Cummings Properties Media Release - February 24, 2009

Health Plans Moves to TradeCenter 128
Cummings Properties Media Release

Woburn, MA - Taking care of its need for more space, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care's subsidiary, Health Plans, Inc., has relocated from 92 Montvale in Stoneham to more than 4,400 square feet at TradeCenter 128. Both properties are leased and managed by Cummings Properties.

Health Plans, a third party administrator of health and benefit plans, is reportedly the largest in New England. Founded in 1981, it offers attractive, innovative product designs to employers seeking to provide an affordable yet comprehensive benefits package to their employees. Health Plans provides administrative and consulting services to health plan sponsors. Its diverse client base includes hospitals, manufacturing firms, labor unions, municipalities, credit unions, media outlets and retail food chains, among others.

In 2005, Health Plans partnered with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to merge its flexibility and affordability with the power of Harvard Pilgrim's extensive provider network and its widely recognized commitment to service and quality.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care is the #1 commercial health plan in America for the fourth consecutive year according to an annual joint ranking of the nation's best health plans by U.S. News & World Report and the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Harvard Pilgrim is the only commercial health plan in the nation to be named #1 for member satisfaction and quality of care for four consecutive years.

"A company that provides superb service as well as the personal touch to its clients expects to receive that same caliber of service from its real estate provider," said Steve Costa, Cummings Properties' leasing/property manager who represented it in the lease extension and expansion. "The group at Health Plans needed to double their space and wanted a first-class building with ample, free parking and numerous amenities. We worked hard to find a space that met their needs, and we're glad we were able to provide them with everything on their checklist."

Costa noted that both 92 Montvale and TradeCenter 128 are highly visible, first-class properties with covered parking and multi-story atriums that let in an abundance of natural light. "The natural stone, granite and oak accent materials in TradeCenter 128 were details that Health Plans appreciated," he said, "and TradeCenter's location fronting Interstate 95/Route 128 was better suited for Health Plans' business needs than the Montvale building's proximity to Interstate 93."

Amenities in and around TradeCenter 128 include restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, banks, MBTA service and daycare. Exterior architectural details include glass curtainwalls and ribbon windows, a drive-through archway, and a landscaped "office oasis" pond surrounded by willow trees and a walking path. Costa pointed out that TradeCenter 128 was built on spec and is still filling up its seven stories, some of which provide views of the Boston skyline.

Cummings Properties is a Woburn-based commercial real estate firm that leases and manages nearly 10 million square feet in 10 communities around Boston and is known for its willingness to meet its clients' needs in a variety of settings and properties.