The deals are a composite of new leases and renewals for the 640-acre industrial park situated in a region that struggles for its share of Texas prosperity, due in part to its border positioning. El Paso's strength lies in its distribution market, says Bill Goeke, PM Realty's senior vice president and Central Division director.

A park newcomer, Tatung Inc., based in Taipei, is in the process of hiring and gearing up a computer assembly operation in 162,911 sf of leased industrial space, Liz O'Brien, PM Realty Group's property manager and leasing agent, told GlobeSt.com. She says the seven-year lease has been jumpstarted by a contract with Hewlett-Packard Inc. Tantung has a 200,000-sf assembly operation just across the border in Juarez and divisions in several California towns, says O'Brien.

"It's a very, very strong lease," she assesses. The pact is the largest one-building deal inked last year for the park. Tantung already has started setting up shop in the building at 27 Spur Rd.

The Tantung lease is one of four that has been signed for Lincoln National Life Insurance's 10 buildings in the park, a multi-owner development of warehouse and office space. PM has signed five other pacts for holdings of Teachers Insurance & Annuities of America.

Thermotech of Hopkins, MN, has renewed its 50,000-sf warehouse lease with Lincoln. The company, which has signed for five years, has been a tenant for the past seven years at 22 Spur Dr. in Butterfield Trail. Mizuno Golf USA, another Lincoln tenant, also has renewed its 36,400-sf lease for office-warehouse space at 42 Butterfield Circle. It too has signed for five years, as has new tenant, Plexus of Neenah, WI, which is taking 12,787 sf of warehouse space at 25-C Spur Dr.

Butterfield Trail's industrial space is leasing for $3.25 per sf to $3.50 per sf while its office is ranging from $12.80 per sf to $15, O'Brien, who brokered the deals, told GlobeSt.com. Robert Keller and Matthew Koch of Keller & Koch have represented Plexus.

The largest deal brokered for Teachers is 19,600 sf of warehouse space for Forward Air, a new tenant signing for five years at 15 Zane Grey. Office space renewals at 3 Butterfield Trail have been inked by Mitsui-Soko, which has added 500 sf for a total of 1,681 sf; Coleman Research, 4,082 sf; Avnet Inc., 1,288 sf; and Fleming Foods, 851 sf.