Image courtesy of Colliers International

A German life science contract manufacturer has selected a Boxborough property for its U.S. expansion and inked a lease for 118,000 square feet.

Vibalogics selected the 1414 Massachusetts Ave. property because of the ability to convert a portion of the R&D and flex building to 30-foot clear heights, according to Colliers International, which represented the company in its site search spanning the East Coast. The facility is scheduled to begin operations in mid-2021.

The company will spend $150 million for the buildout of equipment including bioreactors and hiring personnel, Vibalogics said in a press release. The workforce will expand from 100 employees in mid-2021 to 250 within four years.

Vibalogics was acquired in 2019 by Wellesley-based Ampersand Capital Partners, a private equity fund specializing in health care investments. The company is a manufacturing partnering with Johnson & Johnson on a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Curtis Cole led the Colliers International team representing VIbalogics. Ownership was represented by Tim Latham and Chris Devaux of Lincoln Property Co.

Lincoln Property Co. acquired the property for $6.25 million in 2017 from Cisco Systems, according to data compiled by The Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman.