Entrepreneur and Business Executive.
Robert Jafari began his career in the senior housing industry after recognizing the long-term impact of an aging Baby Boomer population while still in high school. An entrepreneur from a young age, Robert held numerous jobs throughout grade school and high school, developing a strong work ethic and a practical understanding of business operations. During this time, he also began actively preparing for his first venture in senior housing, making business calls to banks and industry professionals while still a teenager.
At age 16, while selling housewares door-to-door, Robert met a seasoned senior housing professional who would become his first business partner. Together, they formed Butterfield Health Care Group in 1987—while Robert was still in high school. By age 17, Robert became CEO, a role he held for the next 18 years. The company began with one office and two assistants and launched its first project: the development of a 107,000-square-foot nursing home.
From the Ground Up.
To prepare Robert for leadership, his partner required him to work hands-on in every department of an operating nursing home, including dietary, housekeeping, maintenance, nursing, social services, rehabilitation therapies, and administration. This immersive experience provided Robert with a comprehensive, “ground-up” understanding of senior healthcare operations.
Under Robert’s leadership, the organization expanded rapidly—from 2 employees to 30 within two years, growing to 90 the following year and 250 shortly thereafter. Today, more than 1,000 employees work within organizations under his management.
In parallel, at the age of just 18, Robert oversaw the development of a 55,000-square-foot medical office building and surgical center. Despite limited time and resources, Robert managed all aspects of the project, including construction, financing, leasing, zoning, and permitting.
Cultivating Growth & Success.
Robert went on to develop and acquire multiple senior care facilities throughout the Chicago area, including Meadowbrook Manor of Bolingbrook (298 beds), Meadowbrook Manor of Naperville (245 beds), Blossom Hill Health Center (200 beds), and Meadowbrook Manor of LaGrange (197 beds) and Lighthouse Hospice & Palliative Care. What began as a single joint venture evolved into a multi-facility senior care organization.
Beyond healthcare operations, Robert has served as founder and/or co-founder of numerous ventures, including Robert Arthur Land Company, which is currently entitled to develop over 1,500 acres for residential, commercial, and community use; Concert Health Plan, a health insurance company serving more than 10,000 members; Bomba Bambola, a luxury women’s swimwear brand; Jafari Aviation, an online charter booking resource for executives and high-net-worth individuals and families; Optima Medical Supply; Scale Home Health; Safe Harbor Hospice; and Accommodate, Restore, Collaborate (ARC), a physical and restorative therapy company.
In 2007, Robert founded BHC Construction Company, specializing in design-build construction and commercial real estate development throughout the western suburbs of Chicago. BHC has delivered healthcare, office, residential, and institutional projects, consistently reducing costs and shortening delivery timelines through a collaborative design-build approach. Major projects include the Riverwoods Office Campus in Naperville, large-scale nursing home renovations, and new senior care developments, including the $40 million rehabilitation of the historic Meadowbrook Manor of LaGrange.
Robert’s broader portfolio includes ventures in real estate brokerage, transportation, clothing, hospitality, construction materials manufacturing, aviation, medical supply, agriculture, and charitable foundations. His real estate holdings span commercial, residential, agricultural, and undeveloped land across Illinois, Wisconsin, and California.
Robert has served on numerous boards of directors, including the American Red Cross (Fox Valley Chapter), and multiple healthcare and construction organizations. He received his degree from Harvard University.