Now, Novartis Consumer Health, Inc. has signed a long-term lease for another 143,000 sf, this time at 200 Kimball Dr. in The Center of Morris County. 200 Kimball Dr. is a new 175,000-sf building being built on spec by Florham Park, NJ-based Gale & Wentworth in partnership with J.P. Morgan Investments Management, Inc. All of the recent activity by Novartis is part of the company's ongoing reconfiguration, triggered by its corporate HQ move from Summit, NJ to East Hanover, according to a Novartis spokesman.

The facility will serve as the North American headquarters for Novartis Consumer Health, which has its world HQ in Nyon, Switzerland. The company makes and sells a range of over-the-counter medicines, health and functional nutrition products, and infant nutrition products.

The 80-acre Center of Morris County will eventually have four class A buildings of between 100,000 sf and 400,000 sf each. Novartis is the second major sign-up for developer Gale & Wentworth; State Farm Insurance has already committed to 400,000 sf, with the company's move-in expected to begin by the end of this year.

"We are extremely pleased that Novartis Consumer Health has committed to the Center of Morris County," says Mark Yeager, G&W president. "We're happy to be able to meet the demands of prospective tenants in the marketplace."

Tim Conklin and Rick Genthe, G&W vice presidents, closed the latest transaction, along with Christopher G. Fitzpatrick, senior vice president of Novartis Consumer Health and Richard Johnson, Frank DiMaria and Robert Klausner of Matrix Development, representing Novartis. Gale & Wentworth Construction Services is responsible for constructing the new Novartis facility.