Key Takeaways
- • BlackOak Investments, a Springfield-based private equity firm, closed on the acquisition of the former Pride Truck Sales building (approximately 17,000 square feet) located at 2929 N. Eastgate Ave. in January 2026 for use as company headquarters and leased office space.
- • The firm plans to occupy the executive suite on the top floor as headquarters while leasing office and build-to-suit units on the ground floor, with the building expected to be move-in ready by fall 2026.
- • BlackOak simultaneously acquired two adjacent properties at 2827 and 2726 N. Eastgate Ave.; the firm has already sold one property and is developing the other into a self-storage facility using shipping containers.
- • BlackOak's business model spans commercial and multifamily real estate, modular manufacturing, and storage facilities, with portfolio companies including BuiltBox Containers (mobile offices and storage rentals) and Modular Manufacturing (60,000-square-foot modular structures facility in Marionville).
Summary
BlackOak Investments, a growing Springfield-based private equity firm, has acquired the former Pride Truck Sales building in a strategic real estate transaction that consolidates the company's headquarters and expands its local commercial footprint. The firm closed on the nearly 17,000-square-foot property located at 2929 N. Eastgate Ave. off Highway 65 near Interstate 44 in January 2026, according to CEO Samuel Popa.
The acquisition reflects BlackOak's dual strategy of operational consolidation and asset monetization. The firm will occupy the executive suite on the top floor as its headquarters while deploying the ground floor for leased office space and build-to-suit units. BlackOak has already begun accepting applications for the office space, with the entire building anticipated to be move-in ready by fall 2026. This timeline aligns with typical commercial real estate repositioning cycles and suggests active tenant recruitment is underway.
As part of the broader transaction, BlackOak also acquired two adjacent properties at 2827 and 2726 N. Eastgate Ave. The company has already divested one of these properties while converting the other into a self-storage facility utilizing shipping container construction—a lower-capital alternative to traditional storage development. This selective asset disposition strategy indicates disciplined capital allocation within the acquisition package.
BlackOak's portfolio composition demonstrates diversification across real estate, light industrial, and logistics sectors. The firm owns or manages BuiltBox Containers, which operates in the mobile office and storage rental market, and Modular Manufacturing, which operates a 60,000-square-foot facility in Marionville producing modular structures. The former Pride Truck Sales acquisition extends BlackOak's real estate footprint while providing operational efficiency through centralized headquarters placement in a logistics-adjacent location near Highway 65 and Interstate 44.
The acquisition reflects BlackOak's dual strategy of operational consolidation and asset monetization. The firm will occupy the executive suite on the top floor as its headquarters while deploying the ground floor for leased office space and build-to-suit units. BlackOak has already begun accepting applications for the office space, with the entire building anticipated to be move-in ready by fall 2026. This timeline aligns with typical commercial real estate repositioning cycles and suggests active tenant recruitment is underway.
As part of the broader transaction, BlackOak also acquired two adjacent properties at 2827 and 2726 N. Eastgate Ave. The company has already divested one of these properties while converting the other into a self-storage facility utilizing shipping container construction—a lower-capital alternative to traditional storage development. This selective asset disposition strategy indicates disciplined capital allocation within the acquisition package.
BlackOak's portfolio composition demonstrates diversification across real estate, light industrial, and logistics sectors. The firm owns or manages BuiltBox Containers, which operates in the mobile office and storage rental market, and Modular Manufacturing, which operates a 60,000-square-foot facility in Marionville producing modular structures. The former Pride Truck Sales acquisition extends BlackOak's real estate footprint while providing operational efficiency through centralized headquarters placement in a logistics-adjacent location near Highway 65 and Interstate 44.
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