NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ-Watson Pharmaceuticals, among the largest pharmaceutical firms in the US, has taken 32,000 square feet at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Technology Centre of New Jersey here to establish a Global R&D Technology Center. Watson will invest $4.5 million to retrofit lab, production and office space in 19,000 square feet, with the remaining 13,000 square feet to accommodate future expansion.

The facility, expected to be completed this spring, will employ approximately 50 scientists, chemists, engineers and support staff. Watson was represented in the transaction by Cushman & Wakefield executive director John Minervini, based in Los Angeles, and senior director Ron Ganter of C&W’s East Rutherford, NJ office. Jones Lang LaSalle SVP Jim Medenbach represented NJEDA.

Medenbach, who heads the team that oversees leasing of NJEDA’s lab and research portfolio, tells GlobeSt.com, “Having a highly respected, cutting-edge company such as Watson Pharmaceuticals on the tenant roster at this state-of-the-art facility is a clear indicator that the site meets the demanding needs of emerging life science companies. We believe the New Jersey research corridor will continue to flourish and serve as a shining star for the state, thanks in part to the incentives available at facilities such as Technology Centre of New Jersey and Waterfront Technology Center in Camden.”

In a release announcing the deal, Paul Bisaro, Watson president and CEO, says his company “is pleased to continue to work with Gov. Chris Christie, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and the Partnership for Action team as we expand our presence in New Jersey.” He adds, "The location of the new Global R&D Technology Center will enable Watson to leverage our proximity to such educational centers of excellence as Rutgers University. This will enable Watson to establish collaborations with University departments including pharmaceutics, chemistry and engineering and permit us to benefit from the talent pool in the heart of the pharmaceutical industry of New Jersey.”

Other tenants at the complex include Merial Limited, Chromocell Corp. and Rutgers Technology Center II — home to WINLAB and Energy Storage Research Group. Watson relocated its global headquarters to Parsippany, NJ in early 2010, relocating staff from offices in Morristown, NJ, elsewhere in Parsippany and Corona, CA. The current deal came about in part through incentives and assistance from the New Jersey Partnership for Action, a public/private entity that includes NJEDA, Choose New Jersey and Business Action Center, a state initiative to encourage business.

“Strengthening the state’s competitive position in the life sciences is a priority, and the commitment by a global pharmaceutical leader like Watson is proof that companies are finding New Jersey increasingly attractive,” Guadagno says in the release.