As more of its funds show up on gatekeeper screens due to performance ratings, Federated Investors [profile] has been witnessing a booming demand from broker-dealers.

To meet that demand, the firm has built up its broker-dealer sales force by 14 people over the past year, for a total of 70 serving that channel.

"We've had a good story to tell investors and so have been experiencing very steady growth," Thomas Territ told MFWire in an interview today. Territ is president of Federated Securities Corp., running Federated's 180-member sales force. This force consists of four units, including broker-dealer; management and trust; global and institutional as well as separately managed accounts.

The primary reason for the increased demand, according to Territ, is that Federated funds have been showing up on gatekeeper screens, particularly income products. More than 20 Federated funds performed in the top quarter of their categories as of December 31, 2013. As a result of these performance numbers, Federated saw positive flows in 34 funds. Popular products include the equity Strategic Value Dividend Fund and the fixed income Institutional High Yield Fund.

"With such a performance record, with more products that we can win with, we're able to take a consultative approach in our sales efforts. We're talking with advisors and, based on the types of needs their clients have, we feel confident when we look in our briefcase that we will have a solution to show them," said Territ.

Territ declined to forecast specific hiring numbers for the future but said that "If our growth continues at the pace it has had last year, we will continue to add staff." 

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