15 Great Valley Parkway, Malvern, PA 19355
From Class B to World-Class: ifm’s Malvern Technology Center Transformation
The Situation
With sales growth exceeding 500% since 2012, ifm needed more space to support rising global demand for its process sensors. Its 37,000-square-foot facility could no longer accommodate the company’s growth. The challenge was to expand research, development, and precision manufacturing capabilities while staying close to the existing location to retain its skilled workforce.
The Approach
Gola began with space programming, growth projections, and workforce mapping to define ifm’s facility requirements. Representing ifm exclusively, Gola identified a building within one mile of the existing site and guided the acquisition and redevelopment.
Gola directed the property’s transformation from a Class B building into a Class A office and advanced production environment. From architect, engineer, and contractor selection through move-in, Gola coordinated stakeholders, vendors, schedules, and build-out decisions to protect scope, timing, and quality.
The Result
ifm expanded from 37,000 to 90,000 square feet, bringing research, development, and precision sensor production together in a facility built for continued growth. The transformed space supports lean manufacturing, high standards of cleanliness, and climate-controlled production. Its nearby location helped preserve workforce continuity while giving ifm the capacity to meet growing global demand.
Gola Services
- Facility requirements planning and space programming
- Growth projections and workforce mapping
- Site search and selection
- Exclusive client representation
- Acquisition guidance
- Building repositioning and redevelopment oversight
- Architect, engineer, and contractor selection
- Complimentary project management through move-in
Client Perspective
”We have developed a strong partnership with Gola Corporate Real Estate, and Mark Gola and his team have become trusted advisors to ifm as we manage our evolving real estate needs. From our Malvern headquarters to locations across our U.S. footprint, Gola consistently brings strong market knowledge, thoughtful negotiation strategy, and a clear understanding of our business priorities.
What we value most is their responsiveness and practical approach. Mark Gola takes the time to understand what we are trying to accomplish, challenges us when appropriate, and helps us evaluate both the financial and operational implications of our decisions. He approaches our business as if it were his own and is always focused on getting to the right outcome for ifm.
Gola feels less like an outside real estate firm and more like an extension of our team. We greatly value the relationship and their continued guidance, and we highly recommend Gola as a trusted real estate partner.
Peter BrehPresident, ifm prover, USA
ifm Prover develops and manufactures process sensor technology for industrial automation. Its Malvern Manufacturing and Technology Center combines research, development, and production, supplying ultrasonic flow sensors, vortex flow sensors, and temperature instruments to ifm customers worldwide.
About Gola
Gola Corporate Real Estate is an exclusive tenant representation and integrated project management firm. We represent occupiers only, never landlords. For more than 45 years, Gola has aligned brokerage strategy with embedded project management—at no additional cost—to preserve leverage, manage risk, and maintain accountability from negotiation through occupancy. From renewal to relocation, Gola safeguards tenant interests across every phase of the real estate lifecycle.
