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Senior dwelling demand is palpable within the tail-end of 2025 as common trade occupancy continues to rise. In 2026, the primary child boomers are turning 80, and operators are shortly rising to fulfill their wants.
Among the many quickest rising senior dwelling operators in 2025 had been Claiborne Senior Residing, The Aspenwood Firm, Silverado and Stellar Senior Residing, which ranked on the “quick observe” of the Argentum 150 listing launched earlier this 12 months
All 4 operators are specializing in rising at a gradual tempo, and have ready their inside methods for development
Aspenwood’s strategic development mannequin
Aspenwood added round 200 models regardless of being down one neighborhood between the 2024 and 2025 Argentum 150 lists, transferring up within the rankings from the 77th largest operator in 2024 to 66th largest in 2025.
A cornerstone of the corporate’s development efforts is its means to rent staff, based on Aspenwood President Heather Tussing.
“My purpose isn’t for us to develop at a charge the place we will’t achieve success, and so I wish to make sure that we have now the suitable expertise in place with a view to have that development,” she informed Senior Housing Information.
Aspenwood promoted staff internally as a part of its staffing push, together with in regional footprints. Most not too long ago, the corporate promoted Joshua Bentley and Samantha Rincon as vice presidents, increasing its gross sales management bench to 2 co-leaders, a brand new technique for Aspenwood. By splitting up gross sales management into the 2 roles, every can deal with their portion of the portfolio with “intimate data” and assist develop of their respective areas, Tussing mentioned.
The corporate most not too long ago added n seven communities to its portfolio, a feat that might pressure operations. However Tussing mentioned the corporate’s staffing push helped it develop and keep occupancy within the communities.
“My total profession right here has been spent constructing the suitable basis, refining our operational mannequin, increasing our management construction, creating new roles, eliminating some roles and investing in recruiting and coaching initiatives,” Tussing mentioned.
Aspenwood is increasing its presence within the U.S. Southeast in clusters the place the operator’s leaders can assist onsite as wanted.
Aspenwood seeks acquisitions that meet its mid-luxury portfolio whereas growing city infill tasks for its luxurious model, similar to its Crestmoor at Inexperienced Hills neighborhood that opened over the summer season. The operator is within the scouting part for its subsequent location by which to develop.
“These city infill properties are so intricate,” Tussing mentioned. “You’re taking about an acre of land and also you’re constructing a $150 million asset on it. The power to take action takes such time to search out that proper surroundings, that proper location that’s going to fulfill the suitable economics.”
Waiting for 2026, Aspenwood is seeking to additional put money into new expertise partnerships and choices similar to Amba Well being & Care, Inspiren and the Juilliard Extension, all of that are starting to roll out throughout the corporate.
“I at all times take a look at what we’re doing, and I’m by no means going to be happy,” Tussing mentioned. “I’m at all times going to say, ‘How can we do that higher?’”
Stellar capitalizes on momentum
Midvale, Utah-based Stellar Senior Residing added over 800 models regardless of being down 4 communities between 2024 and 2025 and moved from the fifty fifth largest operator in 2024 to the forty fourth this 12 months. Years in the past, the corporate set a purpose to serve 10,000 individuals by 2030, which it has practically achieved, based on Brianna Eisman, investor relations specialist.
The operator is rising by acquisitions and joint ventures with bigger companions. The corporate raised $20 million in capital commitments to amass between 10 and 15 communities sooner or later.
“Our momentum has been pushed by a mixture of sturdy market demand, long-standing partnerships constructed on belief, and a tradition of excellence that our groups stay out day by day,” Eisman mentioned.
The corporate is rising within the western area of the nation with a deal with unbiased dwelling, assisted dwelling and reminiscence care. The corporate is also rising in clusters so its Salt Lake Metropolis-based crew members can simply entry its communities and “help residents and crew members in significant methods,” Eisman mentioned.
At current, the operator has 44 communities over eight states, and has reached 9,700 individuals out of its purpose.
“Our hope is that Stellar turns into the gold customary in senior dwelling—admired for a way we look after our residents and workers, how we collaborate with our companions and traders and the way we serve those that put their belief in us,” Associate and Senior Vice President Adam Benton mentioned in a press release.
Wanting forward, Stellar has an “extremely promising” outlook forward of it, partially resulting from its three way partnership, and it’s looking out for extra acquisition alternatives.
