California-based medical products company to build in University Research Park

The University Research Park (URP) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison announced July 11 that Mentor Corp., a California-based global leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of science-based medical products, will expand its presence in Madison with the construction of a 37,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the park.

Construction of Mentor’s facility began this week and is expected to be completed during the summer of 2008. The manufacturing facility is one of the largest investments in the park in its history. Mentor will employ approximately 40 at the expanded site when it becomes fully operational upon completion. Subject to regulatory approvals, the Mentor facility will produce the company’s botulinum toxin product for use in cosmetic wrinkle correction, the most-often performed nonsurgical cosmetic procedure in the United States. More than 4 million of the procedures were performed in 2006, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

“We are delighted to announce that Mentor, an internationally recognized, California-based medical products company, has chosen to locate its new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in University Research Park,” says Mark Bugher, director of the park. “Mentor could have chosen to build this exciting facility anywhere, and we are pleased to work with this global company on its expansion here. We believe that several important factors influenced the company’s decision, including the proximity to the UW–Madison and WARF, and the relative ease of the permitting process. Mentor’s expansion in Madison sends a strong message about those resources and the maturity of the biotechnology industry here.”

In 2003, Mentor obtained an exclusive license from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) to botulinum toxin technology developed at UW–Madison. The university’s Food Research Institute has been a leader in botulinum toxin research for more than 30 years. The company established an initial manufacturing facility in the park after obtaining the WARF license and has collaborated with UW–Madison researchers since then.

“Mentor’s decision to substantially expand its presence in University Research Park and build its manufacturing facility here is the latest is a series of great examples of the commercial strength of technology developed at the University of Wisconsin–Madison,” says John Wiley, UW–Madison chancellor. “This project is a case study in the tremendous results that can be achieved through strong technology transfer, ongoing collaboration and the active cultivation of companies in the park.”

The project will be designed by Strang Architects and constructed by Vogel Bros. Building Co. The two firms have collaborated on several research and development projects located in University Research Park and have enjoyed a long working relationship with Mentor. The new Mentor building is intended to be LEED certified and will incorporate energy conservation measures and Vogel Bros.’ waste management program.

University Research Park, established in 1984 and located three miles west of the UW–Madison campus, is home to more than 100 companies that employ more than 4,000 people. It contributes more than $680 million each year to the state’s economy. The nonprofit, internationally recognized research and technology park has 35 buildings with more than 1.5 million square feet of office and laboratory space used by a broad range of startup companies, many of which are focused on biotechnology.

URP’s groundbreaking approach and innovative tenant solutions encourage the development and commercialization of new, cutting-edge ideas. Its efforts enhance the state and local economies, while benefiting research and educational programs at UW–Madison. The park is a partner of UW–Madison, where the world-renowned research faculty hold more scientific patents than at any other public university in the country. The partnership generates great jobs in the community while affording tremendous access and support for URP companies at the university.