PROTECS, a leading provider of professional services in hi-tech construction management, design/build and real estate advisory services, announced that it has acquired Novita Equities LLC, a privately held real estate investment and consulting company focused on modernizing and renovating Higher Education R&D facilities and Innovation Centers. As part of the acquisition, Novita's Founder, William "Bill" D. Hunter, will join the PROTECS team in a newly created role as Senior Vice President, Development.

Christopher DiPaolo, President and Founder of PROTECS noted, "Bill brings great value to our growing professionals at PROTECS.  He is highly respected and very well networked throughout the country in the life science real estate sector.  He also brings vast knowledge of the creation and operation of Innovation Hubs and Centers.  We are excited to continue to pursue the Novita platform, while leveraging Bill's knowledge and experience to drive value to our existing and future client base."

In addition to Mr. Hunter's focus on national business development, he will also be responsible for managing and growing PROTECS' Innovation Centers, which currently consist of three facilities located in Montgomery County, PA comprised of over 65,000 rentable square feet housing more than twenty companies ranging from start-up life science companies through mature multi-national firms. 

"We are excited to have Bill on board to expand this area of our business," Mr. DiPaolo continued. "He excels at connecting with start-up and emerging growth-stage companies and I anticipate great things ahead for PROTECS Innovation Centers and the companies we serve."

A nationally recognized expert in R&D real estate, Bill has more than 20 years of experience in acquisitions, leasing, marketing and management within life sciences real estate and related high technology industries. Throughout his career, Mr. Hunter has completed more than $3.75 billion in acquisitions including 7.5 million square feet of leasing management and well over 3 million square feet of strategic campus re-positioning projects for major life science. He also has done University campus developments in every major U.S. scientific cluster covering the East and West Coast from New York to Miami and San Francisco to San Diego.  Representative projects include The Pacific Research Center - San Francisco East Bay, The Landmark at Eastview - Westchester County, New York and The University of Miami Life Science & Technology Park - Miami FL.

"I am thrilled to join the PROTECS team and continue Novita's mission while enhancing PROTECS' capabilities in a wide range of applications for such a diverse and talented group of hi-tech design and construction management professionals," Mr. Hunter commented.  "Novita provides strategic and sustainable leasing, sales and marketing consulting to Higher Education Institutions, Medical Centers, Life Science Companies, Developers and Brokerage firms.  This synergizes with the PROTECS platform, enabling a bigger, bolder offering to PROTECS' and its clients with a national reach on the heels of their newest office in Salt Lake City, Utah."