The Coca-Cola Co. has opened its new regional headquarters in the MCI Center in Los Angeles' historic downtown. The $600-million facility was designed and built using ecologically sensitive methods and materials.
Digital Optics Corp., maker of integrated micro-optical systems, recently occupied a 100,000-sf facility in Charlotte's University Research Park. Manufacturing operations will utilize 67,000 sf, with office space in the remaining 37,000 sf.
Toyota Industries Corp. and automotive parts-maker Denso plan to build a 152-acre manufacturing plant near Pendergrass, Ga., comprised of between 200,000- to 400-000 sf. The facility will initially employ 150 workers when it opens in 2005. Toyota Industries Corp. is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp.
Millipore Corp. has broken ground on its new 47,000-sf ultrafiltration membrane manufacturing facility in Jaffrey. Constructed adjacent to Millipore's existing plant, the facility includes multiple cleanroom spaces, RO water systems, and a wastewater pretreatment plant. Construction manager for the project is Columbia Construction Co. of North Reading.
WallTech Inc., an Austin modular furniture refurbisher, has occupied 75,600 sf of warehouse and office space in the Hill Partners' Rutland 4 building. The facility consolidates 12,000 sf of office space and 40,000 sf of industrial space vacated by WallTech in its September 2002 relocation.
Contract packaging company Wilpak Inc. is consolidating three smaller plants with the lease of 211,000-sf in AMB Property Corp.'s 370,000-sf Southfield Logistics Center. The Clayton County space, vacated by DSC Logistics, was slated for occupancy October 1 and will replace Wilpak's 66,000-sf Southeast Atlanta Industrial park facility, 50,000 sf in the Atlanta's Empire Industrial Park, and an 82,000 sf Atlanta facility.
Construction is nearly complete on the 75,000-sf addition to plastics manufacturer Nomaco Corp.'s existing 250,000-sf Youngsville plant. The Zebulon-based company will use the addition to manufacture foam and rubber insulation used for gaskets, pipes and sealants in commercial and residential construction. The plant expansion will allow Nomaco to double its 100-employee base.
Medline Industries, a Mundelein, Ill.-based medical equipment manufacturer and distributor, is negotiating to move into the 323,000-sf Center Point 1 warehouse in Research Triangle Park. Built in 2000 by Panattoni Development, the empty building would increase the company's local operations by over five-fold. Medline currently occupies 60,000 sf in Durham's Research Tri Center office park.
The Minute Maid Co., an operating division of The Coca-Cola Co. of Atlanta, is planning to build a noncarbonated beverage production plant in Auburndale. The 620,000-sf facility will cost $130-million for construction and equipment. In two weeks, site preparation will begin, with groundbreaking following in another two weeks. The plant, which will employ approximately 300 workers, is slated to be operational in March 2003.
MBA Polymers, a Richmond plastics recycling company, is raising $3-million in VC funding to design a new commercial plant. The facility will cost approximately $20-million to build. Due to rising energy costs for daytime operations, the plant may not be located in the San Francisco Bay Area, but in a location where the plant can operate at full capacity year-round.
International Engineering & Manufacturing (IEM), maker of a liquid sensoring device, is gearing for expansion with a move into a 26,000-sf facility on 2.5 acres in Glenolden. The consolidation will involve relocating the company's headquarters into the new facility, which will house 3,000 sf of office space; the rest is dedicated to manufacturing.
TheraSense of Alameda, Calif., is doubling its facilities with the lease of 64,000 sf of build-to-suit space adjacent to its existing building in Alameda. TheraSense will invest $3-million in tenant improvements for the facility, which will expand the sales and manufacturing capacity for TheraSense's diabetes blood-testing kits. TheraSense plans to add 50 employees to its current 400-person staff when the new space is completed in April of 2003.
Viral Antigens is developing a 2,500-sf biologic manufacturing facility attached to the company's existing Memphis facility. After eighteen months of planning and construction, the final certification of the $2.5-million contract factory will begin. The plant will manufacture proteins and other products, providing clean-room production for smaller biotech companies and researchers still in Phase I development.
Netherlands-based pharmaceutical company Diosynth is planning a two-phase purchase of 91.3 acres in Research Triangle Park (RTP) with plans to add over 300,000 sf of new manufacturing space. Diosynth's purchase of the first 40 acres will be completed this summer, with an option at year-end on the remaining land. Now occupying 30,000 sf of Cary lab and office space and 110,000 sf of RTP manufacturing space, Diosynth currently has 600 Triangle employees.
Perrier Group of America will consolidate its San Francisco operations with the development of a new 10,000-sf office building and a 16,000-sf distribution center. Formerly home to an industrial gas supplier, the three-acre site will also provide warehousing and parking for Perrier’s truck fleet.
