Scientists and engineers engaged in research and development activities for the company’s fast-growing health and wellness brand will work at office and laboratory space at 11515 Cronhill Drive

BALTIMORE, MD – St. John Properties, Inc. announced today a new lease with Medifast, the global company behind one of the fastest-growing health and wellness communities, OPTAVIA®. The company has opened the Medifast Product Innovation Center, a new research and development hub positioned within Business Center at Owings Mills, a business community developed and managed by St. John Properties, Inc. in Baltimore County, Maryland. Employees within product development began working this spring from the new facility located in an 18,360 square foot space within 11515 Cronridge Drive. Dave Fields of CBRE represented the client in the leasing of this space, which has capacity for up to 40 team members dedicated to product innovation as the company plans for the future. Totaling 984 employees as of December 2021, Medifast is headquartered in Baltimore City, manages several operations throughout the state, and recently opened offices in Utah, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Medifast’s OPTAVIA program offers scientifically developed products, clinically proven plans, the support of independent OPTAVIA Coaches and a Community, and a proprietary Habits of Health® Transformational System to help Customers achieve Lifelong Transformation, One Healthy Habit at a Time®. The laboratory and pilot plant within the Medifast Product Innovation Center provide ingredient science technology to support packaging engineering, quality assurance and food regulatory efforts as well as the development and testing of new products to be offered as part of the OPTAVIA® program. The space was designed to mirror the health and wellness mission of the company, including ergonomically designed workspaces, collaborative areas, modular accessories with high-powered IT connectivity, and an abundance of natural light and neutral colors.

“The Medifast Product Innovation Center is an investment in the company’s future. It is strategically positioned in Baltimore County to attract and retain technical talent who contribute to the development of our scientifically developed products,” explained Doug Zimmermann, Medifast’s Vice President of Research and Development. “With the state-of-the-art resources introduced within the Product Innovation Center, we deepen our capabilities to ideate new product platforms and better support our independent Coaches and OPTAVIA Community.”

Business Center at Owings Mills is a nine-building business community containing more than 400,000 square feet of flex/R&D and bulk/warehouse space. It is located five miles from Interstate 695 (Baltimore Beltway), 11 miles from Interstate 70, 14 miles from downtown Baltimore and 15 miles from Interstate 95. 11515 Cronridge Drive is a 42,000 square foot building equipped with 16-foot ceiling heights and surrounded by a free, surface parking lot for employees and visitors. A number of amenities, including regional shopping centers, grocery stores and restaurants, are within close proximity.

“The flexible design and convenient location of 11515 Cronridge Drive enabled Medifast to construct this hi-tech Product Innovation Center, with specialized laboratory space, adjacent to existing Medifast facilities in Owings Mills,” stated Matt Lenihan, Senior Vice President, Leasing for St. John Properties. “The wide range of uses within this building is indicative of the companies that find our flex/R&D product the ideal environment to operate its business.”

Founded in 1971, St. John Properties, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest and most successful privately held commercial real estate firms. The company is distinguished by its commitment to customer service, achievements in green building, and top-rated workplace culture. Throughout St. John Properties’ 51-year history, the company has developed more than 22 million square feet of flex/R&D, office, retail, warehouse space and has investments in over 2,600 apartments. The company proudly serves more than 2,500 clients in Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Utah, and Wisconsin. For more information about the company, visit www.sjpi.com.