Industry News

Sanford manufacturer MeikleEMS is building a 25,000-sf facility in Sanford for the production of automated assembly and test systems. The new building will allow the company to triple its existing workforce. MeikleEMS is a division of Meikle Automation of Kitchener, Canada, created after the acquisition of Electro-Mechanical Specialties of Sanford in spring 2002.

Johnston Memorial Hospital is redeveloping a former Burlington Industries textile mill in Smithfield as a medical mall. Sited on 15 acres adjacent to the hospital, the 240,000-sf property will feature a 27,000-sf wellness center with two indoor pools and a cyber-cafe. The $13.5-million project will also include physician offices and an auditorium. The original building was constructed in approximately 1912.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is constructing the Institute of Soldier Nanotechnologies on its Cambridge campus. The facility is funded by a $50-million grant from the U.S. Army.

The Pepsi Bottling Group is planning to build a 58,000-sf distribution center in the Canton Commerce Center in Canton, Mass. Pepsi plans to relocate its operations to the new facility in fall 2003 from its Allston location, where it has leased space from Harvard University for 47 years.

Montgomery Hospital Medical Center is planning a 3,000-sf expansion of its emergency department and the renovation of 4,000 sf of existing space. The project, funded by a $1-million grant from the Abramson Family Foundation, will create a technologically advanced, state-of-the-art emergency department. The hospital plans to invest more than $2-million in the improvements. Construction will begin in early 2003 on a new waiting area, a new emergency room entrance, and additional treatment rooms.