David Kavanagh, president of Grant Park Funds has a few reasons to smile these days. That's because Kavanagh, purveyor of the Grant Park Managed Futures Strategy I, is looking to ratchet up marketing for the fund within the RIA and b-d channels, which he says are currently embracing alternatives strategies.

Earlier this year, Kavanagh hired Mac O'Brien to lead the firm's sales efforts in the advisor channel. He hails from Zacks Investment Management, a wealth management shop, and reports to Patrick Meehan, chief operating officer. Kavanagh said he has repositioned the sales force of the current LP fund to dually handle sales for the mutual fund offering as well.

"We've been doing managed futures now for 20 years, and I don't think I've seen the industry as receptive [to alternatives] as I have now now," he said. Kavanagh is also the founder of Dearborn Capital Management, a managed futures shop.

In mid-2012, Kavanagh said that he's looking to launch additional sector specific and/or style fund of funds to complement the firm's current offering. Grant Park's current offering employs managed futures stalwarts such as Quantitative Investment Management, Winton Capital and Welton Investment Corp.He declined to give additional details concerning the new offering.

The firm in March began trading its Grant Park Managed Futures Strategy I, which is currently some $65 million in assets. Kavanagh said that he would be surprised if the fund didn't attract a few hundred million within the next year or so given the popularity of alternative products within the advisor channel.

As of September 30, Grant Park had total assets of $885 million. 

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