ElmTree Funds Welcomes Blake Curtis as Director of Acquisitions

ST. LOUIS, September 6, 2024 — ElmTree Funds (“ElmTree”), a leading net-lease real estate private equity firm, has announced the addition of Blake Curtis as Director of Acquisitions. Operating out of the firm’s office in Phoenix, Arizona, Curtis will play a pivotal role in the origination, acquisitions, and evaluation of industrial real estate across the United States, strongly emphasizing build-to-suit, sale-leaseback, and forward takeout originations. ElmTree CEO and Founder James Koman made the announcement.

“Blake brings over a decade of experience and a deep understanding of capital markets, acquisitions, and development,” said Koman. “His expertise in multifamily and adaptive reuse projects, coupled with his impressive deal-making track record, will significantly enhance our ability to secure high-quality investments in key industrial sectors across the country.”

Before joining ElmTree, Curtis served as a principal at WeBuild, a development company in Arizona, where he focused on ground-up multifamily projects and the adaptive reuse of suburban office spaces into housing. In this role, he was responsible for acquisitions, joint ventures, brokerage operations, and direct principal investments. Prior to his time at WeBuild, he was the Managing Director of Capital Markets and Acquisitions at SimonCRE, a national developer specializing in shopping center development, redevelopment, and freestanding net lease build-to-suit construction.

“I am honored to join ElmTree Funds and contribute to its robust platform in the industrial real estate sector,” Curtis said. “ElmTree’s strategic focus on build-to-suit and net-lease properties represents a significant opportunity to deliver value to our investors and stakeholders. I am eager to leverage my experience to strengthen ElmTree’s market position further and drive continued growth and success.”

Curtis holds a B.A. in Business Law from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. He is an active member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP) and is a member of the Urban Land Institute’s Industrial Product Council. Additionally, he is a dedicated member of the Executive Council Charities, a nonprofit in Arizona that is focused on helping Arizona’s youth.

To learn more about ElmTree Funds, visit https://elmtreefunds.com/. 

About ElmTree Funds

ElmTree Funds, LLC, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a real estate private equity firm that manages capital on behalf of institutional and private investors. ElmTree’s investment philosophy focuses on making strategic investments in the commercial real estate net-lease and build-to-suit sectors with a focus on industrial properties. Since its founding in 2011, ElmTree has acquired, developed, or financed an extensive portfolio of commercial real estate. ElmTree targets investments in primary and secondary markets across the U.S. that are net-leased to investment grade tenants on a long-term basis. To learn more, visit https://elmtreefunds.com/.