McLean, VA-based Sunrise Senior Living will exit as manager of the 46 communities in the United Kingdom that operate under the Sunrise and Gracewell Healthcare brands as it focuses on its communities in the United States and Canada, the company announced this morning.
Management of the communities will be assumed by Signature Senior Lifestyle and Care UK, with existing employees remaining in place to provide continuity in services. The transition is expected to be complete by the end of the year, the company said.
“Looking forward, we see tremendous potential for growth across North America for Sunrise over the next decade. Capitalizing on these exciting opportunities requires an intense focus on our top strategic priorities, and we are doubling down on our collective efforts to champion quality of life for seniors across the United States and Canada where we believe strong market demand exists for highly personalized care and services,” Sunrise CEO Jack R. Callison Jr. said in a statement. Callison became CEO April 1.
Founded in 1981 by Paul and Terry Klaassen, the company now has 268 senior living communities in the United States and 15 in Canada, according to a profile posted on the corporate website. Most of the U.S. communities offer independent living, assisted living or memory care, although 10 offer skilled nursing.
Sunrise, Callison said, will focus on “our robust ground-up development pipeline, the redevelopment of existing communities, the continued lease-up of our newly opened communities, and the strategic acquisition of new management contracts.”
Sunrise has operated in the UK for the past 20 years, he said.
