Orthopedic Firm to Open at Northgate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2007
CONTACT: Robert Dashevsky
(413) 785-1981
Orthopedic Firm to Open at Northgate
SPRINGFIELD — Hanger Orthopedic Group, one of the world's largest providers of orthotic and prosthetic devices and services, has signed a long-term lease at Northgate Professional Center, 1985 Main Street.
Hanger, which operates more than 600 patient care centers in 43 states, will occupy 2,700 square feet in the space formerly occupied by the Dough Show Restaurant, according to Northgate owner Andrew M. Cohen. Its projected opening date is November 1.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, the 146-year-old company designs, fabricates and fits artificial limbs, specialty footwear for diabetics, and a number of products for post-mastectomy care. Hanger also produces braces and supports for the treatment musculo-skeletal conditions ranging from short-term sports injuries to progressive neurological diseases such as multiple schlerosis.
According to its website, the company was founded in 1861 by James Edward Hanger, who, as an 18-year-old recruit, lost his leg in the first land battle of the Civil War. Hanger returned to his hometown in Virginia and developed an artificial leg from whittled barrel staves, and soon was fitting other Confederate amputees. At the time of his death in 1919, the J.E. Hanger Company, then headquartered in Richmond, VA, had branches in Atlanta, London, Paris, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.
Northgate, a 40-year-old former strip shopping center with an attached three-story office building, recently underwent an extensive makeover to further support the property's transition to a medical and professional office venue, according to Northgate owner Cohen.
Another recent Northgate move-in is the Apothecary Center, a pharmacy occupying 3,700 square feet, which opened in May. Other tenants at the 45,000 square foot center include Northgate Medical P.C., Northgate Dental Center, the U.S. Veterans Center, Northgate Spine and Injury Center, H&R Block, Tapestry Health System, and Apex Healthcare.