James Reid, CEO of Investa Capital, recently acquired BBi Constructors Inc., the general contractor that built the facilities in Reid’s StorCo portfolio, including self-storage, RV and boat storage, and ProSuites™, providing flex space for companies.
As a growing national commercial builder since 2005, BBi has built a broad variety of properties, including industrial buildings, self-storage, flex space, schools, healthcare offices, entertainment venues, restaurants, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and other commercial assets. The full array of BBi projects can be seen on its newly relaunched website, BBiConstructors.com.
StorCo Storage St. Peters under construction by BBi Constructors
With an increasing focus on self-storage over the last 10 years, BBi is well known in the industry as a top developer. In addition to the StorCo portfolio, BBi builds around the country for national self-storage REITs like Extra Space and Life Storage, as well as other storage operators with self-storage facilities and RV and boat parking.
Life Storage built by BBi Constructors
The BBi acquisition is part of Reid’s overall vision to build a vertically integrated development company. He launched Investa Capital as a vehicle for passive investors to generate cash flow and build wealth. Investa funds its own projects and invests capital in other developers’ assets as well, providing “Impact Beyond Returns®”.
The second leg of the enterprise is StorCo Storage, which Reid plans to build into a portfolio of 500 facilities by 2050. The StorCo brand operates his portfolio and will offer third-party management for other facilities as well.
As he began to build Investa Capital and StorCo Storage, it became clear to Reid that he could bring a unique solution to the market. Not just a storage operator, not just capital, but a vertically integrated company to fund, build, and operate commercial real estate assets. The only thing missing was a construction company with national reach.
St. Louis Cold Drawn, a steel manufacturing facility, built by BBi Constructors
Reid had worked with BBi Constructors for years. “We experienced a great quality of work on all projects.” Quality was so high, in fact, that StorCo won the Conversion Facility of the Year Award in 2020 for its O’Fallon, Missouri facility, built by BBi.
“BBi Constructors had everything ready to go, from great rapport in the industry to state-of-the-art projects,” says Reid. So, he acquired BBi to expand services throughout the industry and scale their resources and abilities.
The BBi purchase put Reid in the position to offer just the service you need or his entire integrated solution. “You do what you do best, we will do the rest,” says Reid. “We can provide the suite of services or fill in any gaps you have. If you have the capital, we can build the project. If you are a builder with funding, we can third-party manage the facility. Or we can just bring capital to your team. Combine our services in the way that works best for you.”
Chevrolet Car Dealership built by BBi Constructors
Reid has a long history of building businesses. An entrepreneur at an early age, he built his neighborhood lawn mowing jobs into a landscape contracting business with $2.5 million in annual sales. Shortly after he built a nursery garden center as both headquarters for his business and his residence, he drove home one day to see it entirely engulfed in flames. Both his business and his home burnt to the ground.
Through the flames, Reid found his new passion when a friend who owned self storage offered him a free unit to store what he could salvage from the fire. Recognizing self storage as a compelling way to help people in life’s difficult seasons, Reid also observed that the industry relies on a simple but impressive business model. So, he sold his landscaping business to his right-hand man and went full throttle into self storage. Still going strong, Reid has never looked back.
Wendy’s Restaurant built by BBi Constructors
Investa Capital, based in O’Fallon, MO, was founded in 2017 by James Reid as the foundation of his vertically integrated development enterprise. Investa’s second division, StorCo Storage, oversees the management of a diverse portfolio of facilities. This portfolio includes new builds, acquisitions, and conversions, one of which received the Facility of the Year Award. The enterprise further expanded its vertical integration by acquiring BBi Constructors, Inc., a commercial general contractor. This integration allows Investa Capital to offer tailored solutions for investors, developers, and operators, providing individual services or the entire suite, from funding and construction to full operational management of self storage facilities. At its core, Investa Capital’s mission is to generate strong financial returns while creating “Impact Beyond Returns®” – positively influencing the lives of investors, team members, and communities alike. For more information, visit InvestaCapital.com.