Spartan Investment Group LLC (SIG), a real estate investment company that specializes in self-storage, has launched Spartan Construction Management to focus on facility expansions and ground-up development. Aaron Saunders has been hired as director of construction to lead the subsidiary. He’ll oversee the entitlement process and act as general contractor for all projects, according to a press release.

Most recently, Saunders was director of operations for a mid-size, industrial self-perform contractor that completed $150 million in projects annually. He’s also served as senior project engineer and project sponsor, and has built and managed multiple construction teams during his career.

Saunders earned a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and continued his education through various executive programs, including at the FMI Leadership Institute. He’s owned real estate for 15 years and manages a real estate fund for others.

“Aaron comes to Spartan with an immense amount of experience in construction and will be pivotal in growing Spartan’s ability to execute all of our value-add and ground-up projects,” said Scott Lewis, Spartan’s CEO and co-founder. “I am excited to have him at the helm of building Spartan Construction Management.”

SIG announced in January that it’s rebranding 10 of its 12 properties under the new FreeUP Storage name. In addition, the company plans to acquire 24 self-storage facilities representing $150 million this year. The current portfolio comprises more than 860,000 square feet in Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia and Texas. Founded in 2013 and based in Golden, Colo., SIG syndicates investor capital to develop real estate. Its interests also include luxury condos and RV parks.