“We’re assured that 2026 can be a landmark 12 months of development, innovation and continued excellence for Stellar and the communities we serve,” Eisman mentioned.
Irvine, California-based Silverado broke into Argentum 150’s top-100 this 12 months by including 10 communities, shifting from 103rd to 82nd within the Argentum listing’s rankings. The operator is on a mission to personal every part it operates, based on President and CEO Loren Shook. The corporate’s regular development comes from buying the communities it beforehand had administration contracts with.
“We’re not attempting to be the most important within the nation, nor are we attempting to develop the quickest,” Shook informed SHN. “It’s simply how the alternatives current and that’s what we’re centered on.”
Silverado’s development is concentrated on increasing the corporate’s presence outdoors of California, with focused acquisitions occurring in Texas and throughout the mid-Atlantic, the place the plan is to broaden its present footprint. Whereas Silverado has restricted quantities of administration contracts left to buy, development can be coming by improvement.
Silverado has two ground-up improvement tasks underway forward of the brand new 12 months:a new-build 93-unit neighborhood in San Jose, California; and a neighborhood in Redondo Seashore to exchange an older constructing.
Silverado has constructed up its home-office worker crew to greater than 65 workers over the previous 15 years to help its operations. Aiding Silverado’s staffing efforts are a centralized recruiting crew and a full-time coach.
Silverado is anticipating to shut on one or two extra turnaround acquisitions earlier than the 12 months’s finish.
Silverado trains workers in dementia and Alzheimer’s for 23 hours in whole and deploys its digital well being document (EHR) and pay and advantages methods when bringing a brand new neighborhood into its portfolio.
“More often than not, we preserve virtually all people,” Shook mentioned. “We retain them as a result of we’re going to construct the census, so we’d like the core individuals.”
Whereas Silverado doesn’t have a goal variety of communities in thoughts, Shook mentioned the purpose is to “change the world the best way reminiscence care providers are delivered and enhance the standard of life for our residents, households and one another.”
Claiborne’s three-pronged development technique
Hattiesburg, Missouri-based Claiborne Senior Residing added 5 communities between the Argentum listing’s launch in 2024 and 2025,changing into the 93rd in 2025, which is attributed to selecting up 5 communities as a part of a third-party administration deal by CEO Tim Dunne.
Claiborne is using a three-pronged development technique centered on acquisitions, administration contracts and new improvement. Whereas improvement has remained sluggish, the operator managed to get one venture out of the bottom in June with a fourth quarter of 2026 anticipated opening date, and is within the technique of partaking in a number of offers by letters of intent and discussing administration choices with two extra teams.
In whole, Claiborne presently consists of simply over 2,000 models with 17 belongings.
What helps put together for taking over new communities, whether or not it’s by acquisition or administration, is being purposefully scaled, Dunne mentioned.
“We purposely have staffed forward in order that when we have now new alternatives, we’re not stretching the group,” Dunne informed Senior Housing Information. “That approach, we have now individuals on top of things on our tradition, our processes, and so on.”
To assist make the method even smoother, Claiborne centered on hiring government degree roles similar to a brand new chief working officer and internally selling a number of vice presidents in late 2024 to make sure it was able to tackle new belongings and challenges.
Dunne mentioned the corporate is “extremely selective” within the bigger companions it really works with.
“We actually search for the core worth alignment,” he mentioned. “We’ve turned down lots of offers, lots of alternatives for third occasion. It might not have been a superb match, both regionally, or perhaps the institutional targets weren’t the identical, or wasn’t a product that we felt would match nicely inside our present asset combine.”
He added: “We are also prepared to co-invest. We’re prepared to place our cash the place our mouth is and guess on ourselves to succeed.”
Future development for Claiborne can be devoted to the southeast the place it already has an present presence. Whereas it’s already in 5 states and seeking to broaden into neighboring states, the thought is to stay regionally unique to maintain its communities in shut proximity for employees and stay in areas it is aware of nicely. The properties it’s seeking to purchase or handle will even fluctuate between value-based by near-luxury choices, permitting for a variety of capabilities.
Claiborne’s purpose is to succeed in a portfolio consisting of round 40 belongings to take care of the standard of its choices and maintain its cultural efforts. Within the meantime, the operator is seeking to join with extra capital companions as a part of its “sluggish and regular” development plan, Dunne mentioned.
