Transitions Group
Transitions Group Inc. has an informal operating style where we’re all on a first-name basis. All ideas and concerns are encouraged to be aired. We believe in empowering our Team Members to serve our customers, and each other, with excellence. We are a team of Employee Owners!
Our company founder and CEO, Bill Jackson, is a lifelong resident of Wichita, Kansas, a United States Air Force Veteran, and an alumnus of Wichita State University. The business started in 1985 with the founding of Furniture Options, a furniture rental company with a showroom in Wichita. Then entered the temporary housing industry in the fall of 1990 with the founding of Suite Options. Over the years, the company opened offices in 12 Midwestern cities. Suite Options currently operates as ExecuStay Midwest.
Transitions Group is an umbrella company created in 1997. It is currently composed of: Furniture Options and Viciniti Corporate Housing (formerly ExecuStay Midwest). It is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, and serves Austin, Baton Rouge, Dallas, Des Moines, Fort Worth, Houston, Kansas City, Little Rock, New Orleans, Northwest Arkansas, Oklahoma City, Omaha, San Antonio, Shreveport, St. Louis, Tulsa, and Wichita.
TRANSITIONS GROUP COMPANY HISTORY
Furniture Options
1985
In 1985 Bill Jackson signed an agreement to purchase a small furniture rental company named Marketplace Furniture founded in Wichita, KS. He eventually bought out his partner and renamed it FURNITURE OPTIONS.
LINENS AND MORE
1988
Furniture Options increased the type of rental offerings by adding housewares and linens to their product mix.
SUITE OPTIONS Corporate Housing
1990
The company entered the Corporate and Temporary Housing market with they formed a new company called Suite Options serving the Wichita area.
FIRST EXPANSION
1992
Our first big expansion outside the Wichita market occured in 1992 when Suite Options opened a location in Kansas City. That same year the Wichita office moved to our current location at 1336 E. Douglas.
APARTMENT OPTIONS. MORE NEW MARKETS
1993 – 1995
A new company, Apartment Options, opened in 1993 and specialized in apartment relocation. Suite Options expanded further, opening in multiple new markets from 1993 – 1995 including: Des Moines, Tulsa, and as a franchise in Jacksonville.
Purchased Thompson Crawley
1996
In 1996, Bill purchased Thompson Crawley a furniture rental competitor in Wichita. Many of the talented staff from Thompson Crawley came over as well and are still here today! 1996 also marked our first Leadership Planning Retreats.
Transitions Group Formed
1997
The company was growing rapidly and the need for a parent umbrella company for all the DBA's was formed and called Transitions Group - affectionately referred to as TG.
Furniture Options Expands. New Acquisitions
1998
The growth of Suite Options created a need for rental furniture in the new markets. In 1998, Furniture Options expanded to meet this need in both Kansas City and Des Moines. TG also acquired Corporate Lodging & Apartment Locators in Little Rock.
Rapid Growth
1999
1999 was a busy year. Furniture Options move into Oklahoma City and the Quad Cities. Tulsa operations were moved to OKC. TG acquired Bridgestreet Oklahoma City Corporate Housing, and New 2 You, a furniture clearance center was opened in Wichita.
Open. Close. Sell.
2000 – 2003
A whirlwind of activities occured in the first few years of the new century. Suite Options opened in Jacksonville. In 2000, Furniture Options opened in Peoria and Jacksonville, and Apartment Options was closed. Then in 2002, Furniture Options sold the operatinos in Quad Cities and Peoria. In 2003 Suite Options closed in Tulsa, moving all Oklahoma operations to Okalahoma City.
ExecuStay and ABODE
2004
TG had a very big year in 2004. Suite Options became an ExecuStay Marriott franchisee; changing the public persona to ExecuStay Midwest. This year also brought the acquisition of Executive Amenities in Dallas, and Furniture Options opened in Dallas. On the home front (Wichita), ABODE Home, a contemporary furniture retail store was built from the ground up in the former parking lot of Furniture Options.
ExecuStay Midwest Expands, ACI Founded
2005 – 2010
Suite Options (now ExecuStay Midwest) opened in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. ABODE Commercial Interiors began in 2008 providing unique office interiors in Wichita.
