Primrose Retirement Communities

A Founder-Led Operator Across 17 States Since 1989

Primrose Retirement Communities, LLC is a privately held senior living company headquartered in Aberdeen, South Dakota, founded in 1989 by Jim Thares. The company's first community opened in Aberdeen in 1991, and Primrose has since grown to 34 communities across 17 states: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Primrose offers active adult living, independent living, assisted living, and memory care, built around the company's "This Is Living!®" philosophy, with non-medical home care also available in Ohio.

Visit the official Primrose Retirement Communities website to learn more about the company, or explore Primrose communities on Senior Care Finder to compare current listings.

Company at a Glance

●       Headquarters: Aberdeen, South Dakota

●       Founded: 1989, by Jim Thares; the company's first community opened in Aberdeen in 1991

●       Current leadership: Jim Thares, Founder and Chief Executive Officer; BJ Schaefbauer, President

●       Portfolio size: 34 communities across 17 states, confirmed directly against the company's own community-by-state location list, matching Senior Care Finder's stated figures exactly

●       States served: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming

●       Care and lifestyle options: Active adult living, independent living, assisted living, and memory care, with non-medical home care also offered in Ohio

●       Official website: primroseretirement.com

Senior Living and Care Options

Primrose's communities offer a consistent set of lifestyle and care options, though not every option is available at every location:

●       Independent living apartments

●       Assisted living apartments

●       Townhome villas (select communities)

●       Memory care apartments (select communities)

●       Non-medical home care (Ohio only)

Assisted living apartments and services are available at every Primrose location. Independent living apartments are offered at most Primrose communities, while townhome villas and memory care apartments are available only at select communities. Primrose does not offer skilled nursing. Families should confirm current care levels and availability directly on the Senior Care Finder listing for the specific community they are considering.

What Makes Primrose Retirement Communities Different?

A Founder-Led Company Since 1989

Jim Thares founded Primrose Retirement Communities in 1989 after an earlier career as a CPA and as a developer of economy hotel properties, and continues to serve as Founder and CEO today. This long-tenured founder leadership is a differentiator from operators that have changed ownership or top leadership multiple times over a similar span.

A Broadened, Employee-Rooted Ownership Structure

Effective January 1, 2025, Primrose added four long-tenured employees, Executive Vice Presidents Amanda Daughters, Jessi Weldon, Ian Zens, and Dalton Cox, to its ownership group, alongside existing partners BJ Schaefbauer, Brian Morgan, and Mark McNeary. The company describes this as a deliberate succession step intended to preserve leadership continuity as longer-tenured partners eventually reduce their day-to-day involvement.

A Distinctive Townhome Villa Option

Beyond standard independent and assisted living apartments, select Primrose communities offer two-bedroom, two-bathroom townhome villas with attached garages, marketed under the company's maintenance-free "This Is Living!®" philosophy. This villa-style housing option is a differentiator from operators offering only traditional apartment-style units.

Growth That Deepens Existing Regional Density

When Primrose acquired a 129-unit community in Sedalia, Missouri, in 2025, President BJ Schaefbauer specifically noted the company's existing experience in Jefferson City and Kansas City, Missouri, as a reason the market was a good fit. This pattern, growing deeper within states where Primrose already operates rather than only entering new, unfamiliar markets, is a differentiator reflecting a more disciplined approach to geographic expansion.

A Deep, Long-Tenured Executive Bench

Several members of Primrose's home office leadership have tenures of well over a decade, including Chief Financial Officer Brian Morgan (with the company since 2002) and General Counsel Mark McNeary (since 2007). This continuity at the corporate level is a differentiator from companies with more frequent executive turnover.

Community-Level Recognition and Local Ties

Individual Primrose communities and staff have received local recognition, including a Distinguished Community of the Year award for Primrose of Mansfield and a Women of Achievement Award for a staff member in Zanesville, Ohio. Founder Jim Thares was also selected as the 2026 Spring Commencement Speaker at Northern State University in Aberdeen, where he received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree.

Signature Programs and Services

This Is Living!® is Primrose's registered philosophy and slogan, reflected in its townhome villas and independent, assisted living, and memory care apartments, emphasizing a maintenance-free lifestyle.

Primrose's Signature Programs, detailed on the company's own site, describe its structured approach to life enrichment and person-centered care across its communities.

