BAE Systems Inks Lease for 193K SF Manchester Office 

February 18, 2019 | Reprints | Unlock Link

One of the world’s largest defense contractors is significantly expanding its Manchester operations. 

BAE Systems recently signed a lease on 193,000 square feet of space at 3000 Goffs Falls Road in the city.  

Robert Rohrer of Colliers International’s Manchester office, and Conner Faught of Colliers’ Washington, D.C. office represented BAE in the transaction.  

The lease comes after the Business Finance Authority purchased the property from Brady Sullivan Properties. It will lease the building to BAE over the next 10 years. The deal allows BAE to buy the property at the end of the 10-year term. The building is assessed at $9.4 million, and Brady Sullivan bought it in 2014 for $5 million, according to city property records. 

“BAE Systems has a long and rich history in New Hampshire,” Ray Brousseau, vice president at BAE Systems’ electronic systems division, said in a statement. “Our investment in the new Manchester campus will enable us to tap into the talented local workforce to expand our capacity and improve our ability to deliver high-quality products to the warfighter.” 

The company employs around 6,000 people in facilities in Nashua, Hudson and Merrimack. When the Manchester facility is fully operational, it will house up to 800 BAE workers focused on the company’s electronic warfare programs. The U.S. military has recently been seeking to improve its electronic warfare capabilities in the face of stiff competition from Chinese and Russian electronic warfare military units. 

Over the past several years, the BAE’s electronic systems division has invested more than $100 million to expand manufacturing capacity to meet increasing production rates of the company’s top programs and deliver on its commitments to its customers – with a strong focus on its electronic warfare business. That investment, along with the new Manchester expansion, will enable the company to enhance manufacturing efficiency, improve overall cycle time and build additional capabilities for future growth. 

“This will be a great location for BAE Systems and its presence in Manchester will be a great benefit to the city,” Colliers’ Rohrer said in a statement.