How Griffin Capital Set a Company Record for Fundraising

If 2019 stood out in any area, it was in capital raising. Asset managers ranging from Blackstone to Harrison Street hit new fundraising peaks with assorted vehicles. The latest to report unprecedented success is Griffin Capital Company, which raised a total of $2.43 billion in investor equity—a record for the firm and a 49.7% increase over 2018.

Of particular note, the firm’s Institutional Access platform of interval funds, conceived and managed by Griffin Capital Asset Management Company, led in capital raising. In 2019, that platform raised more than $1.7 billion, bringing its total equity under management to $4.5 billion.

Griffin Capital has raised $14 billion of investor equity over the past eight years, and deployed that capital across a platform of investment solutions including interval funds, private placements, REITs and tax-advantaged strategies. The firm attributes its success in 2019 to the consistent and strong performance of its investment products and the ability to execute on a long-term strategic vision.

“2020 marks our 25th year in business, and we continue to be driven by the same philosophy we put in place when I founded the firm: protect and grow our investors’ capital through compelling and timely investment solutions, deliver strong risk-adjusted returns and always provide a superior customer experience,” said chairman and CEO Kevin Shields.

Griffin Capital says its record 2019 results were facilitated by the execution on multiple key initiatives that are part of the company’s strategic vision and long-term plan. Many of these initiatives were implemented within Griffin Capital Securities (GCS), Griffin Capital’s wholly-owned broker-dealer subsidiary, including:

• Expansion of its footprint within the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) segment via the launch of the Institutional Consulting Group. This team is dedicated to building relationships and serving the specific and unique needs of RIAs with a market capitalization of $1 billion and above. In so doing, GCS significantly broadened its spectrum of distribution partners, and now has four distinct channels of intermediary distribution: Institutional, RIA, Wirehouse and Independent Broker-Dealers.

• Installation of a state-of-the art CRM and customer engagement platform and the integration of innovative data systems. Griffin says the focus on technology enabled GCS to better understand the behaviors and specific needs of its client base and deliver a more personalized service experience.

• Augmented educational and thought leadership events, similar to those the company has delivered over the course of a decade, with more advanced and sophisticated financial planning and financial model-oriented content. In 2019, these events included executive roundtables, due diligence meetings, national roadshows and interactive webinars.

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