Uniland Development has signed a lease with Total Quality Assurance International (TQAI) who will occupy approximately 81,000 sq.ft. of a 150,000 sq.ft. building that is nearing completion at 8 Dona Street. Headquartered in Flushing, Michigan, TQAI specializes in Engineering, Logistics, Warehousing, Quality Control, Quality Inspection Services, Packaging and Rework. TQAI established its Buffalo operations in 2011 and currently employs approximately 45 people locally.
“The new location gives us more space to continue to grow in Buffalo,” said Joe Wolkiewicz who is the Chief Operating Officer for Total Quality Assurance. “In addition to the benefits of a completely new building, we felt that the location in Renaissance Commerce Park provides our business with a strategic location that is centrally placed and convenient for our clients in a growing industrial hub.”
Total Quality Assurance currently occupies approximately 53,000 sq.ft. of industrial and office space at 375 Commerce Drive in Amherst, which is also owned by Uniland. A Uniland tenant since 2011, TQAI will look to take occupancy of its new location before the end of the year.
“Anytime you see a local company expanding, it just feels good,” emphasized Michael J. Montante, CEO for Uniland. “A lot of praise is owed to New York State, the City of Lackawanna, the ECIDA, ILDC and specifically the vision of Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. With Renaissance Commerce Park, they have created a place where businesses want to locate and grow.”
Located on the former site of the Bethlehem Steel plant in Lackawanna, the 230-acre Renaissance Commerce Park has undergone a significant industrial transformation in recent years. The Erie County Industrial Development Agency [ECIDA] is developing the site through its land development arm, the Industrial Land Development Corporation [ILDC]. The redevelopment of the park has involved a complete remediation under the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Brownfield Cleanup Program, expanding water and sewer extensions and public roads onto the site, the relocation of rail lines, and the enhancement of the multi-use Shoreline Trail bike pathway along Route 5 to expand access and usability at the site.
After breaking ground in October 2021, Uniland began construction at 8 Dona Street on the single-story industrial building which features 36-foot clear height and generous column spacing. The location is intended to serve as a hub for manufacturing, warehousing, logistics and trucking operations. The 150,000-square-foot spec building is scheduled to complete construction this Fall. Uniland has also announced a second spec building, adjacent to 8 Dona, on NYS Route 5. The second 150,000 sq.ft. building is scheduled to begin construction later this year and will open in 2023.