HISTORY OF KOELSCH

Koelsch Senior Communities is owned by the Koelsch family. Together they have five decades of experience developing, building and operating in senior housing. The family tradition began in 1958 when Emmett and Alice Koelsch founded the company and their goal was to provide quality service in a warm and caring environment. The first family-owned property opened by Emmett and Alice was a nursing home in Kelso, Washington. It was no exaggeration to call this property a “family operation” since the basement served as the family residence.

During the first decade of business, Emmett and Alice focused on building and operating skilled-nursing facilities in Cowlitz County, WA. This experience led them to recognize the need for a greater variety of senior housing. For this reason, the Delaware Plaza was created in 1971. It was the first assisted living property in Washington State. By 1985, the Koelsch family sold their skilled-nursing facilities and began to focus the company on assisted and independent living.

From 1984 to 1988, Aaron Koelsch operated nursing homes in Illinois and Wisconsin for Manor HealthCare. Then in 1988, Aaron started his assisted living company in Southern California. In the mid 1990’s Aaron purchased from his parents their remaining properties and formed the combined properties into Koelsch Senior Communities. Today, Koelsch Senior Communities owns and operates ten senior living properties in Washington, California, Idaho and Montana with several more properties under construction in both Montana and Arizona. After growing up with a family experienced in senior housing, Aaron was exposed to every facet of operations, development and construction and is highly respected in the industry. During the years 2003 and 2004, Aaron was the president of Nor-ALFA (Northwest Assisted Living Facilities Association) where he was also awarded the “Public Policy Award” for his leadership and service.

Some of the company’s most recent developments have been in memory care; a specialized care industry. Koelsch Senior Communities stepped into this niche in Victorville, California when they built their first memory care property in 1993. Since that time Koelsch Senior Communities has developed an effective approach for constructing, operating and marketing memory care communities.

Since the opening of the first Koelsch family property in 1958, Koelsch Senior Communities has employed the basic philosophy, “Treat all people with the respect they deserve and the special attention they may need.” This ideal is combined with sound and prudent business principles drawn from experience and knowledge. Koelsch Senior Communities has steadily grown to be one of today’s foremost independently owned senior housing operators on the West Coast. Koelsch Senior Communities hopes that you will recognize our commitment to seniors through quality service to our residents.