Newton-based McGovern Auto Group has purchased the headquarters of its specialty police, fire, and municipal vehicle business in Marlborough for $13.5 million.
McGovern Auto bought the site at 401 Elm St. on Friday from Florida-based EJR Real Estate Trust, according to the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds. Before the purchase, McGovern leased the site from EJR.
Built in 1960 and renovated in 1988, the 134,648-square-foot building is the headquarters of McGovern MHQ, which McGovern acquired in 2023 to expand its municipal vehicle upfitting business.Â
MHQ specializes in customizing automakers’ standard vehicles with equipment and modifications to meet the demands of police, fire, and municipal service. MHQ has outfitted more than 100,000 municipal vehicles since the firm was founded in 1979, with additional locations elsewhere in Massachusetts and in Connecticut.
MHQ’s facility contains seven docks and four drive-in bays, with the 12.5-acre lot containing a large outdoor area for vehicle storage, according to CoStar.
EJR first purchased the site for $10 million in 2013, according to registry records.Â
Jim Glickman, Cody Miner, and Jonah Glickman of NAI Glickman Kovago & Jacobs in Worcester represented the seller in the transaction. The sale demonstrates the strength of the MetroWest industrial market, Jim Glickman said in a Friday announcement.
The property received a 2026 assessment of $9.65 million, according to City of Marlborough property records.Â
MHQ’s facility is across Elm Street from a 45,829-square-foot flex building sold for $10 million in May in a separate transaction.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the real estate and banking & finance industries.
