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A Place At Home plans to make franchise buybacks and joint ventures a larger part of its growth strategy after its February acquisition by Dovida. Co-founder Dustin Distefano said the company aims to convert five locations to corporate operations by year-end and sees corporate operations eventually accounting for 70% of revenue.
A Place At Home plans to expand its franchise buybacks and joint ventures after its February acquisition by Dovida, a shift that could move the home care provider toward earning most of its revenue from corporate operations. Co-founder Dustin Distefano told Home Health Care News that the company aims to complete five corporate conversions by year-end.
The Omaha-based company provides non-medical in-home care, care coordination and services including Alzheimer’s and dementia care across 22 states. Distefano said A Place At Home plans to open 10 additional locations in 2026 and hopes to complete 17 franchise deals by year-end. Its stated goal for 2027 is to add 20 franchise locations.
Buybacks and joint ventures are intended to give high-performing franchise owners an exit option while allowing the company to bring profitable locations into its corporate business. In joint ventures, owners retain a minority stake and may continue as general managers. Distefano said the strategy could increase the share of revenue from corporate operations over time.
A Place At Home currently receives 60% of its revenue from franchising, according to Distefano. He projects that the mix could eventually reverse, with 70% coming from corporate operations and 30% from franchising. The company has not provided a timeline for reaching that projected mix.
A Shift Toward Company-Run Care
Buybacks would change how A Place At Home grows and earns revenue. Franchise expansion brings royalty income, while acquired locations add their operating profits to the company’s results, Distefano said. That can offer a larger revenue contribution per location, while also putting more responsibility for staffing and day-to-day performance on the corporate operator.
The approach also gives franchise owners a possible sale path when they are ready to leave. Distefano said owners may choose to sell because of age or major life changes. The model could help the company retain established locations and operators’ local knowledge, though the number of owners who will pursue a buyback or joint venture is not yet known.
The company is also emphasizing live-in care, referral partnerships and caregiver recruitment. Distefano said the organization is trying to balance sales with recruitment so it can meet demand. Its ability to expand will depend in part on whether it can find and retain enough caregivers as locations grow.
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Dovida’s First U.S. Expansion
Dovida provides home care services in Australia, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland. Its February acquisition of A Place At Home marked its first expansion into the United States and established Dovida’s North American office in Omaha.
After the deal, A Place At Home revised its corporate growth strategy to include buying high-performing franchise locations and forming joint ventures, Distefano told Home Health Care News. Before the acquisition, the company’s franchise model focused on developing local operators and offering potential exits through buybacks or joint ventures.
The company has begun converting locations to corporate operations. Distefano said its first branded corporate conversion, in Jacksonville, Florida, opened in July and nearly doubled in size afterward. He attributed that growth to the company’s sales and recruitment strategies; the report did not provide a time period or operating figures for the increase.
“That’s a major part of our growth strategy next year, because of all that the profits that come from those locations, then get consolidated with us.”
— Dustin Distefano, A Place At Home co-founder and Dovida North America chief operating officer of franchise operations
Buyback Pace Remains Unclear
The company has not disclosed how many locations it expects to buy back, how much it plans to invest, or when it expects corporate operations to reach the projected 70% share of revenue. Distefano’s projection is a goal, not a reported result.
It is also unclear how many of the 17 franchise deals targeted for 2026 are expected to involve new locations versus other agreements, and whether the 10 planned openings are included in that figure. The report does not specify the financial terms of the buybacks or joint ventures.
Distefano attributed Jacksonville’s near doubling in size to sales and recruitment strategies, but the report did not give a measurement period or detailed performance data. A Place At Home’s future growth will also depend on its ability to recruit caregivers and meet client demand.
Five Conversions Targeted This Year
A Place At Home’s near-term milestone is completing five corporate conversions by the end of 2026, Distefano said. The company also plans 10 additional location openings this year and is aiming for 17 franchise deals by year-end.
For 2027, the company has set a goal of adding 20 franchise locations. Alongside expansion, it plans to develop caregiver training based on the diagnoses and care needs it sees among clients, while continuing to build referral partnerships and recruit caregivers. The company has not announced a schedule for its longer-term revenue mix target.
Key Questions
What is A Place At Home changing after the Dovida acquisition?
It plans to expand its purchases of high-performing franchise locations and form more joint ventures, adding to its existing franchise growth model.
How do the planned joint ventures work?
According to co-founder Dustin Distefano, franchise owners may keep a minority ownership stake and continue as general managers.
Distefano said the company currently gets 60% of revenue from franchising and projects that corporate operations could eventually account for 70%. He did not give a timeline for reaching that mix.
What growth targets has the company set?
Distefano said A Place At Home plans 10 additional location openings and hopes to complete 17 franchise deals in 2026, with five corporate conversions targeted by year-end. Its goal for 2027 is to add 20 franchise locations.
Source: rss
