Justin Laboo, Executive General Manager at FKP / Aveo

"Living well is good business."

Over 20 years, FKP - via its retirement living arm, AVEO - has grown to be the largest private operator of village communities across Australia, with 62 Aveo villages. Justin Laboo is responsible for approximately 10,000 residents.

Justin: "With such large and diverse operations, we now employ nearly 1,000 staff in a variety of service, administrative and care-giving roles. We developed the name Aveo - which means ‘live well' in Latin - because we wanted a name that reflected the quality of lifestyle today's retirees identify with. Our residents are independent and they are individuals. They want to lead their own lives - but with the knowledge that they have a secure structure and caring team behind them. The people who decide to join us want to live well, to be satisfied with life. You will see a very strong focus by us on maximising resident satisfaction. This is not just a cliché, we are not just going to be the biggest - we are focused on being the best."

"We believe resident satisfaction is good business because a satisfied village leads to strong demand. Most potential residents speak to someone in a village before joining. So satisfied residents drive the success of a village."

"Our size is a significant advantage to our residents; it allows us to deliver ‘satisfaction' in areas where smaller village operators can't. There are the obvious things like efficient purchasing which directly translates into lower fees and a wider range of services on offer. We can afford to invest in our people, to give them skills, to train them in things like grief support and change management. A resident downsizing from a four-bedroom family home to a two-bedroom apartment is experiencing significant change."

"Our policy is to build the knowledge and skills of our people to help residents make that change as easily as possible, which leads to increased satisfaction with their new lifestyle. It is not a matter of employing anyone and then hoping for the best. We are part of people's lives; we are there for the good times and the bad. Our people need to be there to support and help where possible. Not only do our residents expect great people to deliver them service but also they expect modern systems that can make life easier. They want us to be the best. It's a matter of pride to them as well as to us to have a great village."

"We see the village industry owners / operators divided into two groups - 40 percent private and 60 percent not-for-profit in Australia and New Zealand. At present, we account for 20 percent of the private sector, with 45 large villages in Australia. We also have a ‘partnership' with Macquarie Bank that delivers us another 35 villages - 17 in Australia and 18 in New Zealand - which represents another 15 percent. Hence, a total of about 35 percent of private villages are now owned and / or operated under the FKP / Aveo group."

"With size comes opportunity and responsibility. FKP's scale is now getting to the point that we can assess and direct a new resident to a village that better suits their personality and needs. Our aim is to offer a range of options to suit all lifestyles and budgets, with the reassurance of the same quality systems and teams to back each village. We want to be the leading provider of lifestyle choice."

"We see ourselves being in the unique position of being able to set the bar higher for the industry. Not only are we the leader, but we also have the financial strength, the property locations and marketing expertise to create the best platform. Looking forward, we believe there are two main industry models. FKP develops new greenfield sites, like Aveo Peregian Springs Country Club located in the heart of a major residential development, or vertical inner city villages located close to transport hubs, like Aveo Clayfield in central Brisbane. Clayfield is apartment living in the city centre where local residents are most comfortable, being close to friends in an area where they can maintain their existing social lives, while Peregian Springs can attract potential residents from interstate, such as Sydney, looking for a lifestyle change."

"Aveo Clayfield is an innovative model that has much to offer from a lifestyle and planning perspective. A shortage of land in most capital cites means redeveloping existing sites to cater for the retirement demand. FKP brings much to the table as we are already a leading designer and builder of inner city residential communities across Australia. This is an exciting time to be in the industry as we are continually exploring new and better ways to design, build and operate quality retirement villages for our residents. Through Aveo, we have villages that offer homes from $50,000 to $2 million depending on a resident's needs and the chosen location. In all of them, the new generation of residents are expecting more; they appreciate the quality, the range of services and the satisfaction that our size and experience can bring to their lives. Building new communities is a long way from my studies in Mathematics and Law, but it is very rewarding. At FKP, we believe can make a difference and assist our residents to live well."

Justin Laboo, Executive General Manager at FKP / Aveo

"Living well is good business."

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