Jim Thares
Jim graduated from Ipswich High School in 1979 and attended college at Moorhead State University in Minnesota. Although Jim graduated with a degree in accounting, his original plan was to major in Computer Science. By the end of his first semester, though, Jim knew that was not what he wanted to do and he changed his major to accounting. That sent Jim on the path that would eventually lead to the founding of Primrose.
During the years that Jim was in college, the job market was not good. “Whenever a job recruiter would come on campus, 300 or more people would show up for interviews,” he recalled. “In fact, I remember the first rejection letter I got – it was on Valentine’s Day, and I still have it!” Before Jim’s senior year, he was married to his high school sweetheart, Tracy.
After graduation, Jim and Tracy moved to Morris, MN where Jim worked for a CPA firm. That’s where Jim had his first exposure to the senior living industry. “There was a small, non-profit independent living apartment that the firm managed,” Jim said. “This community had been open for seven years and never had a vacancy for more than a month. In fact, they had a waiting list that was over three pages long, it became clear to me that there was a demand for this kind of senior housing,” he added.
Jim moved to Aberdeen, SD in the mid-80s. He noticed that the independent senior living options in Aberdeen were limited, and the ones that were available were filling up quickly. “At that time, when seniors moved out of their home, they either lived with their children or moved into a nursing home,” Jim said. “But it was clear that seniors needed another option, so I began researching the senior living industry heavily. I also got involved with the Super 8 Motel chain and I got exposure on how property is developed and built. That was the last piece that I needed to begin moving forward with my vision for senior living apartments.”
After months of research, appointments with construction companies and architects, tours and conversations with other industry professionals, Jim had a plan. All he needed was the financing to move forward with the project. “The banks didn’t look kindly on a 27-year-old with no net worth asking for a huge construction loan,” Jim said. The savings and loan industry had just collapsed, so it took a couple of years to put the financing together. “I reached out to family and friends, to secure the funding, but I still had to find someone to guarantee the loan. One day, brothers Virgil and Charlie Frohling, walked into my office by mistake. We got to talking about my project, which they later invested in, and they graciously offered to guarantee the loan for me. Those men were truly a gift from God,” Jim added.
Ribbon cutting at Primrose Westin Courte, Jim’s first property, that was then renamed to Primrose. Accompanying the Westin Courte team are the Chamber Ambassadors, Bill Stoick (Primrose President), Clark Thares (Primrose Westin Courte Manager), Bud Ochs (Ochs Construction – General Contractor) and cutting the ribbon is Jim Thares and the Aberdeen Mayor Tim Rich.
Primrose Westin Courte independent living apartments opened in May of 1991, and within 6 months of their grand opening they were full. Jim’s cousin, Clark Thares, was the first manager. Within 18 months, another 12 apartments were built due to high demand. “Clark and I would meet over breakfast and discuss how everything was progressing. During one of those meetings, we pulled out a dictionary coming across the word “primrose” and the definition was ‘a multicolored flower, or, a quality way of life.’ We knew that was going to be our name – it fit perfectly, and Primrose is who we have been ever since.”
Primrose Inc./Thares Management original employees Judy Buntrock, Margaret Fjeldheim, Wanda Schumack and Mae Jenkins
“During this time, my 96-year-old grandfather was sitting at home doing nothing, and just basically waiting to die,” Jim remembers. “It motivated me to build a place that provides activities, healthy meals, fellowship opportunities, and security for seniors so they can enjoy their retirement years to the fullest. That is what we still strive to do today,” he added.
“In the mid-90s, assisted living really took hold,” Jim said. “I was originally opposed to adding these services because of the state regulations involved, but I soon realized that this was a service that was in demand. From that point on, we included an assisted living wing in all our buildings.” As the needs of the senior community continue to evolve and change, Primrose will continue to stay at the forefront by adding memory care to its growing list of services.
Primrose Corporate office today located in Aberdeen, SD.
Jim remains driven to enrich the lives of seniors, and he believes that the future is truly exciting for Primrose. “As long as we can continue to develop a community that seniors want, one that makes them happy, we are doing our job. Being in our communities and visiting with residents, seeing them enjoy living at Primrose, keeps me motivated to continue moving our company forward,” Jim adds.
