DALLAS—Transwestern Investment Group has formed a strategic investment partnership with State of Michigan Retirement Systems, which include the pension plans for the state of Michigan, public school and other public service employees. With a focus on industrial, it's the latest new assignment for TIG, which manages real estate investments for domestic and international institutions.

The TIG/SMRS partnership will target investments in existing, highly functional, leased industrial properties in key US markets, along with development projects in select, proven distribution submarkets. Real estate and infrastructure investment comprised 9.1% of SMRS' combined portfolio, or about $4.3 billion, as of March 31, according to state documents.

“We are delighted to partner with SMRS and look forward to a relationship benefitting from both teams' deep experience in industrial investments, risk management and portfolio origination,” says Laurie Dotter, TIG's president and co-founder. “With an understanding of what SMRS wanted to accomplish in terms of capital deployment, return objectives and liquidity, we worked with them to create a specific program designed to meet their goals.”

TIG has acquired and currently manages stable-return office, industrial and retail assets under a multi-year separate account mandate with a major US institutional investor. TIG has also deployed more than $600 million in equity for an institutional client in joint ventures with several multifamily developers in key urban infill markets. It also acquires and manages core-plus properties on behalf of Latin-American investors.