Midland Optical, a St. Louis-based optical lens manufacturer, is moving its headquarters and manufacturing facility to a new location in the city, commercial real estate firm JLL announced today.
The company has purchased a 94,000-sq.-ft. building at 1833 Knox Ave., near Interstate 44 and Hampton Avenue. Midland Optical will use a little more than 55,000 square feet of the building; a tenant is occupying the remainder, according to Christopher Taff & William Meehan of JLL, who helped Midland find its new location.
“The Knox Avenue location will serve Midland Optical well in terms of both size and location,” said Taff, vice president of industrial brokerage, JLL. “Midland’s owners were very intentional in selecting a location that was central to their workforce, as well as strategically located within close proximity to their customers. The Knox Avenue building satisfies all their requirements.”
Midland Optical’s expansion has been in the works for more than three years. Knowing they needed the right amount of office space to support the lab and the electrical capacity to operate the manufacturing lines, finding the ideal space presented its challenges. A tight industrial market with limited supply also added to the challenge.
“Demand and slower construction continue to decrease vacancy, which has remained under 5 percent through the last quarter,” said Meehan, vice president of industrial brokerage, JLL. “In cases like Midland Optical, patience and diligence are key to finding the right location.”
The 300-employee company is moving from its current location on 59th Street in St. Louis, effective late November. Midland Optical expects it will expand its workforce in line with its continued growth.
Midland Optical, (https://midlandoptical.com/) founded in 1955, is a wholesale optical lens laboratory. The company manufactures lenses for eye care professionals across the country, using state-of-the-art robotics, laser, and coating technologies.
About JLL
JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $16.6 billion in 2020, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 91,000 as of March 31, 2021. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.