In 1992, a group of investors in Minot, North Dakota started Edgewood Vista as a 32-bed basic care facility. In 1994, the group decided to expand the facility, and approached Dean Throntveit, who at the time was a vice president at St. Joseph’s Hospital of Minot. Dean then asked Phil Gisi, CFO of St. Joseph’s Hospital, for his assistance. Through Dean and Phil, the investors asked St. Joseph’s Hospital if they would be willing to buy into the project. The fathers of the hospital respectfully declined, but Gisi and Throntveit saw it differently. They asked for permission to invest on their own. With the hospital’s blessing, Phil and Dean said “yes,” and Edgewood Vista started to grow.

By 1995, the company had evolved to include four partners, including the three current active partners Throntveit (CEO), Gisi (CFO), and Dale Klien (Vice President of Development). By 1996 there were Edgewood Vista facilities in Montana and East Grand Forks, Minnesota. Not counting Fargo’s new Edgewood Vista facility, there are 19 Edgewood Vista locations across North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, including twelve stand-alone Memory Care (Alzheimer’s Care) facilities and seven senior care facilities. The main office for Edgewood Vista, Edgewood Village and Edgewood Development Group is now located in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

It’s a company that has succeeded by providing an outstanding service that is in high demand – people want to feel independent (even though they may no longer be able to live on their own) for as long as possible. Edgewood Vista facilities feature amenities such as chapels, beauty salons and fitness centers that many of their traditional competitors do not. Some even include a private movie theater room.

In addition, the Edgewood family of businesses has proven to be innovative in providing America’s population with the new living options that it desires. With the creation of Edgewood Village in Fargo, the company is making a name for itself beyond assisted living. “The demographics of America are changing,” Phil Gisi says. “We’re just changing with them. We’re trying to do whatever we can to allow people to live their lives on their own terms. With the upcoming baby-boomers, that’s going to become more and more important.”