Life at a Primrose Community

Life at a Primrose community may include maintenance-free apartment or villa living, on-site libraries, movie theaters, fitness centers, ice cream parlors, and pubs, along with 24-hour care and service for assisted living residents. Memory care apartments are designed to reflect Primrose's stated person-centered approach, treating dementia as only one part of a broader, individualized care plan.

Families evaluating any Primrose community should ask specifically about current staffing levels, whether townhome villas or memory care apartments are available at that specific location (since both are offered only at select communities), and how recently the community joined Primrose if it was an acquisition rather than a Primrose-built property.

What Residents and Families Say

Primrose does not publish a single portfolio-wide review rating, and Senior Care Finder's own listings show ratings that vary significantly by individual community, from the mid-3-star range to the high 4-star range among the Premium listings reviewed during this research. Recurring themes in publicly available feedback include attentive staff and strong life enrichment programming, though experience can vary meaningfully by community and time period. Families are encouraged to review recent, community-specific feedback for the location they are considering rather than relying on portfolio-wide impressions.

Leadership

Jim Thares is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Primrose Retirement Communities. He graduated from Moorhead State University with a degree in accounting, worked as a CPA, and later led a group that developed economy hotel properties before founding Primrose in 1989. BJ Schaefbauer serves as President; a CPA with over 20 years of public accounting experience, he joined Primrose in 2010.

Visit the official Primrose Leadership page for the complete and most current executive team.

Recent News, Growth, and Recognition

Primrose Welcomes New Owners to Leadership Team

Effective January 1, 2025, Primrose Retirement Communities added four long-tenured employees, Amanda Daughters, Jessi Weldon, Ian Zens, and Dalton Cox, to its ownership group, while existing partners BJ Schaefbauer, Brian Morgan, and Mark McNeary remained in their roles.

Read independent coverage from Senior Living News.

Primrose Acquires Senior Living Community in Sedalia, Missouri

Effective March 2025, Primrose took over as owner/operator of a 129-unit senior living community in Sedalia, Missouri, previously operated by Cedarhurst Senior Living, building on the company's existing presence in the Jefferson City and Kansas City, Missouri, markets.

Read the company announcement.

Founder Jim Thares Named 2026 Commencement Speaker at Northern State University

In May 2026, Primrose founder and CEO Jim Thares was selected as the Spring Commencement Speaker at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree during the ceremony.

Read the company announcement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Primrose Retirement Communities? Primrose Retirement Communities, LLC is a privately held senior living company headquartered in Aberdeen, South Dakota, founded in 1989, operating 34 communities across 17 states.

Where is Primrose headquartered? Primrose is headquartered in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Who owns Primrose? Primrose is privately owned by founder and CEO Jim Thares along with a group of partners, including President BJ Schaefbauer and, since January 2025, four additional long-tenured employees.

How many communities does Primrose operate? Primrose operates 34 communities across 17 states, consistent across both the company's own site and Senior Care Finder's directory.

What care options does Primrose offer? Primrose offers active adult living, independent living, assisted living, and memory care, with townhome villas and memory care available only at select communities, and non-medical home care available in Ohio.

Does Primrose offer skilled nursing? No. Primrose's care options are limited to active adult living, independent living, assisted living, and memory care.

Does every Primrose community offer memory care or townhome villas? No. Assisted living is available at every Primrose location, but townhome villas and memory care apartments are offered only at select communities. Families should confirm availability at the specific community they are considering.

What do reviews say about Primrose? Feedback varies significantly by community. Recurring themes include attentive staff and strong life enrichment programming, though families should review recent, community-specific feedback.

How much does a Primrose community cost? Pricing varies by community, unit type, and level of care. Families should contact the specific community directly for current pricing.

How can families find a Primrose community? Families can browse Primrose communities through Senior Care Finder's listings or through the company's own website.

Explore Primrose Retirement Communities

Comparing individual Primrose communities is the best way to understand what a specific location actually offers, since townhome villas, memory care, and other amenities vary across the company's 34 communities. Explore Primrose Retirement Communities on Senior Care Finder for current listings, ratings, and details for locations near you.

Services, pricing, availability, and resident experience can vary meaningfully from one Primrose community to the next.

Primrose Retirement Communities is a paid Senior Care Finder partner. Partner status does not replace the need for families to independently evaluate individual communities, services, pricing, licensing information, and recent reviews.

Company information, leadership details, programs, recognition, and news were reviewed using publicly available sources. Information last reviewed July 2026.