Retirement Unlimited, Inc. Acquires Brandywine Living in Strategic Combination
December 20, 2023
ROANOKE, VA — Retirement Unlimited, Inc., based in this Virginia city, and Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based Brandywine Living have announced RUI’s acquisition of Brandywine Living’s senior living management platform. Following the transaction, the combined company will consist of 59 communities with over 6,739 independent-living, assisted living and memory care units.
Brandywine’s 31 senior living communities are predominately concentrated in New Jersey, with additional communities located in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania. Following the transaction, the communities will continue to operate under the premiere Brandywine Living brand to ensure continuity for both residents and staff. RUI has a 40-year track record of operational excellence and currently manages 28 communities across the East Coast. This integration will deepen RUI’s presence in premium northeast and mid-Atlantic micro markets.
RUI’s William Fralin will be Chief Executive Officer and RUI’s Doris-Ellie Sullivan will serve as President of the combined company, with key property- and corporate-level leaders from Brandywine blending with RUI’s leadership structure to ensure a seamless integration into RUI.
“We believe the alignment of our two companies’ cultures and missions, along with our shared partnership with Welltower (NYSE: WELL), will aid in the integration of these well-located and market-leading communities into the RUI family,” said Sullivan in a press release.
“RUI has been presented with a unique opportunity to merge two operations with shared values and tremendous talent. We believe this combination will be a dynamic success,” said Fralin.
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“Our team is proud of the company we have built over the past 27 years,” added Brenda J. Bacon, Brandywine Living’s co-founder, president and CEO. “Brandywine has touched tens of thousands of lives, and it was time to ensure that Brandywine continued to thrive going forward. During this transition period, the dedicated and caring team we have built at both the community and corporate levels will remain in place and I know will be as focused as they have always been on providing great care, service, engagement, and fun to our residents.”
Following the formation of the programmatic partnership between RUI and Welltower in late 2022, RUI has continued to strategically scale through acquisitions and transitions while maintaining its high operating standards, including occupancy in the mid-90s for many of its communities.
A cornerstone of RUI’s management platform is its Signature Programs, which promote resident engagement and fulfillment:
• RUI University — lifelong learning program
• Taste of RUI — culinary experience
• RUI FIT — fitness and therapy services
• Leash on Life — pet concierge services
• LUXE Unlimited Salon and Spa
• Care Impact — personalized care program
• Inspiritás — memory care
• RUI Concierge — individualized amenity service
• MYRUI App — convenience of services at your fingertips
“We’re excited to bring RUI’s Signature Programs to the Brandywine Living portfolio,” Sullivan commented, “ensuring the continuation of a premier senior living experience and dedicated care for Brandywine residents.”
For more than 40 years RUI has been owned and operated by the Virginia families of Fralin and Waldron. Led by its third generation of Fralins and second generation of Waldrons, RUI currently has 59 senior living communities across the East Coast with several active development projects. Their communities offer independent living, assisted living, and memory care, as well as a full spectrum of life enrichment programs.