Industry News

Eckerd Drug is expanding its distribution operations with a move into a 415,000-sf facility in the Fairless Hills' Penn Warner Industrial Park. The building houses 14,000-sf of office space. Substantial renovations to the single-story building will be completed by owner Equity Industrial Partners prior to Eckerd's occupation of the building in the fourth quarter of 2002. Eckerd will maintain its 450,000-sf of leased space between the Bucks County Industrial Park in Langhorne and Morrisville.

The U.S. Navy has completed a $2.7-million cleanroom used to repair and refurbish hydraulic components for reuse in naval aircraft. The 8,500-sf facility was designed by Architects Larson/Carpenter of San Diego and built by construction company Soltek Pacific, also of San Diego.

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.  

California State University at San Marcos has selected architectural firm Robbins Jorgensen Christopher of San Diego as master plan architects for its 304-acre campus, including $140-million in capital projects currently in design or construction. The $7.4-million, 35,000-sf Clarke Field House, now under construction, will house student meeting space, athletic facilities, and a small convenience store.  

Durham biotech Xenobiotic Detection Systems (XDS) has doubled its lab space to 3,000 sf in the last two years and is planning a 5,000-sf expansion by year-end. The European Union, which requires that all food and animal feed be tested, has approved XDS' technology as a method of screening for dioxins.