A goal scoring England international and chairman of the Darlington based Carpenter's home decorating chain, he continues to make waves at 34.

Two years ago, they note, their hostile bid for one of Britain's largest funeral home chains succeeded despite one family's majority control.

Even with these onerous charges, many of the largest for-profit nursing home chains have had to restructure financially or file for bankruptcy.

The news will come as a relief to care home chains that have been struggling to stop occupancy rates falling.

Last month, Hillhaven turned down the $31-a-share offer from Horizon Healthcare, a smaller nursing home chain.

His anger is complicated when a major funeral home chain, Kroehner Service International, harasses the brothers to sell to them.

Loewen, the nation's second-largest funeral home chain, has independently signed or completed $715 million of other acquisitions this year.

Shares of Loewen, a Canadian funeral home chain, surged after the settlement was announced.

Service Corporation, the world's largest funeral home chain, raised its stock offer for its chief rival from $43, to $45 a share, or more than $3.2 billion.

Mowlam Healthcare is Ireland's largest nursing home chain.