First life science company signs on for Lakewood Ranch CORE campus

Mercedes Medical, an international distributor of laboratory and medical products, is looking to move to Lakewood Ranch’s new biotech business campus, dubbed CORE.

It would be the first life science-related company to locate in CORE, an acronym for Collaboration Opportunities for Research and Exploration.

Mercedes Medical plans to build a $10 million, 55,000-square-foot office building and warehouse on a 5.5-acre parcel off Rangeland Parkway.

“We are excited to have Mercedes Medical relocate their operations to the CORE project. They will be the first life science-related company,” Kirk Boylston, president of Lakewood Ranch Commercial, said in an email.

“The CORE master plan has an area designated for companies who provide equipment, supplies, assembly or small batch manufacturing. As a distributor of lab and medical equipment and supplies, they can provide these services for companies located within the CORE in addition to their off-site customers. They are a great, rapidly expanding local company and we are fortunate to be working with them,” Boylston said.

Mercedes Medical now operates out of two buildings at 7590 Commerce Court, just north of Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.

The company hopes to break ground in September or October and move into the new facility by March 2019, CEO Alex Miller said this week. The move would allow the company to consolidate its operations in one building and grow its workforce from the current 65 to about 120 employees, Miller said.

“We have been in this facility about 12 years. We researched our options for about a year. Interest rates are still low and we decided this is a good time to build. This is exactly what we need,” Miller said.

Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, developer of Lakewood Ranch, is handling the site plan and construction request, which is being treated as a rapid response project by Manatee County government.

“My mother started the business in New York in 1991 but moved to Sarasota in 1993. We have built our business in Manatee County since then,” Miller said. “Manatee County has been a great partner for our business and its expansion over the years.”

Essentially, Mercedes Medical has outgrown its space.

“We are in the process of selling two of the buildings we currently own to the Asolo (Repertory Theatre), which has a building adjacent to us in the back and was looking to expand their campus. Our third building is leased,” Miller said. “We believe in the CORE project and are excited to be the first life science/health care company to relocate there.”

Mercedes Medical has about 10,000 customers nationwide, Miller said.

Divisions include histology supplies, clinical supplies, toxicology supplies and pharmaceuticals.

“Mercedes has prided itself on being the low-cost leader in the medical supply market. With a keen interest on efficiency and customer service as the basis of our distribution model, Mercedes has found success in providing physician and laboratory customers the absolute lowest price while refusing to sacrifice on service. Our unique direct marketing approach and refusal to conform to old model distribution ideas have helped Mercedes outshine the competition,” the company says on its website.

This story was originally published July 27, 2017 at 12:50 PM with the headline "First life science company signs on for Lakewood Ranch CORE campus."