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For Immediate Release
Alan Fogg,
Director of Communications
afogg@fceda.org, 703-790-0600 (o) or 571-213-5065 (m)
Fairfax County has senior moment
as Sunrise Senior Living expands headquarters
Senior living services provider to add more than 140 jobs to economy
FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA, MARCH 30, 2003 – Sunrise Senior Living Inc., one of the nation’s oldest and largest providers of senior living services, announced today it will expand its Fairfax County-based corporate headquarters and add more than 140 jobs to the county economy, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) announced.
The new jobs come in conjunction with plans by Sunrise to acquire Marriott Senior Living Services Inc. The majority of the new jobs are ones that will transfer from Marriott’s headquarters in Bethesda, Md. Through a multi-million dollar investment, Sunrise is expanding its existing office space in the Tysons Corner area of Fairfax County by 116,338 square feet to a total of 164,838 square feet.
“Fairfax County is well-known as a technology center, but this is a great place for all kinds of businesses to locate and succeed,” said Gerald L. Gordon, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. “We are especially delighted to see a home-grown member of our business community growing at home even as it expands into new markets around the country and the world.”
Sunrise Senior Living was founded in Fairfax County. Following the close of the Marriott transaction, which is expected to happen by the end of the first quarter of 2003, the company will employ nearly 30,000 people, have over 350 senior living communities either open or under construction in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada with a combined resident capacity of approximately 40,000. Sunrise expects its corporate headquarters expansion to be complete in September 2003.
“My wife Terry and I opened the first Sunrise community in Fairfax County more than 21 years ago and have always considered the area as Sunrise’s home,” said Paul Klaassen, Sunrise Senior Living founder, chairman and CEO. “Since that time, we have expanded the number of Sunrise Senior Living communities in the county and grown our corporate headquarters from a staff of two to close to 500. We are excited to continue our expansion here as we integrate the two organizations under the Sunrise name.”
The FCEDA and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership assisted the company with its decision. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide work force training services.
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