Salem, MA Connolly Brothers, Inc. has broken ground on Tropical Products’ new facilities at 373 Highland Ave. Tropical Products Inc. is a private-label formulator and bottler of personal care, pet care, and home products that manufactures product lines for many companies. Currently located at 220 Highland Ave., Tropical Products – an EPA, FDA, and USDA-certified organic manufacturer – has outgrown its present building and will be expanding operations with additional bottle-filling lines and more research and development.

“We look forward to the completion of our new facility, which will provide increased production capacity and enable us to hire additional personnel,” said Ed Berman, president of Tropical Products. “Alongside their design-build expertise, Connolly Brothers understands our vision as the go-to manufacturing partner for our clients.”

The single-story, bi-leveled building will be nearly 100,000 s/f with a partial mezzanine and will sit on a 5.5 acre lot. The lower level will house production lines, warehouse storage, and a four-truck loading dock. The upper level will be home to office space, storage, locker rooms, and a break room/public meeting space. The building’s exterior will present a clean, modern look via a combination of storefront glazing and aluminum paneling at the entryway and an envelope of high-efficiency insulated metal wall panels and concrete masonry units.

“Using our design-build model, we are able to help Tropical Products expand their growing manufacturing and distribution business in a way that will be cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, and durable over many years of operation. Particular attention was given to making this project work on a very difficult site,” said Jay Connolly, president of Connolly Brothers.

The project team includes BLW Engineers, Inc. (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing), Beals + Thomas., Inc. (civil engineering), TFMoran, Inc. (structural engineering), and Boston Industrial Consulting, Inc. (industrial design). planning and design to real estate development.