Commerce Park Opens in Oxford

From Voices
By Lida Quirke

David Sippin, owner-developer of Oxford Commerce Park, located at 1 Jack's Hill Road (center) celebrated the grand opening of the park's first building with a ribbon cutting and tour of the facilities. Among those participating were (from left) Phil Clark, president of Claris Construction, Bridgeport; Leonard Volpe, vice president of Newtown Savings Bank; Oxford First Selectman Augie Palmer and Ed Godin, partner, Matthews Commercial Properties, LLC, Waterbury (Quirke photos)

October 26, 2005

OXFORD - First Selectman Augie Palmer, professional associates, tenants and others gathered with developer Dave Sippin last week to officially mark the grand opening of his latest project, Oxford Commerce Park on Jack's Hill Road.

The park's first 36,400-squarefoot flex building was completed in February and is now 80 percent occupied.

With its facade of stucco and masonry, the building has the appearance of a high-quality office facility. It contains offices in the front and air-conditioned high-ceilinged bays in the rear.

Loading docks with tractor-trailer access also are located in the rear of each unit.

The building is served by public water, sewers and three-phase electrical power and has units ranging from 2,000 to 16,000 square feet.

Current tenants include Scott Technology, LLC, manufacturer of products for the health industry; Nexus Design, LLC, product designer; Mirtec Corp., manufacturer of automatic optical inspection equipment for the electronics manufacturing industry; FDR Special Products, maker of equipment and supplies for the electronics, medical and microtooling industries; Magellan Service Corporation, repairer of manufacturing equipment; and Jetek LLC, developer of manufacturing processes for the semiconductor industry.

Negotiations are underway to lease one of the two remaining 4,000-square-foot units, leaving only 4,000 square feet uncommitted.

Mr. Sippin, who owns the building, said he expects to have it fully occupied by the end of the year. In addition to a ribbon-cutting, last week's celebration included a tour of the spaces occupied by
Scott Technology and Nexus Design.

Greg Thomas, director of manufacturing at Scott Technology, said Oxford Commerce Park was a good fit for his company, which had outgrown its 6,800-square-foot facilities on Old Waterbury Road in Southbury.

He said Scott and its affiliate, Nexus, were not only able to double their space but because it was new construction, also were able to customize it to their specific needs.

That the building is also located near business associates, including PTA Corporation, which supplies the plastic molding
used in their products, also is a benefit, he added.

Mr. Sippin said working with the town to realize his plans for an industrial park was a positive experience.

"The town is very thorough but supportive," he said.

On why he elected to build in Oxford, Mr. Sippin said he came to the conclusion after investigating the area that Oxford was poised for growth.

Also, "it's a large, fairly contiguous area of industrial property, plus there's good infrastructure, including public water and sewers," he said.

It also has excellent access and the availability of a viable work force, he added.

Architect Phil Clark echoed Mr. Sippin's remarks, saying working with the town was a pleasant expenence.

The town is really pro-construction, and while it is "a stickler for the rules," it is willing to work with you, he said.

As a result, the project went smoothly and rapidly, which is what the owner needed, Mr. Clark said.

First Selectman Palmer said economic development starts with an idea, "and that's what happened here."

He said Oxford Commerce Park was an important element in the town's growth and development and has contributed to the town's reputation for being one of the fastest-growing communities in the state.

"One company feeds off another one and this is what will make this area grow," he said.

"We thank you for coming to Oxford and we're pleased you're here," he told Mr. Sippin.

Mr. Palmer said the town can expect to see other enhancements in the industrial area in the near future, including improvements to Christian Street and the construction of E Commerce Drive, which will link
the industrial area to Airport Access Road.

Sippin Management Company, based in Monroe, also is the builder of a 44,000-square-foot industrial building at 353 Christian Street. Having achieved success with that endeavor, the company purchased a 109-acre parcel south of the airport three years ago with the intention of building the industrial park.

The building on Jack's Hill Road is the first phase of that project.

Toward the realization of his long-term goal, Sippin Management Company recently received approval for a resubdivision of the remaining industrial property and is under contract to sell a lot to the Connecticut Light & Power Company for construction of a power substation.

The substation will increase available electricity capacity for the Oxford area while adding to the town's tax rolls.

Last year, Sippin Management Company purchased a 22-acre parcel on Bala Ridge and Donovan Roads for future development

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