Becknell Industrial Builds Distribution Team for Private REIT Launch
Becknell Industrial, a vertically integrated real estate investment company specializing in the development and management of industrial properties, has assembled a sales team to raise capital for Becknell Industrial Income Trust Inc., a private, perpetual-life real estate investment trust focused on income-producing U.S. industrial properties, also known as BIIT.
“A key differentiator for Becknell throughout its history has been the quality of its relationships with its institutional partners and long-term tenants. We expect to develop the same quality, long-term relationships with the wealth managers we work with, and our sales team shares that commitment,” said Clay Thelen, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Becknell Industrial.
The fund, which launched earlier this month, marks Becknell’s expansion into the retail capital markets, offering accredited investors access to what the company says are institutional-grade industrial assets. BIIT’s distribution team is working through the independent broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, and family office channels. Recently announced staff include: Linda Cobelo, Richard Ranck, Chris McCaffety, and Michael Gazsi.
Cobelo, in partnership with Alliance160, serves as Becknell’s director of national accounts. She has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and has spent the last 10 years building and maintaining selling groups for alternative investment sponsors. From 2011 to 2025, Cobelo served as chief business development officer and executive vice president of national accounts at Preferred Capital Securities. She received her Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of South Florida and her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Mary Washington. She currently holds FINRA Series 6, 7, 24, and 63 licenses.
Ranck serves as director of retail capital markets for the Eastern region. He brings more than 20 years of financial services industry experience and has raised capital for various alternative asset classes across multiple channels. Before joining Becknell, Ranck was founder and managing partner of Valor Consulting & Distribution from 2020 to 2025. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College and holds FINRA Series 7, 63, and 66 licenses.
McCaffety serves as director of retail capital markets for the Western region. He has more than 20 years of financial services industry experience and has raised capital for large and small alternative investment sponsors across multiple channels. Prior to joining Becknell, McCaffety was a private wealth director at Hines from 2019 to January 2026. He received his MBA from Rice University and a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University.
Gazsi serves as associate director of retail capital markets. The company said he has experience fundraising across multiple alternative asset classes and supporting adviser relationships. Prior to joining Becknell, he was an internal wholesaler for Shopoff Realty Investments from 2024 to 2025. Gazsi received his bachelor’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He currently holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.
BIIT is designed to acquire and actively manage a diversified portfolio of stabilized, income-producing industrial assets located in what the sponsor describes as mission-critical markets. The strategy emphasizes properties leased to tenants with strong credit profiles and long-term lease terms, primarily within the distribution and light manufacturing sectors.
BIIT is offering multiple share classes with a stated net asset value of $1,000 per share prior to applicable upfront fees, with differing upfront fee structures. Class A shares are offered at $1,077 per share, Class H shares at $1,000 per share, Class R shares at $990 per share and Class I shares at $980 per share, with minimum investments generally starting at $25,000, except for Class I shares, which carry a $1 million minimum.
Founded in 1990 and headquartered in suburban Chicago, with four additional offices located throughout the country, Becknell Industrial has acquired or developed more than 225 industrial properties occupying in excess of 40 million square feet with total capitalization of just under $4 billion.
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