Clark Investment Group

What Clark Investment Group does

Clark Investment Group is a private real estate investment and development company founded in 1960 and based in Wichita, Kansas. It develops commercial property for its own account and provides joint-venture equity, strategic oversight, and patient capital to experienced sponsor developers and operators. Its primary counterparties are local and regional real-estate sponsors seeking funding, risk distribution, and a growth platform, while its direct portfolio seeks long-term income production.

Clark's core focus is self-storage development, conversion, and value-add investment. It reports more than 100 self-storage facilities with over 67,000 rental units, more than 12,000,000 square feet of commercial real estate, 150 properties, and interests spanning 23 states. The broader portfolio and development activity also include industrial properties, ethanol production facilities, and office or mixed-use assets; the Fast5Xpress express-car-wash platform was sold in August 2026.

The business model combines direct ownership and development with transaction-specific joint ventures. Sponsors typically source and manage day-to-day operations, provide 65-75% loan-to-cost financing, contribute 10-20% of required equity, and receive an 8-10% preferred return before potentially vesting with up to 40% ownership after applicable hurdles. Clark provides equity and active project oversight and is not described as a software, data, or AI platform.

Name

Clark Investment Group

Legal name

Clark Investment Group

Website

https://clarkinv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Clark Investment Group is a private real estate investment and development company serving sponsor partners through joint-venture equity, strategic oversight, and long-term capital for self-storage, industrial, and other commercial property projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Investment

NAICS

All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Office Investment Platforms & Direct Investing (PE/VC/Co-Invest) (FSAAADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Construction & Development (C&D) Lending — Commercial/Multifamily (FSALADAH)

Keywords

• Real estate development
• Commercial real estate
• Self-storage development
• Joint venture equity
• Real estate investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Investment and Development: Clark Investment Group generates revenue through long-term ownership and development of commercial real estate properties including self-storage facilities, industrial properties, ethanol production facilities, and express car washes. The company holds properties for the long-term production of income.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Clark Investment Group is a private real estate development and investment company that acquires, develops, manages, and holds commercial real estate properties for long-term income production. Its core offering combines direct property ownership (self-storage facilities, industrial properties, ethanol plants, mixed-use developments) with joint venture equity partnerships that provide capital, scale, and strategic oversight to experienced sponsor developers. The company has developed over 100 self-storage facilities with 67,000 rental units across 23 states.

Product overview

Clark Investment Group is a private real estate development and investment company based in Wichita, Kansas, since 1960. The company operates a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate properties totaling over 12,000,000 square feet across 23 states. The core business model combines direct property development for its own account with joint venture equity partnerships with experienced sponsor developers. The primary investment focus is self-storage development, conversion, and value-add opportunities, with the company having developed more than 100 self-storage facilities comprising 67,000 rental units. The portfolio also includes express car wash operations (Fast5Xpress), industrial properties (Golden Garages, Interchange Industrial, Orbis Landing Industrial), ethanol production facilities (Cardinal Ethanol, Kansas Ethanol), and office/mixed-use properties (The Waterfront Wichita, Hinkle Law Building). Joint venture partners include The Jenkins Organization, Playground Properties, Arch Bridge Loans, Security Holdings, TVG Partners, CT Realty Investors, and Mariners Companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Joint Venture Equity Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 self-storage facilities developed with over 67,000 rental units
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.

