Wasatch BioLabs to Establish Headquarters at Valley Grove in Pleasant Grove, Utah
R&D and clinical services company combining corporate headquarters and bulk of laboratory operations with 19,363 square foot lease
PLEASANT GROVE, UT – Wasatch BioLabs, LLC, a rapidly-growing research and development and clinical services laboratory currently located in Heber City is consolidating several Utah County locations into a new 19,636 square foot space in Pleasant Grove. The two-year-old group has signed a lease with St. John Properties, Inc. at Valley Grove, a 130-acre mixed-use business community, and intends to take occupancy of 2315 West 700 South in early 2025. Jarrod Hunt of Colliers International represented the landlord and Josh Smith of Colliers International represented the tenant in this transaction.
Wasatch BioLabs specializes in high-throughput, next-generation DNA sequencing, and has developed several proprietary technologies that address impactful clinical and research needs. The company provides laboratory services and testing, enabling biotech and biopharma companies, research institutions, and clinical service providers to receive transparent and reliable results. Wasatch currently has approximately 30 employees but expects to increase its workforce to approximately 50 following its relocation and expansion at Valley Grove.
“The primary driver of this move was the need to consolidate several locations into one facility which was adequately equipped to support our customized laboratory and testing services, shipping and staging area, as well as our administrative and corporate functions,” stated Chad Pollard, CEO of Wasatch BioLabs. “We are setting ourselves up to process tens-of-thousands of samples monthly, so it was important to secure a one-story building equipped with dock and drive-in capabilities.
“After conducting an extensive real estate search, it became apparent that there existed few options for buildings that were able to accommodate the range of office, laboratory, warehouse and storage requirements,” Pollard added. “The space within Valley Grove emerged as the perfect solution, especially given its placement in the center of our talent pool in Utah County where the majority of our employees live, as well as its proximity to Brigham Young University, which is an important partner. The on-site and walkable amenities contained within Valley Grove, combined with the overall energy and ambience, are also significant advantages.”
2315 West 700 Southis a single-story building comprising 48,287 square feet of flex/R&D space, is equipped with 18-foot ceiling heights and rear loading capabilities, and is surrounded by a free, surface parking lot. Valley Grove is located directly adjacent to both Interstate 15 and Pleasant Grove Boulevard and is configured to support more than 1.5 million square feet of Class ‘A’ office, flex/R&D, and retail space, as well as a full-service hotel.
St. John Properties has developed its unique flex/R&D real estate product throughout Utah County including at 12th Street Exchange in Marriott-Slaterville and Spring Point Exchange in Springville. Invented and perfected by company founder Edward St. John in the early 1970s, this specialized asset class consists of a “part office/part industrial” single-story building separated into bays which can be fully customizable based on the end-users needs. The flex/R&D product satisfies the real estate needs of a wide array of end-users from companies with majority office need, to light manufacturing and distribution centers and everything in between. It is also utilized by professional services companies, craft breweries, product manufactures, health and fitness boutiques, and recreation-related activities.
Existing restaurants and retailers at Valley Grove include Café Rio, Panera, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Kolache Krave, Milkshake Factory, R&R BBQ, Starbucks Coffee, Slim Chickens, SIP-N Drinks, Wayback Burger, Wildside Bowls, and Village Baker. A 34,000 square foot Tesla dealership is also contained within the business community.
More than 225,000 vehicles pass Valley Grove via Interstate 15 on a daily basis, with an additional 60,000 vehicles driving by the site each day from Pleasant Grove Boulevard. The business community is situated 12 miles from Provo, 25 miles from Interstate 215, 35 miles from Salt Lake City and Salt Lake International Airport.
“Our flex/R&D product has been embraced in Utah, and we continue to attract a wide range of companies with specialized requirements and customized configurations such as Wasatch BioLabs,” explained Scott Gifford, Assistant Vice President of Leasing for St. John Properties. “The strength and significant differentiator of this asset class is its extreme flexibility and adaptability to virtually any user. Our continued robust leasing pace throughout the state is a clear indicator that companies from a diverse set of industries are recognizing the uniqueness of our flex/R&D product type.”
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’ 53-year history, the company has developed more than 24 million square feet of flex/R&D, office, retail, and warehouse space and has investments in over 3,000 residential units. The company proudly serves more than 2,600 clients in Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Utah, and Wisconsin. For more information about the company, visit www.sjpi.com.
