Arthrex purchases Lee County warehouse (NewsPress.org)
Arthrex Inc., a medical device manufacturer based in Naples, is expanding into Lee County with the purchase of the former Robb & Stucky warehouse and headquarters on Plantation Road.
Arthrex will use the 240,000-square-foot building as a warehouse and distribution center, the company said in a press release.
“Consolidation of our packaging and distribution services will provide new space in our existing Collier County manufacturing facilities for expanding high-tech design and production capacity for new surgical device innovations,” president and founder Reinhold Schmieding said in a company release.
The former Robb & Stucky headquarters had been listed for sale for $14 million by Commercial Property Southwest Florida, a member of the Cushman and Wakefield Alliance. Executive director Gary Tasman said he could not comment.
Randy Mercer, a commercial real estate broker with CB Richard Ellis, Fort Myers-Naples, said the former Robb & Stucky location offers a unique opportunity.
“That is really about the only building of that size out there,” Mercer said.
The expansion into Lee County is part of a larger $35 million expansion that includes a new 160,000-square-foot surgical device facility on Oil Well Road near Ave Maria University in eastern Collier County.
Collier County commissioners voted to forgive as much as $3 million in impact fees in exchange for the 600 jobs Arthrex pledges to create in the area.
Last year, Schmieding talked about relocating to Lee when he objected to Collier’s plans to give $130 million to Maine-based Jackson Lab to relocate there. The lab also sought $130 million from the state and another $120 million in private donations.
Many residents also opposed the Jackson Lab deal and it never came to fruition in Collier.
The expansion into Lee was not a surprise, Collier Commissioner Georgia Hiller said.
“They have always said they would expand in both Lee and Collier counties,” Hiller said. “That has been consistent.”
Arthrex did not specify how many jobs would be created at the warehouse, but Hiller said about 150 warehouse and distribution jobs had been discussed during negotiations with Collier County.
Dick Botthof, vice chairman of the Naples Trust Co. and a past chairman of Collier’s Economic Development Council, said the expansion is a good example of a regionally minded business.
“This is a terrific opportunity for all of Southwest Florida,” Botthof said. “Distribution centers need to be near airports and that should be perfect.”
Jennifer Berg, spokeswoman for the Lee County Economic Development Office, said the office has had no ongoing incentive negotiations with the company like those Arthrex had with Collier County.
“They are an exciting company and we are happy to have them,” Berg said.