John H. GillilandCEO
Over the past quarter century, John H. Gilliland has become a national leader and visionary in the self storage industry. He has given back to his community as a philanthropist and is a devoted husband and father.
In 1997, Mr. Gilliland brokered his first self storage facility in Hanover, Pennsylvania. One year later, he founded the Investment Real Estate Group of Companies (IREGC), including Investment Real Estate, LLC, and built his first Moove In Self Storage facility near State College, Pennsylvania.
Since that time, Mr. Gilliland created numerous self storage-focused companies that have reached national prominence. This includes Investment Real Estate Management, LLC, one of the largest firms in America to provide self storage clients with professional, fee-based management services, and Investment Real Estate Construction, LLC, which has developed and built over 3.5 million square feet of self storage.
Over the course of its first quarter century, IREGC grew into a national leader with more than 100 employees providing brokerage, feasibility, construction, development, insurance and property management services primarily across the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and Midwest regions. During this time, the company brokered hundreds of transactions, achieved over $1.3 billion in sales for its clients and grew its Moove In Self Storage portfolio to more than 80 properties in nine states. Mr. Gilliland retired the company’s brokerage services in 2022 to focus solely on acquisitions to expand the Moove In Self Storage portfolio.
In July 2024, Moove In Self Storage retired as a Participating Regional Operator (PRO) from National Storage Affiliates (NSA). NSA is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: NSA).
For his leadership and achievements, Mr. Gilliland was inducted into the inaugural class of the Pennsylvania Self Storage Hall of Fame in 2018. He received his industry’s highest honor when he was inducted into the National Self Storage Association Hall of Fame in 2020. In 2024, Mr. Gilliland was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Vistage, the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization.
In May 2023, IREGC established its new headquarters in a LEED Platinum-certified historic building along North George Street in downtown York, bringing the company’s dynamic energy and culture to the downtown area.
Mr. Gilliland and his wife, Denise, formed the Gilliland Family Foundation. Along with their four children and spouses, they are committed to becoming civic leaders in York County. Mrs. Gilliland founded Pink Power in 2017 to raise money for local breast cancer patients in need. The Gillilands also purchased an ownership interest in the York Revolution, invested in the White Rose Impact Fund and bought a number of properties in downtown York, contributing to its revitalization movement.
