IT TAKES A VILLAGE: Steve Brown, president of Village Concepts, left, with his son, Stuart, the company’s chief executive officer. Image Credit: Hayley Young

Village Concepts
Location: Auburn

Village Concepts owns and operates some 20 housing and assisted-living facilities across the Puget Sound region and Central Washington that serve more than 1,300 seniors, with a top-flight nursing staff at the core of its care model.

The company was launched in 1975 by Bill Brown and is now led by the second and third generations of the Brown family — with Bill’s son, Steve, serving as president and Steve’s son, Stuart, serving as chief executive officer. Along the way, the company has remained true to its commitment to quality resident care while also keeping up with the times by incorporating new training, education and care programs. It also stays in tune with the needs of its residents through programs like Project Bucket List. The program allows seniors to fulfill lifelong dreams — making it possible for Dorothy Roth, who played in a World War II-era women’s baseball league, to throw out the first pitch at a Seattle Mariners game, for example.

The company promotes open communications and input from all family members, holding true to its credo of “creating a village that feels like family.” Family members are encouraged to work for the company, but they must still apply and qualify for positions. The Brown family’s business philosophy appears to be paying dividends. Village Concepts recorded a 14.4% increase in annual revenue between 2016 and 2018, to $40.8 million, and hired 60 new employees last year — and currently employs around 375.

“Creating supportive environments that foster continuous learning is a central value in the Brown family and is what Village Concepts strives to achieve,” the company says.