Ophir nearly doubles space with move to former Bell Labs facility in North Andover; company makes lenses used in military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

North Andover, Mass., December, 2007 – Signaling a new beginning for the former Bell Laboratories building here, Ophir Optics, Inc. has signed a multi-year lease with Ozzy Properties to occupy a 32,000-square-foot space on the grounds of Osgood Landing.

Ophir Optics’ arrival marks the first tenant to occupy space in Bell Labs’ research and development facility at the 1600 Osgood St. site in North Andover. Ophir manufactures lenses and optical components for use in infrared optical systems, including night vision equipment used in military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Although the majority of Ophir’s current customers are defense-related, there are a growing number of non-military uses such as homeland security, automotive night vision and industrial applications.

Dennis Cope, president of Ophir Optics, heralded the new facility. “Ophir has grown rapidly over the past few years and the Osgood Landing location provides us with the room for continued expansion,” said Cope “This site clearly allows us to become more strategic with our planning and manufacturing needs.”

Ophir Optics, founded in 2003, currently employs 72 workers at a 19,000-square foot building in Wilmington. Cope expects the company to employ about 100 by the end of 2008.  Cope said a deciding factor in choosing Osgood Landing was the site’s significant electrical capacity since Ophir’s manufacturing requires more electrical power than most companies.

Cope noted that the Osgood site has the necessary power for future growth and has the advantage of supplying electricity from two separate power feeds. Also, the facility can switch from one feed to another in case one has a power outage. “Maintaining our operations on a continuous basis without being shut down is critical for us,” he said.

As Ophir grows, it expects to add new employees with experience in optics, computer numerical controlled machining, thin film coatings and quality assurance.

Osgood Landing, an office and manufacturing complex made up of nearly 2 million square feet, was formerly occupied by Lucent Technologies. Ozzy Properties acquired the facility in 2003 and is in the process of reconfiguring it for multi-tenant use.

NAI Hunneman Commercial of Boston served as the broker on the deal and Evan Gallagher, Jim Boudrot and Steve James were the brokers. Hunneman cited numerous attributes to the lease signing, including ideal location and solid infrastructure. “The location of the building was very attractive to Ophir as 1600 Osgood has great highway access and the site is a middle ground for their employee base,” noted Gallagher.

Ozzy Properties President Orit Goldstein said Ophir’s arrival represents a positive sign for other companies considering moving to the facility in the future. “We’re very pleased that such a high-end and well established company such as Ophir Optics would move to our facility,” said Goldstein. “That is testament to the fact that our infrastructure and building space are second to none and increasingly relevant in our global economy.”

Curt Bellavance, community development director for North Andover, said Ophir’s arrival may spur additional businesses to move to the facility. “The town is very excited that a company of Ophir’s caliber has decided to come to North Andover,” said Bellavance. “We are positive that Ophir will be happy with their decision to move to Osgood Landing and we expect many more businesses will choose to do business at Osgood Landing.”