Adding to these existing buildings at Ventana Medical Systems will be a two-story building of about 62,000 square feet to accommodate new offices, a second building of about 64,000 square feet that will house offices and a customer training center and a third building, about 15,000 square feet, to become a cafeteria.

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Ventana Medical Systems Inc. moved one step closer to its expansion May 3 when the Oro Valley Town Council approved development plans, paving the way for additional employees and economic growth.

The maker of automated laboratory instruments for diagnosis and drug research, at 1910 E. Innovation Park Drive, plans to nearly double its size by adding three new buildings and a parking lot.

"We believe this is a great location for us," said Gregg Forszt, director of facilities at Ventana.

With the new space, the company will increase the number of employees from about 500 to 800 over the next few years, he said.

Apart from new office space, the new buildings will accommodate a customer training center and a cafeteria, to be completed by the end of 2007, Forszt said.

The expansion will increase the total square footage from 182,400 to 316,900 and will be near the current facilities.

A two-story building of about 62,000 square feet will accommodate new offices A second building of about 64,000 square feet will house offices and a customer training center. The third building, about 15,000 square feet, will become a cafeteria, Forszt said.

He would not disclose the cost of the expansion.

Oro Valley officials say they welcome the expansion and are proud to have the company's headquarters in their town.

"Having participated in initially recruiting Ventana Medical Systems to Oro Valley, it is encouraging to see them locate and expand in a very short time," said Chuck Sweet, Oro Valley's outgoing town manager. "They are one of the premier employers in our community."

The Town Council approved the development plan for the buildings and parking lot unanimously, Sweet said.

Once Ventana settled in Oro Valley, other technology businesses were drawn to the area, Sweet said. These include Sanofi-Aventis, which just purchased a nearby lot, and Northwest Medical Center of Oro Valley.

Oro Valley Mayor Paul Loomis said: "There was a need for the first company to come in and establish an industrial area. Ventana has done that.

"We always looked at Ventana as a growing entity. This expansion is certainly not unexpected," he said.

The mayor expressed hope that the new employees will be a mix of Oro Valley residents, finding jobs that pay well, and well-educated employees from other parts of the country who settle in the town.

Ventana employees have felt an increasing need for more space in recent years and appreciate the expansion plans, said Brad Hartberg,Ventana's cus-tomer-care representative.

Hartberg said the company has been growing so fast that the facilities are now too small to accommodate the number of employees, who've had to move closer together in their offices.

Hartberg, who started working at Ventana three years ago, said managers work hard to keep the employees connected, with events such as collective troubleshooting.

"It's a very good company to work for," he said.

Arizona Daily Star records show that Ventana has seen extensive growth in recent months. Its revenue in the first quarter of 2006 grew 20 percent, to $54.1 million, up from $45 million in the same period a year ago.

Ventana was founded in 1985 by University of Arizona pathologist Dr. Thomas M. Grogan, and apart from Tucson, now has offices in France, Australia and Japan, according to its Web site