Zhone Technologies Leases 81KSF R&D Center in Tampa Bay

By Adelina Osan, Associate Editor

Pinellas Park, Fla.—Zhone Technologies Inc. recently leased an 81,000-square-foot industrial property in Pinellas Park, Fla. to serve as a R&D center. Located at 7340 Bryan Dairy Road, the property will provide space for manufacturing, engineering and office use.

7340 Bryan Dairy Road

Zhone’s relocation to Pinellas Park provided the company with a newer, modern facility that provides an open layout ideal for circuit card manufacturing, product build and worldwide shipping. Prior to this, Zhone has occupied an industrial property in nearby Largo since 1981. All of the 130 employees who worked in the Largo facility will move to the new facility in Pinellas Park.

The company has equipped the industrial facility with a Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) using its own FiberLAN access solution hardware. The fiber-based network delivers up to one Gigabit of bandwidth to each desk and work station in the facility, while significantly reducing the size of the IT equipment room and the costs associated power and cooling.
“With many companies like ours moving manufacturing operations overseas to keep costs low, we are grateful to be able to remain competitive right here in Pinellas County, where many of our employees call home,” said Ed Thompson, plant relocation consultant for Zhone Technologies, in prepared remarks. “This new space will also allow our business to operate more efficiently from both a production and connectivity standpoint.”

Melanie Jackson, CCIM, director of office services, and Alan Feldshue, managing director of office services, with Colliers International Tampa Bay, represented Zhone in the lease. The landlord is BACM 2005-3 Bryan Dairy Industrial LLC.

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