Comfort Keepers Targets Panama City, Palm Bay and Port St. Lucie for Growth

Comfort Keepers Franchising, Inc. (CKFI), a growing national Franchise offering companionship and other in-home care services for aging adults is targeting Panama City, Palm Bay and Port St. Lucie for expansion. Company plans call for 13 new Franchises to open now through 2010, adding to the existing 54 offices operating throughout the state.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, of the 15.9 million people in the Florida in 2000, 16.8 percent were over the age of 65. The percentage is expected to increase to 27.1 percent of Florida’s projected population of 28.6 million by the year 2030

“Obviously, Florida is a key market for any company working with seniors,” said Jim Booth, president and CEO of Comfort Keepers. “Comfort Keepers is an ideal opportunity for entrepreneurs particularly in an area with such expected growth.”

Comfort Keepers provides in-home services on an hourly, daily or weekly basis with tailored packages customized to an individual’s needs. Packages include companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, grocery shopping, incidental transportation, laundry, recreational activities and more. 

All caregivers are employees and have criminal, driving and credit background checks that ensure dependability and reliability. In fact, families employing Comfort Keepers’ services versus an independent caregiver are not responsible for worker compensation, taxes, background checks, or theft and injury liabilities.

“The majority of Comfort Keepers’ franchisees were drawn to the concept because of personal experiences in caring for an aging adult,” said Jeff Bevis, executive vice president of franchise development for CKFI. “At the end of the day, our franchisees are successful business owners who also feel good about what they do.” 

The vast majority of Comfort Keepers franchisees rent, own or lease relatively small office space. Territories include a contiguous cluster of zip codes that total approximately 175,000 people. The initial investment ranges from $56,400 to $88,800, which includes the franchise fee. The fee includes extensive initial and ongoing training, marketing materials and field support. A unique royalty structure rewards franchisees as their business grows.

“My daughter and I came to business because of her experience as an occupational therapist,” said Gainesville Comfort Keepers’ owner Lynn Domenech. “She saw that there was an incredible need and came to me. Together, we researched and found several possibilities, but only one stood above the rest.”

Domenech added, “The support we receive from the corporate team has been a tremendous factor in our success. From our humble beginnings to now having three offices – Gainesville, Ocala and Leesburg – we couldn’t have done it without the incredible CK team including fellow owners here in Florida.”