THE JUNIPER STORY

Nineteen Years of Experience Meeting The Ever Changing Needs of America’s Elders

A Brief Look Back
Juniper was founded in 1988 by its President and CEO, Lynne S. Katzmann. Based in Bloomfield, NJ, the company was founded as a series of private investment partnerships. Juniper purchased under-managed skilled nursing communities and sought small, regional operators to improve the day-to-day operations and programming of these communities. Juniper’s role was sourcing and negotiating acquisitions, raising capital, monitoring all portfolio investments and planning and executing appropriate exit strategies. In partnering with people dedicated to similar values and objectives, the company sought to provide examples of excellence in long term care for public policy makers.

Since the beginning, Juniper has sought to serve all its stakeholders - residents, families, employee associates, and investors - with excellence and a strong dedication to our hallmarks of quality, value and innovation. Juniper is committed to a double bottom line - one of strong financial performance coupled with a superior quality of life in our residences. It is our goal to make the lives of elders richer and more rewarding: to be fulfilled in all seasons of life. These commitments are reference points for both our large and small everyday decisions at Juniper.

The company made its first acquisition of two skilled nursing facilities in 1990, and quickly followed with the purchase of five additional skilled nursing communities by 1993. As time progressed, however, finding lessees that qualified under the company’s standards for financial stability, quality programming and industry commitment proved more difficult. In addition, it became clear that from an investment prospective, the company could benefit from paying a set fee for operations management while retaining the right to increased operating cash flow driven by improved operations. The company believed that such a management arrangement (one which changed the risk/reward structure), would provide the company with an opportunity to increase investor returns through refinancing its portfolio properties. Refinancing under the lease structure was not possible.

Simultaneously, in the mid-1990’s, alternative environments for elders needing assistance with activities of daily living were evolving. Known as assisted living communities, these residences provided more privacy, an opportunity for enhancing dependence and a more home-like environment for elders. Hence, beginning in 1994, Juniper began to expand its portfolio to include assisted living facilities. Originally, the company purchased buildings that could easily be retrofitted and embarked on a number of both small and large-scale renovations. In 1995, the company also began to design and develop purpose built assisted living facilities, including those meant for individuals living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other memory impairments. To date, the company has completed three such buildings. These newly constructed buildings, including Juniper Village at Chatham and two Alzheimer’s assisted living residences in Colorado, have allowed the company to demonstrate what it has learned over the years, both in terms of creating specialized environments for the elderly and most recently, with the formation of Juniper Management our operations arm, in the areas of programming, staff training and best practices.

Focused on Today
Today, Juniper’s long term care portfolio has expanded to include 14 assisted living and skilled nursing care communities which we own and/or operate, located in Florida, Colorado, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Juniper’s track record for quality, measured through frequent Resident and Family Satisfaction Surveys and yearly State Health Department surveys, is exceptionally strong. In addition, we have pioneered a number of innovative programs, from specialized in-house fitness and therapy programs via Theralink^sm to what we believe are the nation’s first "green" or environmentally sustainable assisted living residences. And our unique In Touchsm staff training program promotes improved resident care through specialized training in issues such as aging sensitivity and healthy care practices.

An Eye To The Future
Throughout its growth over the last decade and a half, Juniper’s vision of changing the face of aging in America for the better has remained. As we move forward, our focus on growth continues. In today’s long term care environment, opportunities to acquire assisted living communities and skilled nursing care communities are significant. We are actively pursuing opportunities in the four states in which we currently operate as well as contiguous states. As we move forward with our growth-oriented plans for the future, everyone at Juniper continues to demonstrate the company’s commitment to meeting the ever-changing needs of America’s elderly. We believe we all can and do make a difference!