The Business of Caring
Timeless Construction builds resort-style assisted living communities exclusively for Timeless Life Care
Imagine waking up in a cozy, elegantly designed space, fully equipped to meet your needs. The artwork, furniture, bedding and flooring are all designer quality. You step out your front door to hear the calming sounds of water cascading from fountains, gaze at the relaxing movement of the koi pond, unwind by a fire or in an inviting cabana. You’re surrounded by brilliantly colored flowers that accent the landscape.
This sounds like a vacation in paradise, but it’s actually home for the residents of A Banyan Residence, an upscale assisted living community located in Venice, Florida. Every aspect of the property design was carefully thought out and developed under the direction of Greg Anderson, President and owner of Timeless Construction.
Similar to this resort-like property, there’s more to Greg than what meets the eye. He’s not only a general contractor, but also a real estate developer and manager of this unique community—all titles held within the family of companies under the Timeless Life Care umbrella.
“Timeless Life Care is a brand that encompasses the comprehensive process of finding a prospective site, doing all the feasibility work, zoning, construction and managing the day-to-day operations,” Greg explains.
Building Blocks for the Brand
Why does Greg wear so many hats? His diverse professional journey sheds light on why he chose not to limit himself to one area of expertise. His first job in the industry exposed him to various aspects of the hands-on, hard-hat side of the business. “I worked construction for three years after high school in an unskilled labor position,” Greg says. “During that time, I recognized there were a lot of disciplines in the industry that seemed to make a lot of money, and I felt I could really relate to the working man.”
Greg also understood higher education would be necessary to excel in the field, so he obtained a bachelor’s degree in construction management as well as becoming a licensed general contractor. He didn’t stop his education there, however. He took courses to obtain a master’s degree in finance while still employed in construction. Then he worked for a general contractor before transitioning to working for a few developers. Next, he accepted an opportunity to work in another country for 13 years, in a role quite different from his previous positions.
“In my work overseas, we did personnel support services for the defense industry. Because I had that experience, when I was repatriating into the United States, I knew I didn’t want to only do general contracting,” Greg says. “So, I translated my overseas experience into the operation and maintenance components of Timeless Life Care and combined that with the real estate development and construction experience to create a total end-to-end package.”
Knowing what he would do was only part of the puzzle. Greg also had to determine which market would be best suited for the type of organization he was looking to build. So, he studied the markets and identified senior assisted living as a growth industry that would work well with the business model he was developing. Although he lacked health care knowledge or previous experience working with seniors, he did have experience learning new disciplines.
Thoughtful Construction
The organization’s first venture in Hollywood, Florida, proved to be the perfect opportunity to take a bankrupt entity and transform it into a thriving business, while developing industry knowledge. “The property that would be redeveloped as Azalea Gardens was a 35-bed assisted living facility that went bankrupt, and the property was vacated. I bought it from the bank, and Timeless Construction did everything necessary to make it operational, including reconstruction,” Greg says. “We owned the property for 16 years and just sold it two years ago.”
There were some features from that location that became incorporated into the Timeless Life Care brand. “We thought the strength of the Azalea Gardens facility was that all the doors opened up to the outside, and then we leveraged that with beautifying the gardens by making very bold landscaping choices and adding outdoor hardscape amenities. It became a niche and strategy for us to differentiate ourselves from the competition,” Greg says.
Other characteristics of the Timeless Life Care brand include having 100 percent Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant bathrooms with grab bars, roll-in showers and built-in benches; kitchenettes equipped with a sink, cabinets, a microwave and refrigerator; and built-in California Closets® with full-extending drawers and soft-close hardware.
In 2008, Greg’s organization seized an opportunity to replicate the success it had with its first project when it purchased another bankrupt assisted living facility. At that time, the property was a 51-bed structure located in Venice, Florida. Timeless Construction again reconstructed an existing facility, which entailed demolishing significant parts of the building and putting in new system, such as plumbing, electrical and mechanical, windows and more. Three years ago, Timeless Life Care bought the adjacent property and Timeless Construction constructed another building with 20 additional beds.
Timeless Life Care’s full-spectrum planning resulted in thoughtful design and construction of features that are valuable components of the activities held at the facility. With the help of landscape architects, Timeless Construction created a picturesque environment where seniors can step out their front doors into an ideal setting for social engagement. The residents participate in morning exercises, collect flowers to be incorporated in community room décor, and gather for conversations around the fire pit.
Additionally, Greg and his team took care in selecting the property’s fruit trees, which produce avocados and fragrant Indian mangoes. The trees not only provide aesthetic and aromatic value to the property—they are also part of the community’s enrichment activities and are a welcome addition to the menu. The residents and staff gather to peel, slice and dice the fruit to be served with a variety of meals.
Heart of the Operation
The Timeless Life Care staff, headed by executive director Amanda LaBell, pays attention to the little things, such as providing residents with bottled water on their nightstands every evening, keeping their bathrooms supplied with rosemary and lavender-scented bath soap and shampoo, and preparing all meals from scratch.
The team takes care of both the tangible and intangible needs of the residents and their loved ones. “We had a family member that was the sole caregiver for her husband for many years until she was no longer able to do so on her own. She was heartbroken and very concerned about placing him in an assisted living community,” explains Brandon Anderson, finance manager and Greg’s son. “Every morning, every night and throughout each day for the first two weeks of his placement, multiple staff members would take pictures of him and text them to her, so she could have peace of mind. It truly helped with not only his transition, but hers as well.”
Employees work together toward the goal of creating a safe and stable environment for the residents and a positive work atmosphere for one another. Brandon describes their team as a humble group of individuals who can fill in the gaps where others may be lacking and learn from their shortcomings and experiences.
Brandon has seen many sides of the business since he started working with Timeless Life Care in 2018, and his management experience and finance degree have been put to good use. Much like his father, Brandon has taken on multiple responsibilities, including refining the construction budget, overseeing bank financing and working with accounting for A Banyan Residence.
Brandon is also involved in efforts to continuously enhance the company’s proprietary software, which is used to manage accounting, resident information, staff credentialing, employee calendars, dietary specifications, operational compliance and marketing.
This is not Brandon’s first exposure to the business. “Working with Timeless Life Care began well before 2018,” he explains. “Summers as a kid were spent helping out in the Azalea Gardens facility’s kitchen, being on-site during times of natural disasters, participating in holiday parties and routine conversations with [my father] about the day-to-day nature of the business.”
Currently, Greg and Brandon are both entrenched in a new phase of the Timeless Life Care growth plan. They have taken everything learned over the last 20 years and are leveraging it to build a brand-new facility: A Banyan Residence at Wildwood. Construction began in mid-February and is expected to last about 15 months. With some help from their Blue Book Network Franchise Owner, Lisa Schmidt, they were able to identify the right subcontractors to start the job. However, they will continue their search as the project progresses.
Renderings of this new location offer a glimpse of what the next level of quality looks like. Although the Wildwood location will boast a new design, fundamental concepts—such as resident care, safety and a resort-style experience—will remain part of the brand’s signature.