599), Funeral Homes and Funeral Services (812210)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Remains & Medical Specimens Forwarding (TLACAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Evacuation, Repatriation & Extraction Services (THACANAG), Travel Assistance & Concierge Services (Non-Insurance) (FSAJAJAF), Customs Clearance & Import Documentation Services (HSAKACAC)

Keywords

• International repatriation services
• Funeral repatriation logistics
• Body repatriation coordination
• International funeral services
• Repatriation documentation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Croydon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Full Repatriation Services: Comprehensive international repatriation service including collection, preparation, documentation, coffin, flight booking, and delivery to final destination. Price varies by destination route.
2. Coffins, Caskets & Urns: Sale of coffins, caskets and urns suitable for both repatriation travel and funeral services. Hermetically sealed containers for international transport.
3. Pre-paid Funeral Plans: Partnership with Golden Leaves International offering repatriation funeral plans, especially helpful for expatriates planning ahead.
4. Flight Booking Services: Transportation and flight booking for deceased and cremated remains at preferential rates as part of full service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rowland Brothers International provides international body repatriation services, coordinating the return of deceased individuals from any country to any destination worldwide. The core service covers collection, preparation, embalming, documentation (including death certificates, passports and consular paperwork), coffin/casket supply, flight booking and final delivery. Adjacent services include ashes repatriation, coffins/caskets/urns supply, translation, bereavement support, cremation, exhumation and pre-paid repatriation funeral plans via Golden Leaves International.

Product overview

Rowland Brothers International operates as a specialized international repatriation service provider with a modular service architecture. The core offering is the International Body Repatriation Service, which coordinates the return of deceased individuals across country boundaries. This core service is enhanced by modular add-ons including Transportation & Flight Booking, Coffins/Caskets/Urns, Documentation Services, Translation Services, and Collection & Delivery Services. The company also offers complementary services such as Global Funeral Services, Cremation Services, Chapel of Rest facilities, Bereavement Support, and Cryonics/Exhumation services. For corporate clients, they provide a dedicated Client Business Portal and Educational Days programs. A partnership with Golden Leaves International enables pre-planned repatriation funeral plans. With over 500 agents worldwide and services spanning Europe, Africa, Americas, Asia, and Oceania, the company provides repatriation from any country to any destination with typical timelines of 5-10 working days.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Body Repatriation Service
• Ashes Repatriation Service
• Repatriation Funeral Plans (Golden Leaves International)
• Global Funeral Services
• Coffins, Caskets and Urns
• Educational Days for Corporate and Assistance Clients

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Golden Leaves InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership offering repatriation funeral plans through Golden Leaves International, particularly helpful for expatriates who want to pre-plan and pre-pay for their repatriation to relieve family burden.
• National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperate official freephone helpline 0800 917 3585 for NAFD members for over 15 years, providing repatriation services and support to funeral directors across the UK.
• FIAT/IFTA (World Organisation of Funeral Operatives)minorOthersMember of international funeral operatives organisation for world-wide networking and industry standards.
• National Association of Memorial MasonsminorOthersIndustry membership for memorial masonry services coordination.
• British Institute of EmbalmingminorOthersProfessional membership for embalming standards and practices.
• International Order of the Golden RuleminorOthersInternational funeral industry membership organisation.
• 500+ Global Funeral Agents and PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of funeral agents worldwide selected for reputation and quality of service. Partners adopt RBI standard procedures ensuring consistent quality worldwide. Over 500 agents available to coordinate repatriation logistics globally.
• Rowland Brothers FoundationminorOthersCorporate social responsibility initiative involved in community initiatives and charitable work.
• Rowland Brothers GroupcoreOthersParent company of Rowland Brothers International, also operating Rowland Brothers funeral directors since 1873, Rowland Brothers Shop for coffins and urns, and RB Exhumations for exhumation services.
• Airlines (British Airways, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Air Zimbabwe, Air France, Cathay Pacific, Cyprus Airways, Iberia, Qantas, Singapore Airlines)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with major airlines for repatriation flight booking. Preferential rates available through full repatriation service. Major airlines include British Airways, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Air Zimbabwe, Air France, Cathay Pacific, Cyprus Airways, Iberia, Qantas, Singapore Airlines.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Europ Assistance: Global travel assistance company providing medical assistance, repatriation, and travel insurance support. Comparable to RBI in the international repatriation service offering and corporate/insurance client base, though part of a much broader assistance services portfolio.
• Dignity plc: One of the UK's largest funeral services operators, listed on the London Stock Exchange. Comparable to RBI as a major UK funeral services provider with broader service portfolio (funerals, pre-paid plans, crematoria), but does not specialize in international repatriation.
• International SOS: Global medical and travel security assistance company that provides medical evacuation and repatriation services to corporate clients. Comparable to RBI in the international repatriation capability and B2B assistance company relationships, but operates at much larger scale across medical, security, and travel assistance.
• Co-operative Funeralcare: Major UK funeral services provider operated by the Co-operative Group. Comparable to RBI as a significant UK funeral industry participant with national reach, though focused on domestic funeral services rather than international repatriation.
• Funeral Partners: UK funeral services group operating a network of funeral homes across the country. Comparable to RBI as a UK funeral services operator, though focused on domestic services rather than international repatriation specialization.

Direct peers

• Repatriation Services Worldwide: UK-based international repatriation specialist serving families and funeral directors with global coordination services. Directly comparable to RBI in niche specialization, B2B channel through UK funeral directors, and full-service repatriation coordination.
• Cain Foad International Repatriation: Specialist international repatriation service operating from the UK. Directly comparable to RBI in terms of service offering (international body repatriation, documentation, flight booking, local coordination) and target customer base, particularly UK funeral directors and bereaved families.
• Heritage International Repatriation: UK-based international repatriation specialist offering body repatriation services across multiple countries. Directly comparable to RBI in service scope, customer base (families, funeral directors, assistance companies), and target market, with similar focus on coordination of documentation, flights, and local funeral services.

Emerging players

• Air Ambulance Worldwide: Provider of international air ambulance and medical repatriation services. Comparable to RBI in the international cross-border patient transport capability, though focused on medical evacuation of living patients rather than body repatriation. Both serve assistance companies and insurance clients.
• Golden Leaves International: UK pre-paid funeral plan provider that partners with RBI to offer repatriation funeral plans. Comparable as an adjacent player in the prepaid funeral plan market with repatriation-focused products, though not a direct repatriation services competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rowlandbrosint
• Facebookfacebook.com/RowlandBrothersInt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rowland-brothers-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/rowlandbrothersinternational

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rowland Brothers International