BERGAMO, Italy—Lens processing equipment maker MEI has begun construction of a new company headquarters in Ponte San Pietro, near Bergamo, a few miles from its current premises. The company’s new base is designed to accommodate its continuing growth, the company said. It will have a floor area of about 113,000 square feet, three-quarters of which will serve as production and warehousing facilities, with the remainder serving as office space.

At present, MEI provides work for approximately 70 people at the Italian site alone, and its annual output comes to about 250 machines.

“The new center is meant to guarantee higher production volumes resulting in faster delivery of the machines requested,” explained Stefano Sonzogni, MEI's president and technical director. “The new building will also provide more space for day-to-day operations, such as, for example, a demonstration room and a training room.”

The new site, which is expected to open in mid-2016, will be positioned along one of the main arteries cutting across the Bergamo region, making it easily accessible.