Nation's largest senior care referral firm selects KC for new office, creating 600+ jobs

The largest senior care referral service in North America, A Place for Mom, Inc. (APFM), plans to open their fourth office location in Overland Park, Ks. next week.

The Seattle-based, privately-held company signed a lease on a temporary space on the Sprint Campus while they finalize their new office details - including building out their permanent Overland Park location.

With offices currently in Seattle, New York City and Naples, FL., APFM's growing business plans include creating more than 600 jobs in the KC metro area in the coming years.

“We are committed to creating a world-class operation in the Kansas City area as we continue to transform our business to best serve our customers,” said Larry Kutscher, CEO of A Place for Mom.

A Place for Mom’s new Overland Park office will be the home to several job categories that are core to the company’s business operations - including managerial talent, finance and human resources professionals, local advisors, information technology experts, engineers, designers, writers, customer service associates and other support staff functions.

“We’re thrilled A Place for Mom has chosen Kansas for its new location. The jobs created and the investment in Overland Park will have a significant impact on the Greater Kansas City region,” Kansas Secretary of Commerce David Toland said.

“We look forward to welcoming A Place for Mom to the Kansas community and working with them as they grow their presence in our state,” Toland said.

Founded in 2000, A place for Mom employs more than 500 senior living experts and works with more than 16,000 provider communities in the United States and Canada. By growing its core operations, APFM will be able to continue to provide the most up-to-date information, tools, and options to help customers find the senior living arrangement that would best meet their specific needs.

“Overland Park regularly ranks among the top places for families in the nation, including caring for members of our extended family,” said Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach.

“It’s truly an honor for Overland Park to be home to A Place for Mom, a company that provides insight and information to make it a little easier to give the compassionate and necessary attention our parents and elders deserve. We look forward to supporting the company’s growth and its 600 employees in the coming years,” Mayor Gerlach said.

The Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) worked with a number of regional partners in attracting A Place for Mom to the Kansas City region including the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council, the Kansas Department of Commerce, Occidental Management, Parker + Lynch/Ajilon, CBRE, Evergy, Kansas Gas, Johnson County Community College and TeamKC. 

“The Kansas City region naturally excels at customer care and offers competitive location advantages for companies from both coasts that need to serve a North American customer base,” said Tim Cowden, president and CEO of KCADC.

“We are excited to welcome A Place for Mom into our region’s operational and shared services corridor in KC Heartland,” Cowden said.

Hiring is already underway, and there will be openings at all levels, from recent college graduates to senior management. Interested candidates are encouraged to view opportunities and apply at aplaceformom.com/about/careers. 

Overland Park receives nation’s first LEED zero energy commercial project

In a collaboration between U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) president and CEO Mahesh Ramanujam, and Brookridge developer Chris Curtin, a first-of-its-kind Memorandum of Understanding has been signed, forging a partnership that will create an ongoing process to achieve LEED and LEED Zero Energy certifications for Brookridge Development in Overland Park.

Brookridge, a cross-generational 200+-acre mixed-use development, will feature nearly 2 million SF of office capacity, high-quality urban living spaces, extensive retail, restaurant and entertainment venues.

It will also spotlight a multi-faceted focus on health and wellness, including approximately 50 percent green space, fountains, recreational golf, fitness facilities, miles of walking paths, connections hike/bike trails and both forested and open lawns.   

Brookridge will tap into the abundant supply of wind and solar sourced energy produced in the State of Kansas to address the goal of significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the project.

In recognition of the unique nature of this partnership and its focus on wind and solar generated energy, the State of Kansas has also joined the effort.

Last week, Kansas Secretary of Commerce David Toland co-signed the Brookridge Renewable Energy Initiative, placing the state at the forefront of sustainable development.

“The Brookridge development, with the support of the State of Kansas, is thinking differently in terms of how our spaces can be designed to support environmental and personal health. LEED is providing the framework and their commitment to achieve LEED Zero Energy is yet another sign of their leadership and drive to create a better world,” Ramanujam said.

Chuck Caisley, KCP&L (Evergy) senior vice president and chief customer officer, also joined the State of Kansas in endorsing the Brookridge Renewable Energy Initiative.

“Kansas is different than coastal or mega-cities. Great things happen when our public and private sectors work in close partnership. We create the synergy necessary for significant environmental and joint economic success,” said Curtin, founder of Curtin Property Company.

The comprehensive Green program at the Brookridge development is also designed to work harmoniously with Overland Park’s dedicated visioning and planning efforts laid out in the initiatives of the City of Overland Park.

“The leaders of Overland Park set forth a set of ideas around a built environment that is both sustainable and visually impactful, further advancing the community’s destination for business development, entertainment, leisure and family time,” Curtin said.

 “A project of the size and scope of the Brookridge development – along with the commitment being made to it – will serve to put the State of Kansas at the forefront of sustainable development,” added Kansas Governor Laura Kelly.

Other partners involved in the project include WDG Architects - Land Planning and Architecture and GBA - Civil Engineering.