Advance Realty Investors Wins NAIOP Office Deal of the Year for Freshpet HQ

he award was presented at NAIOP New Jersey's 39th annual Commercial Real Estate Awards Gala on May 14 at The Palace at Somerset Park, where the organization recognized several of the state's most significant transactions and industry leaders. Alex Cocoziello, principal and chief investment officer at Advance Realty Investors, accepted the Office Deal of the Year award for the 30,000-square-foot Freshpet global headquarters lease.

The award highlights a project that reflects both the continued evolution of the office market and Advance's long-standing ability to deliver highly customized real estate solutions for growing companies. Freshpet's new headquarters will serve as a purpose-built home for the company's corporate team while helping anchor the next phase of Bedminster Village Square, Advance's reimagined home campus on Route 206.

"This recognition is especially meaningful because the Freshpet headquarters represents the kind of thoughtful, relationship-driven development that has defined Advance for decades," said Advance Realty Investors. "We are proud to work with Freshpet and the Township of Bedminster to create a modern workplace that supports business growth, strengthens the local commercial corridor and contributes to the broader community."

A Purpose-Built Headquarters for a Growing Company

Freshpet's new global headquarters is designed as a 30,000-square-foot, eco-conscious office building that will provide a collaborative and pet-friendly workplace for approximately 100 team members and their pets. The project broke ground in 2024 and was planned as part of a larger vision for Bedminster Village Square, which includes new retail, dining and amenity space intended to support both office tenants and the surrounding community.

Located at Advance's Bedminster campus, the project brings new energy to a prominent Route 206 property that has long been home to Advance Realty Investors. The broader redevelopment vision includes a mix of office, retail, dining and public-facing amenities designed to create a more active, connected and attractive environment for tenants, employees and visitors.

The project also reflects Freshpet's values as a company focused on pets, people and the planet. The new headquarters has been designed with environmentally conscious features, including healthy materials, renewable sources, electric vehicle charging stations and energy-efficiency measures.

Reinforcing Advance's Build-to-Suit Legacy

For Advance, the NAIOP recognition continues a long history of developing custom corporate real estate solutions for major companies. Since its founding in 1979, Advance has built a reputation for vision, creativity, long-term relationships and hands-on execution across office / R&D, industrial, multi-family, retail projects.

The Freshpet headquarters builds on that legacy of corporate build-to-suit work, which has included projects for companies such as Eisai, Bayer, Panasonic, Phillips Van Heusen, Allied Beverage, G.H. Bass, Chubb, FedEx and others.

At a time when companies are rethinking the role of the workplace, the Freshpet project demonstrates the continued value of high-quality office environments that are tailored to the needs of specific users. Rather than simply delivering square footage, the project creates a workplace aligned with Freshpet's culture, growth strategy and commitment to collaboration.

A Catalyst for Bedminster Village Square

The Freshpet headquarters is also a key step in the transformation of Advance's Bedminster campus into Bedminster Village Square. Advance's redevelopment vision for the property includes modern office space, neighborhood-serving retail, dining options, improved landscaping and pedestrian connections that complement Bedminster's character and open-space network.

Earlier planning materials for Bedminster Village described the campus as a long-held Advance property being repurposed from a suburban office complex into a more vibrant mixed-use environment in the heart of Bedminster Township.

By combining a new corporate headquarters with complementary retail and amenity uses, Advance is helping demonstrate how suburban office campuses can be reimagined for the next generation of employers, employees and communities.

Continuing a Record of Award-Winning Real Estate

The NAIOP Office Deal of the Year award adds to Advance Realty Investors' long record of industry recognition. Previous honors have included NAIOP awards for Deal of the Year, Industrial Deal of the Year and Creative Deal of the Year, as well as awards from ULI, BOMA, NJBIA and other leading real estate organizations.

For Advance, the Freshpet headquarters is more than an award-winning office transaction. It is a reflection of the company's broader approach to real estate: identifying opportunity, building lasting partnerships and creating places that support long-term value for tenants, municipalities and surrounding communities.

As Bedminster Village Square continues to take shape, the Freshpet headquarters stands as a strong example of how thoughtful development can help companies grow while strengthening the places they call home