• Chemical GuysmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2026Chemical Guys acquired Fast5Xpress, owned by Clark Investment Group, in a strategic transaction. Amplify Capital Group advised Fast5Xpress on this sale. The transaction combines a Southern California express car wash platform with a global automotive appearance brand, highlighting consolidation in the express car wash industry.
• Playground PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Playground Properties partnered with Clark Investment Group for two industrial condo developments in Colorado (Golden Garages and Grand Junction project). Talonvest Capital delivered $7.2 million in joint venture equity for these projects. Golden Garages is a 68,880 square-foot 53-unit project; the Grand Junction project is a garage-condo project on Colorado's Western Slope. Both projects achieved significant contracted pre-sales before funding and are scheduled for completion in 2026.
• The Jenkins OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Jenkins Organization is a joint venture partner with Clark Investment Group focused on self-storage development. Ricky Jenkins from The Jenkins Organization noted that Clark has enabled unprecedented growth with their self-storage development platform.
• Fast5Xpress Car WashescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFast5Xpress Car Washes was owned by Clark Investment Group and operated as a Southern California express car wash platform. Curt Ensign from Fast5Xpress noted that Clark's seasoned professionals provide valuable expertise and financial strength to fuel growth. Fast5Xpress was subsequently sold to Chemical Guys in 2026.
• Security Holdings, LLCsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecurity Holdings, LLC, based in Wichita, Kansas, is a partner of Clark Investment Group. Bill Ard noted that Steve Clark is one of the few people you can take literally to the bank with a verbal commitment.
• Mariners CompaniessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMariners Companies, based in Newport Beach, California, is a partner of Clark Investment Group. Steve Olson noted that they have completed numerous transactions with Clark, a partnership that has brought value and credibility to their organization.
• TVG PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTVG Partners, based in New York, New York, is a partner of Clark Investment Group. Stephen Schwartz noted that their seasoned professionals provide valuable expertise and the financial strength to fuel growth.
• CT Realty InvestorssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCT Realty Investors, based in Aliso Viejo, California, is a partner of Clark Investment Group. J.C. Watson noted that results have been enhanced by partners like Clark who provide valuable advice and strategic guidance, along with significant investments in multiple projects.
• MFC Housing, LLCsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFC Housing, LLC, based in Los Angeles, California, is a partner of Clark Investment Group. Chuck McBride and Christian Fuentes noted that the partnership has also enabled them to establish other relationships that would not have been possible without Clark's involvement.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• W. P. Carey: W. P. Carey (NYSE: WPC) is a diversified net lease REIT with $25B+ in assets under management. It is a broad incumbent because it applies a similar patient-capital, long-term ownership philosophy across commercial real estate categories that overlap with Clark's industrial, mixed-use, and self-storage exposures.
• Realty Income: Realty Income (NYSE: O) is the largest net lease REIT with $50B+ in assets and a 'Monthly Dividend Company' identity built on long-duration income-producing real estate. It is a broad incumbent because it pursues a comparable long-hold, income-focused commercial real estate investment model across many of the same asset categories as Clark.
• Harrison Street: Harrison Street is a leading alternative real estate investment manager with $50B+ AUM across self-storage, data centers, and other niches. It is a broad incumbent because it is a scaled private equity manager specifically active in the self-storage development space where Clark is dominant.
• Blackstone Real Estate Partners: Blackstone Real Estate is the largest global private real estate investor with $300B+ in assets under management. It is a broad incumbent because it deploys institutional capital into self-storage, industrial, and other commercial real estate categories where Clark also operates, competing for large-scale development equity deals.

Direct peers

• Public Storage: Public Storage (NYSE: PSA) is the largest publicly traded self-storage REIT in the United States. It is a direct peer because Clark is the nation's largest private source of equity for self-storage development, operating in the same asset class and customer set (self-storage tenants and developers).
• Extra Space Storage: Extra Space Storage (NYSE: EXR) is the second-largest U.S. self-storage REIT with a national footprint. It is a direct peer because it acquires, develops, and operates self-storage facilities in the same product category as Clark's primary investment focus, and is even featured as a Clark-owned property (ExtraSpace Storage, Ridgefield, NJ).
• StorageMart: StorageMart is one of the largest privately held self-storage operators in North America. It is a direct peer because it competes with Clark-owned facilities for self-storage tenants and pursues similar development and acquisition strategies in the same geographic markets.
• SmartStop Self Storage REIT: SmartStop Self Storage is a publicly registered non-traded REIT focused on self-storage acquisition and development. It is a direct peer because it pursues self-storage development using similar JV equity and programmatic investment structures, competing for the same sponsor partnerships and capital.
• CubeSmart: CubeSmart (NYSE: CUBE) is a publicly traded self-storage REIT that owns and operates over 1,300 facilities across the U.S. It is a direct peer because it is featured as a Clark-owned property (CubeSmart Self Storage, Worcester, MA) and competes directly for self-storage development capital and tenant demand.
• National Storage Affiliates Trust: National Storage Affiliates (NYSE: NSA) is a self-storage REIT that partners with regional operators through a participation model. It is a direct peer because its affiliate-based growth strategy closely parallels Clark's JV partnership approach to building a self-storage portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clark Investment Group