CASE STUDY
TENANT INTERVIEW
RTI Biologics
Progressive Tenants
Progress Corporate Park’s tenants are making progress in the realms of biotechnology and technology. But there is still room for new companies there. The Progress Center offers labs, clean rooms, offices, open work areas and executive suites for lease. Gross lease terms vary between three to five years with rates of $17 to $20 per square foot. In addition to the original Progress Center, the trio of Progress Buildings offers nearly 100,000 square feet of space for lease. Wigshaw LLC also leases space within the park, and companies have the option to build facilities to suit their specialized needs, which they can then lease or purchase. Finally, the UF Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator is a specialized, restricted program available to bioscience companies that have or have the potential to establish a relationship with UF. Companies apply for admission and are subject to a review process. Most companies admitted to the program are licensing UF technology. Located off Interstate 75 in the City of Alachua, Progress Corporate Park offers easy access to UF and the Gainesville Regional Airport. It is conveniently located just two hours from Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville and Tallahassee. And bordering
the Park is San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park with miles of trails for hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders. These amenities combine the small-town charm of Alachua and the intellectual and cultural opportunities of Gainesville to offer an appealing lifestyle that attracts and retains a talented workforce. All this has attracted companies like Banyan Biomarkers, BIKAM Pharmaceuticals, Applied Food Technologies, Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation and dozens of others to Progress Corporate Park. “Most of the bioscience and some of the tech companies in this region have settled in Progress Corporate Park, so there is actually a physical bioscience cluster here,” Breedlove says. “When you are in close proximity, you can interact and leverage those relationships. That’s what Silicon Valley does so well. So we have some natural advantages that make Progress Corporate Park an attractive place for companies to settle.” UF Progress Corporate Park UF Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator 12085 Research Drive Alachua, FL 32615 386-462-0880 info@progresscorporatepark.com www.progresscorporatepark.com
Regeneration Technologies merged with Tutogen Medical in 2008 to become RTI Biologics, a leading provider of sterile biological implants for surgeries around the world. RTI prepares donated human tissue and bovine tissue for transplantation through extensive testing and screening, precision shaping and proprietary, validated sterilization processes. These allograft and xenograft implants are used in spine, sports medicine, orthopedic, dental and other surgical specialties. “We initially located in Progress Corporate Park because of the relationship with UF,” says Wendy Crites Wacker, executive director of global corporate and marketing communications for RTI Biologics. “Today, we have three buildings in the park totaling 172,000 square feet of space and the park still has room for us to grow as we continue to expand through research and development.” Indeed, RTI has a long history of innovation in the park. The company made history in March 2000 by developing BioCleanse®, a low-temperature chemical sterilization process that inactivates or removes bacteria, fungi, spores and viruses from tissue without compromising the biocompatibility or structural integrity of the tissue. RTI opened a state-of-the-art facility in 2002 at Progress Corporate Park to ensure the safety and quality of its implants. With support from UF and Progress Corporate Park tenants, RTI continued its research and development. “We appreciate being part of the largest physical cluster of life sciences companies in this region. It’s also beneficial to collaborate with other companies in the park that have similar missions. ”
8 For more information: www.rtix.com
FIRST ISSUE 2012
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