Knittle of Cummings Properties signs Batavia to 5,000 s/f at TradeCenter 128

In a move to establish a foothold in the U.S. market, Dutch firm Batavia Bioservices recently leased more than 5,000 s/f at TradeCenter 128. According to Batavia's president and CEO, Menzo Havenga, the biopharmaceutical firm has grown more than 400% in the last two years. Havenga said, "We have chosen the greater Boston area since this will allow for very short communication lines with our customers, which we deem extremely important in delivering on time and on budget." Batavia worked directly with Cummings Properties key accounts manager Marc Knittle on the lease agreement. According to Knittle, Cummings Props. has enjoyed a long history with life sciences firms. In addition to providing office and laboratory space for industry giants like Amgen and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Dennis Clarke, Cummings' president and CEO, said, "It has been a pleasure working with Batavia to meet its specialized laboratory needs. The firm has a very bright future, and will find good company at TradeCenter 128, where several international firms have located their U.S. headquarters." Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., MLSC's president and CEO, said, "Batavia provides an important service to the life sciences industry, and its presence in Massachusetts will contribute to our economy, as well as strengthen our life sciences supercluster. I am confident that the team at Batavia will find all of the resources and partners they need to grow in Massachusetts." Fellow Dutch life sciences firm AdvanDx, Inc. is also located at the landmark TradeCenter 128 office and technology park. According to Knittle, "Woburn provides a very supportive environment for biotech companies, with its straightforward permitting process, a strategic location at I-95 and I-93, and affordable lease rates." The city of Woburn is one of less than two dozen Massachusetts cities and towns designated as a platinum-level "BioReady Community" by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council.