AI-first real estate investment firm focused on underserved Midwest markets
Flint Hills Capital is a self-funded, vertically integrated owner-operator that acquires and develops industrial, storage, and flex space assets in secondary and tertiary Midwest markets, deploying artificial intelligence and automation to achieve operating performance that institutional players can't replicate at this scale.
Get in TouchA Differentiated Approach to a Fragmented Asset Class
Self storage in secondary and tertiary markets is controlled by local operators running on legacy systems with on-site managers, paper leases, reactive pricing and poor websites. These facilities are profitable but dramatically underperforming. We acquire them, modernize operations with technology, and unlock value the previous owner never captured.
Our model eliminates permanent on-site staffing entirely, replacing it with AI-powered customer service, automated workflows, and centralized operations. The result: expense ratios of 14–24%, roughly half the industry norm. AI drives every stage; identifying underserved markets, managing construction, tracking competitors, and building a digital presence that captures local search. More revenue reaches the bottom line on every facility we touch.
Acquire Underperforming Assets
We target Class B and C self storage facilities in Midwest markets with strong demand fundamentals and weak management.
Transform Operations
We convert operations and tenant acquisition to an AI-based platform that dominates local SEO and automates tenant lifecycle.
Recycle Capital & Compound
We use SBA and conventional financing to acquire and develop, then refinance stabilized assets to extract equity and fund subsequent deals.
Facilities Across the Midwest
Every property operates under our centralized, technology-first management model through Midwest Storage Solutions, our operating subsidiary.
Proof of Concept
Bourbon County Storage — Fort Scott, KS
In 2025, Flint Hills Capital developed an 84-unit drive-up storage facility on a greenfield site in Fort Scott, KS. The facility was designed, permitted, and built under our direct oversight using local contractors and a lean project management approach.
After opening, the facility leased at a rate of nearly one unit per day — validating both the market demand thesis and the viability of new construction in secondary and tertiary Midwest markets.
Bourbon County Storage also served as a proving ground for our SEO and digital presence strategy. We built a purpose-built website optimized for local search, achieving first-page rankings for key Fort Scott storage queries within months of launch — driving organic leads without paid advertising.
Founder & Operator
Chris founded Flint Hills Capital in 2020 after 25 years in technology and private equity. He identified an opportunity to apply the same data-driven, technology-first approach to an industry still largely run on paper and phone calls.
He was raised in Lawrence, Kansas, and is a sixth-generation Kansan with over 30 years of experience in real estate and more than 50 successful transactions. Chris attended the University of Maryland, and is a US Marine veteran.