ABODE Venue
2010
Wichita was not quite ready for the contemporary styles of ABODE Home, but they loved the parties and concerts we threw. So in 2010, ABODE Home was tranformed into an event and wedding venue called ABODE Venue.
More Openings and a Closing
2011 – 2013
ExecuStay Midwest and Furniture Options opened locations in Omaha. Furniture Options expanded into New Orleans and Ft. Worth. Suite Options opened in Houston and Austin. In 2013, ACI Design Studio closed, allowing more time to be spend on Furniture Options which was growing rapidly.
Oakwood Worldwide
2014
Marriott International sold their ExecuStay division to the largest Corporate and Temporary Housing provider in the world: Oakwood Worldwide. In 2014, ExecuStay Midwest became a franchisee of Oakwood Worldwide and acquired the rights to the Oakwood franchise in our northern region.
Employee Ownership!
2014
On July 31, 2014, Transitions Group officially became an Employee Owned Company, as an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). The employees "own it" and have a vested interest in the success of the company and the servcie to our clients.
New CEO and President
2015
Founder and President Bill Jackson, moved into semi-retirement in 2015 and became CEO of Transitions Group. Barney Lehnherr became president of TG, and Brent Dorrah moved into Barney's former postion as VP of the Furniture Division.
Key Changes in Leadership Roles
2018
Gabriel Wacker assumes responsibilities as Vice President of Sales for Transitions Group. Brad Burleson and Amy Schroeder begin new roles as Regional Operations Managers for ExecuStay Midwest. With a combined experience of 39 years, the three will be responsible for continued success of the corporate housing business and optimizing sales for new growth.
Expansion Amidst COVID
2020
Like everyone else, Transitions Group struggled with the reality of Covid, but found ways to persevere and even grow. Prior to Covid, Gabriel Wacker assumed the role of Vice President of Sales and Marketing. During this time Oakwood Worldwide sold the ExecuStay franchise to Dwellworks, making ExecuStay Midwest our sole corporate housing brand. ES expanded into new markets including New Orleans, Shreveport, and Baton Rouge.
Furniture Options Reveals New Look
2021
In October of 2021, Furniture Options unveiled their new brand identity with a new logo designed by Marketing and Creative Director, Karen Cundiff. The new logo along with a brand-new website evoke the fashion forward spirit of the company and will now cater to those who don’t want to be tied down to material things like furniture ownership. Furniture Options rental furniture give the digital nomads a way to Subscribe to Freedom® so they Own Less. Do More.
New Director of Guest Experience
October 2021
Brad Burleson becomes ExecuStay Midwest’s Director of Guest Experience. Previously, Burleson served as the General Manager for the Central Region where he managed the operations in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and St. Louis. In this newly created role, Burleson will be a mentor to the guest services team, and together they will enhance the customer experience.
Big Changes in ExecuStay Leadership Team
2022
Piper Ayala, Vice President of ExecuStay Midwest announces retirement plans at the end of 2022, and staying on in an advisory capacity to new Vice President Lynda Najera. Lynda brings 27 years of experience to her new role. Her career began in Wichita, Kansas, with Furniture Options, the furniture rental side of Transitions Group. Several years later, she transitioned to the corporate housing side to manage their entry into the Texas market. Craig Hufft will take over as Operations Manager for the South Region, and Elida Fragozo will step into the role of Assistant Operations Manager.
ExecuStay Receives CHPA Accreditation
August 2022
ExecuStay earns CHPA’s (Corporate Housing Providers Association) Accreditation. CHPA’s Accreditation program elevates corporate housing companies above the competition by highlighting our commitment to professional business practices, and shows ExecuStay’s qualifications to handle even the most difficult situations. ExecuStay is honored to join this elite group.
ExecuStay Rebranded as Viciniti
March 2023
ExecuStay was a perfect fit for the time, and we've built a lot of value to the name. Unfortunately, we do not own the rights to the ExecuStay name. As an employee-owned company, we decided to have a brand name that we own. Something we can continue to grow for another 30+ years: a more connected brand that is forward-thinking for a digital nomad generation. That is why in January 2023, we are rebranding our company to Viciniti, a brand that will add value to our clients and to our employee-owners.
Today, Transitions Group Inc., is operating 22 profit centers in 12 cities and 8 states.
