Thursday, May 24, 2018

For Tenants with Unusual Space Needs, Former Mill Offers Big, Flexible Space with Room to Grow in Pepperell, MA

Pepperell Place, Pepperell, MA
PEPPERELL, MA -–  Where other investors and developers saw the 100 year-old, 190,000 square-foot mill building at 20 Mill Street in Pepperell, Mass., as a dinosaur that had outlived its usefulness, Eric Shapiro and his team at The Lexvest Group envisioned a business mecca  with enormous potential set on 10 rustic acres.
 They dubbed it the Pepperell Place Business Center ((www.pepperellplace.com).
Several tenants, some with unusual or flexible space needs, have leased space here in the heart of Massachusetts’ historic and bucolic Nashoba Valley, near the interchange of Route I-495 and state Route 2.


Eric Shapiro
Shapiro says, “For many business owners, it’s no longer just location, location, location. They seek building amenities, communication connections (IT infrastructure/fiber optics, high bandwidth internet), reasonable rent,  electric capacity, and room to grow. 

"It’s not easy to find all that under one roof for manufacturing, industrial and office users. But I think we have it all  right here.”
When Ana Lockwood, General Manager of All Things Jeep, (https://www.allthingsjeep.com/ ), one of the largest providers of gifts, accessories and memorabilia for the Jeep ® and off-road market, needed to find a home for the company after its relocation from California, after scouting the region, she found the ideal location at Pepperell Place. At 23,000 square feet, it’s one of the bigger leases in the area in recent years. 
“We had to consider numerous key factors before choosing headquarters space,” says Lockwood. “Depending on the season, our staff ranges from 15 to 45 so we need room to accommodate additional workers, warehousing and shipping.

 "We needed flexible lease terms so we can expand as the business grows. We had to be convenient to attract workers. Pepperell is an easy drive from Lowell and Nashua with a million people in the area.”


Ana Lockwood
Perhaps most important, Lockwood says, was selecting the right owner/landlord.

 She appreciates the approach of an old acquaintance Eric Shapiro: 

 “He does whatever he can to help the tenants succeed. He says, ‘If we’re successful, the tenants will be, too.’  

"Breaking the landlord mold, Eric and his team are pleasantly and promptly responsive – from a leaky faucet to snowplowing -- which gives us peace of mind.”
Lockwood recalls that not only did the Lexvest team complete a promised built-to-suit space, but included in the build-out state-of-the-art infrastructure such as data cables and network – “better than you find in new buildings,” Ana says. “The buildout was quite reasonable, too. Another plus: Because of Lexvest and Eric’s longstanding reputation, buildout work is fast-racked, saving time and money.”
Lexvest included common areas for tenants including cafeteria, kitchen, workout room, showers and a conference room. Other attractive aspects of the building include loading docks. renovated bathrooms and shower facilities, a new roof, and upgraded HVAC systems. 
Another unique, large space tenants is CELLTREAT, maker of cell culture and liquid handling products, which leased 27,000 SF. The company’s Rich Happell says, “When we outgrew our previous space at Eric’s building, Phoenix Park in Shirley, it was a natural to go with Lexvest again.”
And 1A Auto (www.1Aauto.com ), one of the country's largest online sellers of auto parts, signed a lease for 17,000 square feet at Pepperell Place and is bringing 20 jobs to town. CEO Rick Green notes, “During a growth period, we consolidated at our Westford headquarters, but our dramatic success and need for unique space has brought us back. The buildout accommodates our state-of-the-art Research and Development division. 

Rick Green
Other tenants choosing Pepperell Place include Bio-Techne, formerly called Bionostics, which makes calibration and quality-control materials for health-care laboratories. 
When it outgrew its space in Devens, it opened a 10,000-square-foot secondary warehouse at Pepperell Place in 2016. 

Illustrative of the variety of businesses that found ideal space at Pepperell Place are these companies: East Coast Vinyl Decals, a decal, apparel and customized gift business; Fitness Your Weigh, a fitness studio; Arch Fitness, a group fitness center; and Inspire & Design, interior design studio.
Shapiro says people who aren’t familiar with the area are surprised at how convenient Pepperell Place’s location is: There are 15 hotels within 10 miles; nearby MBTA Commuter Rail to Boston with stations in Shirley and Ayer; 10 miles to Devens/Ayer; 10 miles to Nashua, NH; a 20-minute drive to Lowell, 30 minutes to Fitchburg; 25-minutes to Nashoba Valley Ski Area, and freight rail links connecting to Boston 35 miles away.
For info about leasing at Pepperell Place, visit www.PepperellPlace.com, or contact Chip Detwiller at 781-862-4400 / cdetwiller@lexvest.com.

For more information, please contact:

Stan Hurwitz
508-269-0570    /  781-344-4375