John Gilliland is an American real estate investor and entrepreneur specializing in the self-storage industry. He is the Founder and CEO of The Investment Real Estate Group of Companies (IREGC), a parent company of multiple self-storage firms providing brokerage, acquisitions, construction, and management services.
Early Career
John Gilliand was born in Pennsylvania to a family of farmers. He graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a degree in dairy sciences with the intent of continuing in the family tradition. But during his senior year, several tax laws changed, making it very difficult to earn a living in the dairy business, so he decided to change direction and go into commercial real estate.
He started selling commercial real estate in Southern California in the late 1980s and then returned to his home state of Pennsylvania. It was then that he discerned a potential for growth in the self-storage industry.
Business
Once John understood the opportunity in the self-storage industry, he launched several companies in quick succession:
In 1997, he brokered his first self-storage facility in Hanover, Pennsylvania.
In 1998, he founded two companies: Investment Real Estate Group of Companies (IREGC) and Moove In Self Storage, both of which have become leaders in the industry.
IREGC is a parent company that oversees several self-storage firms, including Investment Real Estate Management (founded in 2000), and Investment Real Estate Construction (founded in 2004). As founder and CEO of IREGC, John grew the company into a national leader in self-storage; it provides brokerage, feasibility, construction, development, insurance, and property management services across multiple states.
Investment Real Estate Management is one of the largest firms in the US to provide self-storage clients with professional fee-based management services. Investment Real Estate Construction helps clients through the design, permitting, and construction of their self-storage projects. To date, IREC has built over 3.5 million square feet of self-storage.
While John founded IREGC and Moove in the same year, he purposefully kept both ventures separate, as he didn’t want to find himself competing with his own clients.
The origin of Moove In Self Storage is hidden in its name. John grew up on a farm raising cows, and the “Moo” of Moove In is a tribute to his and his family’s agricultural roots. The company’s first storage facility was located in Bald Eagle, PA; it began with 54 storage units. Over time, the company acquired more properties in Pennsylvania and neighboring states: Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. In 2021, the company expanded beyond the familiar East Coast into Iowa, and currently has 27 locations across six states.
In an article he wrote advising potential self-storage starters, John discussed how he built his empire from the ground up.
“My first self-storage facility was one I built from scratch. My father and I paid $13,200 for 2.5 acres in the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania, and borrowed $90,000 from Wells Fargo to build a one 30-by-220-foot building. We leased it in nine months and had it appraised at $250,000. Then we refinanced the property with a 75 percent loan and had $90,000 cash to go buy our second property!”
Industry Recognition and Board Memberships
John Gilliand has received multiple awards and honors from the industry’s most regarded institutions.
- In 2018, John was inducted into the inaugural class of the Pennsylvania Self Storage Hall of Fame for his leadership and achievements in the industry.
- In 2020, he was inducted into the National Self Storage Association Hall of Fame, the industry’s highest honor.
- In 2024, John was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Vistage, the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization.
- The same year, he received the “2024 Distinguished Alumni Award” from Tyrone Area High School in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. The award recognizes graduates who have significantly impacted society through their professional and philanthropic efforts.
- In his personal life, John is a competitive driver for Kellymoss Racing; in 2025, he was named the Porsche Endurance Challenge North America Pro-Am Driver Champion.
John served as president of the Pennsylvania Self Storage Association from 2002 to 2006 and is a member of multiple self-storage associations (Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, and the Northeast).
In 2003, John was elected to the National Board of Directors of the Self Storage Association and served as Chairman of the Board in 2007. In 2017, he served as Chairman of the SSA Foundation Board. He is also a Participating Regional Operator Advisory Committee member for National Storage Affiliates and a member of Vistage, a national organization of CEOs.
Personal Life
