October 2012
| Business World Magazine | 55
E
pcon Communities Franchising,
Inc. (ECFI) is one of the leading,
nationwide developers and fran-
chise operators of active-adult homes and
communities in the U.S. By combining a
copyrighted building and development sys-
temwith professional franchise support, Ep-
con Communities has become one of the
most unique and exciting franchise con-
cepts on the market.
Epcon was formed in 1986 by Ed Ba-
come and Phil Fankhauser. These gentlemen
conceived a revolutionary “pinwheel” design
that addressed the housing needs of the ma-
ture homebuyer. The first Epcon communi-
ty was in Columbus, Ohio, but others in the
market quickly recognized the universal ap-
peal of the homes, thus leading to a licensed
design that was built by another company in
Youngstown, Ohio in 1989.
While most other home builders were
focusing on a younger, family-oriented de-
mographic, Bacome and Fankhauser recog-
nized that there was a segment of the aging
population whose housing needs were be-
ing overlooked. As this awareness became
